According to Howard Gossage, "Nobody reads ads. People read what interests them. Sometimes it's an ad." The 2012 AICP Show Copywriting Shortlist (link above) is composed of ideas brought to life with imagery. They are sometimes funny, sometimes profound, but always interesting. In the words of some Copywriting judges: "If the tone is serious, it should make you feel something, not pontificate at me. If the spot is intended to make me laugh, I have to believe in the humor." - Mary Knight / Draftfcb "I love great writing in any form, but the :30 commercial is still one of the most wonderful of our existence. The challenges, the unique solutions that continue to show up...No matter how far I go into non-traditional or digital work, the :30 will always have a special place." - Mike Lear / The Martin Agency

When producing short pieces such as commercials, great editing is crucial to the success of the finished product. The spots that made the cut on the 2012 AICP Show Editorial Shortlist (link below) reflect the vision, skills and souls of the editorial artists who worked on them. In the words of some of our Editorial judges: "I have an incredible amount of respect for all the editors in this industry. For me, it's about setting that pitch perfect tone, which draws you in and makes you remember the work." - Maury Loeb / P.S. 260 "Editing is where the magic happens." - Joanne Ferraro / Spot Welders "If the agency supplies the ingredients and the director is the chef, then editors are the ovens out of which emerges a perfect commercial. There was some good cooking in 2011." - Mary Knox / Red Car

The spots on the 2012 AICP Show Public Service Announcement Shortlist (link above) serve as a reminder that our industry doesn't just sell things. We also advocate, educate and inspire. In the words of our judges: "I judged PSA and thought the work was inventive...If a spot is not only memorable creatively but you remember the brand, that is a stand out spot. After all, it is [still] advertising!" - Roe Bressan / Lively Group "PSA's should reflect the best part of our industry - these projects should have just as much weight as the highest budget projects." - Stacey Higgins "The ability to create an emotional connection with the viewer is important, but the ability to get the viewer to take action is crucial. I relate to brands that have a higher purpose. It started with PSA's, but there's now a much bigger focus on social advocacy from mainstream brands. That's a good thing." - Mark Simon / Campbell Ewald

Edward Tufte said that "Good design is a lot like clear thinking made visual." The work on the 2012 AICP Show Design Shortlist (link above) represents the work of many inspired thinkers. We asked some of our Design category judges what they thought: "[I look for] a fresh approach to a job that has been done a million times, an attention to detail, and good visual storytelling." - Justin Fines / DEMO "[Design is] an incredibly competitive field that's ever evolving. The standards are very high as clients expect more for less...[it takes] impeccable design, technique and execution in service of an emotionally satisfying message to rise to the top." - Chris Do / BL:ND

Take a glimpse into the future by viewing the 2012 AICP Show Student Commercial Shortlist (link above). The work is impressive, inventive and inspiring. The honorees will have their work entered into the The Museum of Modern Art archives. That's one hell of a graduation present! Our Student Category judges were impressed: "[The work] was strong on all levels, emerging talent evolving for the next generation." - Renee Krumweide / ResourceLA "There are student level directors on the rise! I was amazed they were able to pull off productions of real scale. Students and schools are taking the commercial medium seriously, and that bodes well for them and the industry." - Jesse Wann "For the most part, I thought the work was impressive and well executed. It's always amazing...to see how the new digital cameras and technology...push the creative work." - Wayne Gibson / VCU Brandcenter "The future looks bright! The DSLR cameras coming out now are just life-changing. Amateur work is looking excellent." - Derrick Cameron / Ghetto Film School "There are some very smart, irreverent, cheeky and clever kids coming up. Kids that entertain while selling, to the point where the product becomes the punchline of the joke at times, and I think that's a great strategy. Many people forget set-ups but remember punchlines." - George P. Nicholas / Hofstra University

The spots on the 2012 AICP Show Direction Shortlist (link above) are diverse stylistically. However, they all represent excellence in vision and leadership. Our 2012 Direction category judges were impressed: "[The work was] very good. Commercial directors are more and more ready to work in other media." - Bernardo Dutra "I deal with directors on a day to day basis and have for 15 years...and I love the craft." - Maya Brewster / @radical.media "Directing is the core discipline of filmmaking. [I saw] a combination between high level visual effects, performance, and storytelling." - Daniel Bergman / Stink "I'm very impressed with what's being done on camera. I'd say the overall strength of the industry is its resilience. [The economy] hasn't impacted the quality of the ideas and ultimately the execution of them...people just got craftier." - Antonio Marcato / RPA

Each of the spots on the 2012 AICP Show Spec Spot Shortlist (link below) feature a great idea, flawlessly executed. We encourage you to take a moment to watch some terrific spots that you may not have seen yet. But don't just take our word for it, here's what some of our 2012 AICP Show Spec Spot judges had to say: "[The work] tells me that people are still passionate about making ads..." - Erin Goodsell / Freelance Senior Producer "I think for spec work people can do a lot with a little. Some of the best pieces were the simplest. A great idea is a great idea." - Carolyn Hill / Carolyn's Office "[I saw] people taking on serious production challenges and succeeding in a category that would suggest limited time and money for production." - Jonathan Weinstein / Go "Ideally specs are a distilled measure for how much the artists push their unique angle...So out of left field and new techniques are always key." - Becky Razzall / Driver.Tv "I always love judging AICP because it gives me the chance to see so many great pieces of work which I overlooked or was not aware of over the course of the year. Based on what I saw this year, the industry is quite strong and evolving in really interesting ways." - Julian Katz / BBDO Worldwide

Music makes the people concept come together. The spots featured on the 2012 AICP Show Musical Arrangement Shortlist (link below) all integrate music in compelling ways that elevate the work and message. We asked some of our Musical Arrangement category judges to give us their thoughts on the work they reviewed this year: "I noticed lots of twists on existing music, and I thought some of it was really cool." - Anne Marie Cullen / Anomaly "[I look for] a track that is not only a copy of the original, but is transformative and enhances the visual and the concept." - Marlene Bartos / Yessian "[I saw] some pretty great cover songs, and also some ideas that seemed very simple, but proved to be complex in execution." - Todd Porter / Goodby, Silverstein & Partners

The work on the 2012 AICP Show Shortlist for Visual Style encompasses many different techniques.  Completely animated spots, pieces with cinema-quality CG/VFX, and traditional film/editing work are all represented.  What all of the spots have in common is a finished piece that is a feast for the eyes.  We asked some of our Visual Style judges to provide their thoughts on the work this year.  Their insights are below.  (You can view each Shortlisted Visual Style spot on our Shortlist Website by clicking HERE.)

"Generally speaking, I thought the work I viewed for "Visual Style" was outstanding.  Stunning cinematography, flawless editing, art direction and music composition that was all brilliant.  At a time when many advertisers are [demanding] "more for less"...it was great to see an abundance of beautifully crated, thoughtful work." - Billy Near / Arnold Worldwide

"Visual Style was very strong. Great diversity in execution from complex VFX to stop motion animation to simple captivating photography, including comedy, narrative and documentary." - Lisa Mehling / Chelsea

"It was exciting to see a number of spots use such well-crafted visual styles to enhance the idea.  With so many techniques and tricks available to us now, there's a temptation to do too much.  Artful restraint and flawless execution of smart ideas were in abundance this year." - Matt Hunnicutt / Wieden+Kennedy

Leading up to the premiere of the 2012 AICP Show on June 12th at MoMA The Museum of Modern Art, we will be highlighting the Shortlisted work in each category, which can be viewed on our new Shortlist website (link above). What better category to kick off our 2012 Shortlist Spotlight posts than Production? Here's what some of our Production category judges had to say about taking great ideas and executing them: "I was encouraged by the quality of the work this year. The Production category tends to get a lot of spots that are more spectacle than substance. This year's work is...quite strong." - Brian Latt / Tool "Overall, it's about a great idea and then following that up with a matching realization...through production. I [saw] really strong executions that elevated...ideas." - Joe Grundhoefer / Carmichael Lynch "Wow. Wow. We are lucky to be a part of an era where anything is possible on the screen. The work this year was reflective of those possibilities and the directors who are playing in the field are grabbing hold of the new technologies. [I saw] some outstanding work." - Selena Pizarro / RPA "Lots of visual effects married to [the] practical that were seamless - Bravo!" - Alison Amon / Chelsea "No matter how excellent the production, without a good concept, no spot will stand out." - Lee Weiss / Ogilvy

Is Your Advertising Art?

View all of the 2012 AICP Show & Next Awards Shortlisted spots at our new Shortlist website.

"First [comes] the creative, the idea, the script.  Then execution, which is crucial to make a good idea great and a great idea phenomenal."

-Federico Fasolino

Executive Producer / foreignfilms

2012 AICP Show Advertising Excellence/International Judge

The Judges Have Spoken - The Shortlists Will Be Unveiled 4/27/12

"A spot that uses music in a seminal or unique fashion helps it stand out. The most important element, still, is the passion and intent of the composer."

-Fritz Doddy

Creative Director / Elias Arts

2012 AICP Show Original Music Judge

The Judges Have Spoken - The Shortlists Will Be Unveiled 4/27/12

"A collage of techniques and artists working in a combination [was] very exciting. The most impressive things I saw were conceptual - blending visual metaphor(s) seamlessly with reality."

-Mary Nittolo

Founder & Partner / The Studio

2012 AICP Show Animation Category Judge

The Judges Have Spoken - The Shortlists Will Be Unveiled 4/27/12

"The elegance of simplicity in conveying the idea always works the best."

-Andy Hall

Director / Elastic

2012 AICP Show Animation Category Judge

The Judges Have Spoken - The Shortlists Will Be Unveiled 4/27/12

"I noticed a big emphasis on great and simple storytelling whether dramatic or comedic.  I...felt strong production design was a common thread in most of [the] top-notch work."

-Brett Alexander

VP/Executive Producer / The Martin Agency

2012 AICP Show Advertising Excellence/Single Commercial Judge

The Judges Have Spoken - The Shortlists Will Be Unveiled 4/27/12