Brian Billow of O Positive directed a pair of tongue-in-cheek comedy shorts–including this piece titled “Museum-Worthy”–to promote the extended entry deadline for the AICP Awards.

In “Museum-Worthy,” we open on Vincent Van Gogh working in his studio as two account people, dressed in period clothes but spouting contemporary marketing-speak, bring unwelcome feedback on his classic “Starry Night” painting. “The client loved the painting,” says one. “They just found it a little, um, dark.” Similarly, account folks in 1930s-era garb approach Frida Kahlo to tell her that one of the junior clients found elements of “Self Portrait with Monkey” a bit “confrontational and distracting.”

Neither master takes the criticism well, underscoring a supered message which reads, “It’s hard to make museum-worthy art. It’s harder to make museum-worth ads.”

But if you want your work to be recognized (despite all the challenges) and ultimately reside in the film archive at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), you need to enter the AICP Awards by March 12, the extended entry deadline.

The campaign sprung from creative concepts and consultation by creatives from BBDO, led by Chris Beresford-Hill, chief creative officer of the Americas, and editorial from Cutters.

The AICP Awards comprises three competitions – The AICP Show: The Art & Technique of the Commercial, The AICP Next Awards, and the AICP Post Awards. To be eligible, work must have first aired or launched between March 13, 2023 and March 11, 2024.

The results of each show will debut during AICP Week in New York, from June 4-6, and be featured at a gala celebration at MoMA on June 6. All winning work in each AICP show in the AICP Awards Suite becomes a part of the archives of The Department of Film at MoMA in New York, where it can be studied by future generations and is available for use or exhibition by the museum’s curators.

Credits

Client AICP Awards Creative Concepts & Consulting BBDO Chris Beresford-Hill, chief creative officer of the Americas; Marcelo Nogueira, Peter Kain, executive creative directors, writers; Dan Oliva, Scott Mahoney, sr. creative directors, writers. Production Company O Positive Brian Billow, director; Ralph Laucella, Marc Grill, Ken Licata, exec producers; Grayson Bithell, producer; Bob Yeoman, DP; Devon Clark, head of production; Deryck Highbridge, Ivan Zigas, production supervisors; Paul Norman, 1st AD; Maia Javan, production designer.  Editorial Cutters John Dingfield, Aaron Kiser, editors; Benjamin Porter, editorial assistant; Craig Duncan, managing director; Heather Richardson, exec producer. Color Company 3 Jenny Montgomery, colorist; Blake Rice, head of production; Nick Krasnic, producer. Finish Flavor Ryan Esboldt, Rob Churchill, finish; Neal Cohen, managing director; Kate Smith, exec producer; Brittany Maddock, producer. Audio/Mix Another Country Logan Vines, sound designer/mixer; Nora Strickstein, audio assistant; Tim Konn, managing director; Louise Rider, exec producer; Josh Hunnicutt, producer. 

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