The Art and Technique of the American Television Commercial is reflected and embodied in the annual AICP Show, now in its 11th year. The reel of annual AICP Show honorees has become a global emissary representing the best that American commercialmaking has to offer. "America’s Reel" is screened at museums and cultural institutions throughout the U.S. and internationally. And each year’s field of honored entries becomes part of the permanent collection of the Department of Film and Video at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York.
Over the years, overseas venues for the AICP Show screenings have included such markets as Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Prague, Warsaw, Moscow, and Nicosia, Cyprus. But now, for the first time, the AICP Show itself will include an international category.
While the AICP Show’s 22 other categories will continue to honor U.S. commercial filmmaking, the new international category represents a diversification that broadens the scope and geographic reach of the competition. AICP Show chairwoman Diane McArter, managing director of Santa Monica-based Omaha Pictures, stated that the AICP is excited about the global dimension being added to the Show, enabling "exceptional work from the international production community" to be recognized.
This is the latest chapter in a storied history, which has seen the AICP Show evolve from a pipe dream to the leading U.S. competition honoring the art of commercialmaking. The event boasts 14 technique categories (Visual Style, Dialogue or Monologue, Humor, Tabletop, Cinematography, Animation, Editorial, Graphics, Visual Effects, Original Music, Sound Design, Production, Production Design, Talent/Performance), two concept categories (Art Direction, Copywriting), two overall excellence categories (Advertising Excellence/Single Commercial, Advertising Excellence/Campaign) and five specialty categories (PSA, Low Budget, Spec Spot, Student Commercial, Advertising Excellence/International).
The crème de la crème of American advertising—as represented in the Show—has undoubtedly had an influence on those in foreign countries who have seen the honored work over the years: For some, the Show has served to raise the creative bar even higher. For others—such as film students—the Show has served as inspiration to pursue careers in advertising.
The idea of a show about the art and technique of TV production was raised during the early days of the AICP. But the concept was re-introduced by industry veteran Jordan Kalfus during an AICP dinner in Los Angeles in ’91, which honored the organization’s founding fathers. "I proposed having a show of our work—that didn’t have a first, second and third prize. Instead, the honor was simply being included in the show," recalled Kalfus.
Also instrumental in shaping the first AICP Show was Jon Kamen, now co-proprietor of bicoastal/international @radical.media. As Kalfus remembered it, Kamen was president of the AICP at the time and suggested contacting the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, to see if it would be interested in such an event. From the start, the curators in MoMA’s Film Department were enthusiastic. Recounted Kalfus, "They said this was exactly the type of archive they wanted to build: a documentation of the visual culture of our society."
Beyond the screening of the year’s best work and the cocktail reception that followed, the event included workshops and symposiums. The first year featured a directors’ series with Ridley Scott of bicoastal RSA USA; Joe Pytka of PYTKA, Venice, Calif.; and Steve Horn of Steve & Linda Horn Inc., New York. They presented reels and discussed how they work and the work itself.
It was a very proud moment for Kalfus, among others, when at long last the Show became a reality. "For me, it was gratifying in a couple of ways," he recalled on the occasion of the AICP Show’s 10th anniversary last year. "One, to see a vision I had come to fruition; and, two, it was a capstone of my career, because I left the business in 1993. I had been in it for thirty-two years, and I felt very good about getting this thing off the ground. There was a lot of work done by a lot of people over the years, to get it to have clout. And with the Museum behind it, that gave us a significant stamp of approval. The Show really caught on and became the hottest ticket of the year. I’m tremendously gratified that it’s such a hit. It makes for a better community. What AICP and the Show did was raise the stature of our business, which was very welcome."
The Show also had a profoundly positive impact on the AICP. Kamen, who chaired the event in ’94 and on its 10th anniversary in ’01, recollected on the latter occasion what the first Show, in ’92, meant to the AICP. He related that the inaugural Show helped the AICP on varied fronts.
"I think it helped to pull us together even closer as a national organization," stated Kamen. "We had a series of great meetings over the three days of the event—a Congress of members, a luncheon. It helped set us upon an aggressive path of being considered more seriously by counterpart organizations like the 4A’s [The American Association of Advertising Agencies] and the ANA [Association of National Advertisers]. The Show was a great platform for growing the organization, cooperating with other organizations. We were able to use the Show and related events as a focal point to build bridges—with other organizations and with other parts of the world. We envisioned ourselves in an ambassadorial role of sending the best of our American work to museums around the country and the world."
Kamen added that connecting more meaningfully with the ANA helped forge a relationship with a staffer there: Matt Miller, who became president of the AICP, and continues to serve in that capacity. Miller also recently added CEO to his organizational title. "Matt and the professional management of his team have accomplished so much with the Show, helping to realize what we had all dreamed of when the Show was just a concept," said Kamen.
Also on the occasion of the AICP Show’s 10th anniversary, Larry Kardish, senior curator of the Department of Film and Video at MoMA, recalled that from the outset, the Show concept seemed to be a natural fit, in that MoMA has collected "films of persuasion" dating back to the ’30s. With the infusion of AICP Show honorees over the past 11 years, this persuasive collection has since grown in stature and as a mirror of American society.
Beyond its contributing significantly to a permanent collection that does justice to the art and technique of the American television commercial, Kardish sees the AICP Show as offering this tangible benefit: "What has been exciting to me about the Show is that the AICP also recognizes student commercialmakers. That’s very positive. The AICP is encouraging film and video students to think of commercialmaking as an honorable occupation, which we at MoMA believe it to be. Commercials can be artful. And it’s an art form that’s constantly evolving."
