This month will mark year 12 of the Women’s Image Network (WIN) Awards, the competition which honors film and television fare that dispels female stereotypes. The last two years in that even dozen are of particular relevance to the commercialmaking community.
In 2004, the WIN Awards added an advertising component to recognize outstanding TV and/or interactive advertising written, directed, produced or art directed by a woman. Also eligible to earn WIN Awards distinction are commercials created for women that promote a positive, progressive message.
The first criterion is of significance when put in sobering context by a couple of statistics cited by the WIN organization, the nonprofit which is committed to creating social and economic parity for women. Although women represent more than 50 percent of the population, females remain vastly under-represented in media creation, especially in advertising where women comprise 15 percent of ad agency creative departments–and just 22 percent of the membership of the Directors Guild of America (DGA). The WIN Awards seek to not only celebrate the work of established creatives, but also to encourage young women to enter the entertainment and advertising industries.
The WIN Awards are scheduled to presented on Monday evening, Sept. 26, at the Ford Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. The emcee is comedian Kathy Griffin, whose Bravo series Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List recently wrapped its first season.
Among the nominated spots is work from such agencies as Wieden+Kennedy, Portland and New York, Ground Zero, Marina del Rey, Calif., McCann-Erickson, New York, Ogilvy & Mather, New York, Venables Bell & Partners, San Francisco, Network BBDO, Johannesburg, and DDB Chicago (see story, p. 1).
These finalist spots are up for awards named after “the triple Greek Goddesses”–Hecate (first place), The Isis Award (second place) and The Persephone Award (third place).
The WIN Award ad judges this year include: Susan Credle, executive VP, creative director, BBDO New York; John Butler, creative director, Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, Sausalito, Calif.; freelance creative director Charlotte Moore; Danielle Flagg, art director, Wieden+Kennedy, Portland; Joyce King Thomas, chief creative officer, McCann-Erickson, New York; and Lisa Shimotakahara, group creative director, McKinney+Silver, Raleigh, N.C.
Beyond the commercials, another honor of interest to the ad biz will be bestowed during that night’s WIN gala. Dan Wieden, founder/CEO of Wieden+Kennedy, will present the ’05 Harriett Abbot Award recognizing innovation and vision in the field of advertising to Ms. Lu Chekowsky. The recipient is slated to launch Heart New York, an ad agency devoted to promoting positive images of women in advertising. Plans call for Heart to open its doors in spring ’06. The new shop is the brainchild of Chekowsky and is being incubated by Wieden+Kennedy, New York.
Among other ’05 WIN Award honorees will be director Gurinder Chadha, whose feature film credits include Bride & Prejudice and Bend It Like Beckham. Chadha will receive the Chaplin Limelight Award, which is bestowed upon directors who bring a sense of innovation and originality, together with a standard of excellence, to their creative pursuits.
For more info, log onto www.thewinawards.com.
