You may have noticed that the Private View element in The Work has recently been expanded, to allow the creatives that generously give their time to critique the work we run in the feature a little more space to show off their insights.
We editors and writers at DMNews have our own reactions to the work that we are sent, both personally and professionally. But only someone who has been in the creative trenches, often sandwiched between a cautious client and their own hankering for bold expressions, can really get to the nut of the execution — what they like, what they don’t like, what they would do differently and how much they wish they had come up with that idea themselves.
Peer-reviewed creative, and the community spirit that makes it possible, is also the fuel that has been powering the John Caples International Awards for the past 30 years. With this week’s announcement that the Caples board has unanimously agreed to partner with Haymarket Media, DMNews‘ parent company, to manage, present and advance the Awards, we are able to continue championing creativity at a whole new level.
We’ve been learning lessons from these Awards for some time. We’ve watched arcs of creative trends, seen what countries are producing uncommonly fine work in any given year, and learned how to either embolden a client or work within confines to produce a more understated effort that still surprises and delights.
When we introduced the Private View element to DMNews, it was with a degree of trepidation: How comfortable would creatives really feel critiquing each others’ work, and having their own efforts judged? Of course, we need have looked no further than the Caples judges, who year after year gather together for days on end, from all over the world, to do just that.
