The Epica Book 2002
This 16th annual edition of the Epica Book features more than 800 commercials, print ads, publications, internet sites, direct marketing operations and packaging design projects honoured in the 2002/03 Epica Awards, Europe's premier creative award show.
Judged by journalists from 30 leading advertising magazines, the 16th Epica Awards attracted 5.011 entries from 635 of the best European advertising agencies, photographers and production houses in 42 countries.
All the Winners and finalists are in the Epica Book, together with a selection of other high-scoring campaigns.
The Epica Awards have become the reference for creative achievement in Europe. The Epica Book is a lasting record of the awards and a unique source of information for all those interested in contemporary European creative trends.
THE POWER OF IDEAS
Marco Testa, Chairman & CEO, Armando Testa S.p.A.
One of the most frequent questions I have been asked over the last two years is whether advertising - classic, old or whatever you wish to call it - will still have a future given the rise of new media, one-to-one communications and guerrilla marketing.
I always say "yes". Why?
Firstly, because I believe that the beauty of advertising - classic, old or whatever you wish to call it - is that everybody can share it, we can see ourselves in it, as part of a group and it has the ability to create a "community".
Secondly. I believe that advertising is now, and has been for a while, an integral part of pop culture just like cinema, music, and fashion. And I don't believe that cinema, music and fashion would make much sense if they tried communicating "one-to-one".
And finally, I think that the strength of advertising comes from ideas and not necessarily from the media that carry it. A beautiful woman is still a beautiful woman whether she is driving a Ferrari or an old runabout.
So, a brilliant, simple and creative idea can be as powerful whether it is produced as a commercial with a large budget and a famous director, or if we put it in a newspaper or in a web frame.
The power of advertising comes from ideas. The idea of the product that the advertising is made for, the idea we tell through our stories.
Yet, you need passion for ideas, talent for creativity. And you need a lot of dedication to feed passion, ideas and creativity.
Instead, today, with one merger after another, advertising risks losing more and more of the added value which is the foundation of our profession. A profession that is very similarto that of a craftsman. Such craftsmanship is also found in fashion, industrial design and food - things which Italy is renowned for throughout the world. For that reason I continue to think that creativity is not a commodity, which can be sold in bulk by weight. I believe that quality matters and always makes the difference.
I am not here to defend Italian advertising, I never have. I defend creativity, full stop.
Because style and creativity have no flag, they know no boundaries, but they need to be defended everyday.
They need to be protected from the homogenisation of ideas, from cliches and stereotypes, from market research that tells you about the present, but doesn't know what to tell you about the future.
In the same way we need to protect diversity. Our will to be different, to take a few steps further, that step which leads us to a creative leap, the unexpected which goes beyond the mega-trends, which amends and improves it. I mean that imponderable and unexpected spark which sets everyone moving and fascinates consumers.
We need to be a step ahead, to raise the bar a little more everyday. Every day we need to find a little more courage, to challenge what is conventional, we need to invent new paths, new points of view, to surprise others and surprise ourselves.
I believe that the sense of this challenge is well represented by this latest Epica collection.
In a year of downturn like 2002, the greatest risk was to forfeit creativity. Many companies, pushed by the instinct to survive, could have said "no, thanks" to the most innovative ideas and advertising agencies could have locked their drawer of ideas, scared to take risks, lacking courage.
Well, in a such difficult year, the Epica Award succeeded in demonstrating the value of the creative idea more than ever, its vitality and its irreplaceable importance for our industry.