12/18/2008: ADC'S TERMS AND CONDITIONS

To understand ADC's Terms and Conditions in practice in plain English (please see bold):

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
“All entrants to the ADC Annual Awards and ADC Young Guns grant The Art Directors Club, Inc. the right to reproduce their entries in whole or in part in any media now known or hereafter created, including but not limited to, the Art Directors Annual, ADC Young Guns catalog and in other publications, media and archives sponsored or published by or on behalf of The Art Directors Club.”

--During the 88 years of its existence, ADC has published 87 printed annuals on behalf of the ADC Annual Awards and more recently has been building an online archive to memorialize winner’s work with complete credits.
ADC also exhibits award-winning work with complete credits in original and digital formats on a worldwide tour and in ADC’s NYC gallery.
Since ADC’s founding new media platforms have been introduced – the clause seeks to cover these eventualities and to ensure that ADC Awards may utilize these technical advancements in promoting award-winning work.

“All entries to the Annual Awards and ADC Young Guns become the property of The Art Directors Club. Entrants also agree to indemnify and hold The Art Directors Club harmless of any claims whatsoever, including but not limited to those that may be made against it by reason of any use of their entries permitted by this agreement. The Art Directors Club does not guarantee a winner in every category, as the nature of the competition is subject to jury discretion.”

--As to entries being ADC’s property, we refer to the physical entry itself (ADC cannot return it). If your entry wins, we’ll ask you to submit your best version to ensure it’s best representation in the ADC Annual, ADC Archive and on ADC Exhibition.
Indemnification clauses are the norm.
Juries have on occasion determined that none of the entries merit the ADC award.

The Art Directors Club may, at its sole discretion, charge a service fee for use of materials, and may reproduce any and all materials in whole or in part as it deems appropriate. Upon publication of entries, the entrant will be notified and may be required to absorb any talent or other residual charges that may be incurred if these charges are not waived by the individuals or unions involved.

--These clauses have never been exercised.
(ADC is considering amending this language to indicate that participation is “at will” which is the original intent.)

All entry fees are nonrefundable.

--ADC is a non-profit, all proceeds from the annual awards fund member/non-member programming and ADC scholarships.


Categories: Advertising, Design, Education, Illustration, Interactive, Photography, | Comments: 0

10/09/2007: ADVERTISING AND STREET ART

Greetings!

My name is Noémie, and since August 07 I've been the archivist here at the ADC.

Three months before starting work here, I spent an afternoon in a dark, windowless room giving my thesis presentation to a small but attentive crowd of about fifty people. It was entitled The Shifting Dimensions of Street Art in the 21st Century. I only recount this in order to make the following point: during my first day at the ADC, I thought to myself how strange it was to land in an environment that celebrates advertising, when in fact I had spent the previous year devoted to the work of those that deface it.

I didn't feel out of place for long, however. My first project involved archiving the winners of the 84th Annual Awards from 2005. I was thrilled to see that guerrilla advertising was included in the Annual—seven winners in that category grace its pages. Those images also brought back familiar issues that consistently pop up on street art blogs like woostercollective.com, namely, the uneasy relationship between street artists and the all-powerful brands that are desperate to hire them. For many street artists, any such association is borderline sacrilegious. These purists advocate that street art should remain an untainted form of creativity, and that money should stay out of it. In short: don't give in to the man.

The only problem is that, for the most part, there are strong ties between advertising and street art. For one, ad busters need ads to bust. But it's also more than that. Street artists, whether they're conscious of it or not, think like marketing directors. Dissemination is key—whether it's a tag, a stencil, or an ad, more is better. More means power. And because, just like with advertising, the goal is to communicate, location also becomes crucial. It's about finding that ideal spot—a spot where thousands of passersby a day will have no choice but to notice your visual, and register your message.

What's more, the advertising world and the street art world have evolved in parallel. In both camps, there is an increasing trend to work in 3-D rather than 2-D (Cases in point: Volkswagen's Ice Car, on the one end, Mark Jenkins' tape sculptures on the other). Ads are more compelling when the environment is brought into the picture (quite literally, with Amnesty International's Not Here But Now campaign), and the same is true with street art (see, for example, the work of Cayetano Ferrer in Chicago).

Essentially, the aim of both camps is to innovate—to find brand new ways to exploit city surfaces. It's no wonder, then, that street artists often cross over to the advertising industry, and vice versa. Leeds-based Paul "Moose" Curtis, who has developed a wonderfully clever, unique method of working, is a great example. His images are created by washing away grime from city walls, and art directors have been quick to hire him (for those of you who came to see James Victore and Chris Rubino speak at the "ADC Young Guns Live DIY" event on October 4th, this pattern of DIY turning into commercial work will ring familiar). His website features his commercial work, in addition to his "various other exploits." You decide which is best.

Categories: Advertising, Design, Illustration, | Comments: 0