Our task was to create an eight-week call for entries campaign for AWARD, the premier advertising award show in the southern hemisphere. Our idea was a man: Ian. A humble copywriter enlisted to inspire other industry creatives to get their work ready for entry into the show.

The design for the site was informed by the core idea of a man who was ‘not ready’. Sparse and pared-back, but appealing and contemporary for a critical audience. Those who explored it fully could see behind the scenes and follow Ian’s real-life preparation journey. The landing page image enabled visitors to see the edges of the set, and Google-mapping technology allowed you to scrutinize the unready Ian in terrifying detail. Ian could be tweaked and crafted as visitors voted on what he’d wear on the night. And to engage people in this crafting phase it needed to be a simple and enjoyable experience.

Although it was promoted to a database of under 10000, with a budget of nil, the site received 21567 visits during the campaign period, of which 14858 were unique. Entries (2050 in total) remained consistent with the previous year, despite expectations of a decline following the global financial crisis.