Advertising The Year in Review
Photography no longer plays the same role in advertising as it once did. The gorgeous, glossy image-as-hero full page, full-colour spread is not the campaign highlight it once was. At the D&AD Awards, one of the most prestigious international advertising awards, it still features with a category of its own even though this is no longer the norm in major advertising awards, and the same standard of excellence still applies during judging. German photographer Esther Haase was a jury member this year. She states, “During the process we were always asking ourselves in the jury, is the work worthy of recognition, was it beautifully executed, is it outstanding work, has it creative excellence, is the idea brilliant, ground-breaking, is it surprising and can it change my point of view, widen my horizon, does it awaken my emotions, does it touch me?” 2020 made those requisites even harder to satisfy, adding challenges of its own to those that have been building due to advertising’s ever-increasing exploration of mediums other than print, which this year have even included gaming and TV series.
The photographers’ 2020
The greatest challenge, as Sydney advertising photographer Sean Izzard notes, was the same for everyone – no work at all for much of the year. “Lockdown saw productions come to a complete standstill, as social distancing meant no crews or locations.” For American photographer Randal Ford, an extra challenge was getting in front of potential clients and maintaining awareness. “We used to be able to send direct mail or do in-person portfolio shows, but
