Chip Shop Awards: controversial work can be the ‘right kind of wrong’
In this video series, The Drum chats to Dipesh Mistry, associate creative director at Brave and chair of the jury for The Chip Shop Awards 2021, about the impact the past year has had on creativity.
Creativity without limits – that is the unique proposition of The Chip Shop Awards. Dipesh Mistry, associate creative director at Brave, who chairs this year's jury, thinks it’s an important opportunity and welcome break for creatives.
“Every year when these awards come around, there’s a sigh of relief from the industry. It’s the one competition where people can really flex their creative muscles and unleash hell. I like seeing people create work that makes people nervous, have ideas that a client would never buy.”
But while controversy is part of the DNA of the awards, he warns that creating controversial work shouldn’t be a goal in itself. “It’s about balance. Over the years I have seen work that’s trying to be controversial for the sake of it, and that doesn’t really achieve anything.”
Describing work from past years, he recalls an imaginary campaign for TFL – a notoriously dark entry that makes reference to suicide. “That has always been my benchmark because it divides the room. For some people, it goes too far. But other recognise that if it actually were to run, its message would really hit home, which is how you can tell it’s been done well.”
He also mentions the winner of last year’s grand prix, a hypothetical out-of-home campaign to aid social distancing. Using spoilers from popular Netflix series to discourage people from gathering, it’s a timely concept that Mistry acknowledges isn’t for everyone. “It’s full of tension. It’s smart media placement. It’s wrong in the right way.”
Finding ‘the right kind of wrong’ is what he’ll be looking for in this year’s entries. “We’re all smart problem-solvers in this industry. I want people to be smarter this year and question themselves: it is right to have a dig at someone’s looks, or mental health? Is it right to have a go at someone powerful, like Donald Trump, who probably deserves it? It’s about focusing that energy and controversy in the right place.”
Watch the full interview over on our YouTube channel. You can also enter The Chip Shop Awards now.