AgVoice | Goafest: A Creative Resort?

It’s that time of the year when logos get smaller, headline deliveries become pithier, television commercials compete with music channels, emails speed post and layouts look like a beach. It’s awards time and all agencies openly, discretely or in any which way wait for some respite from indecipherable briefs. Their efforts, especially in the last few months of the year, await couch judgment.

As for agencies like us, its business as usual – call it BTL, ATL, Hardsell or whatever. We still have to pay salaries and bills. We still have to stick to the brief and deliver. We still can’t afford the elusive balm to massage creative egos. We still have to meet deadlines; how we wish we could head for the magical shorelines too.

No there’s no complaining or case of sour grapes here. We enjoy our fair share of wine and whine too. We also dream of heading for the sandy beaches with some rock-solid creatives. Sincerely there can be no excuses for giving the coveted awards the pass – only reasons. Even though our creative and servicing guys want that award, even though our client-partners love the concept… we have to deliver stuff that works. And probably that’s a good premise to work from… striving to win awards for stuff that works.

So cheers to the contenders at the Goafest 2013, the annual South Asian advertising festival - and India's largest - at the Zuri White Sands, Goa. The theme chosen for this year is ‘Just What You Unexpected’. Ouch! It hurts us so! | By Vandana Sethi, Founder Director, Water Brand Consulting