The Award-Winner’s Dirty Secret: Why Most Swipe Files Are Full of Ads That Never Had to Convert There’s a peculiar irony at the heart of most marketers’ swipe files: the ads they save for inspiration…

The Inspiration Trap — Why Award Shows Are a Lagging Indicator Disguised as Strategy Every June, the advertising world descends on the Côte d’Azur to celebrate the best work of the previous year. Cannes Lions,…

The Prestige Trap — How “Award-Worthy” Became the Enemy of “Effective” There’s a number that should unsettle every marketer who’s ever celebrated a campaign’s return on investment: since Covid, ROI has risen by 4 percent…

The Creativity Caste System — Why the Industry Assumes Awards and Performance Can’t Coexist Ask anyone who’s spent time in both a Cannes jury room and a performance marketing war room, and they’ll likely tell…

The Fundamental Paradox — Great Ads Are Designed to Stand Out, Great Native Is Designed to Blend In Every June, the advertising industry descends on the Croisette to celebrate the work that made people stop,…