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About the FWA Award Graphic Banner
14 comments written so far...You will start thinking that Rob is actually paying me for promoting his site. You know, someone said that it doesn't matter whether people talk good or bad about you, but that they talk about you.
Anyway, this applies to FWA or any other site that does this. I was on the hotel trying to get back on finishing the presentation I have to do and went to FWA because the site was mention in a conversation with some friends in a random NY Starbucks few hours ago.
So I saw that the nice guys at Pixelinglife managed to get another FWA Award. Good I think, but then I go to check the site, and I saw the usual banner on the corner. This one:
Then I stopped and I though about it for a sec. The purpose of that banner is for FWA to get hits and to grow on audience. And somehow it kind of sounds fair as FWA is giving you hits. Ok, if you look at it in that way sounds fair.
BUT. When you see a Bafta/Oscar award winning movie, do you see a Bafta/Oscar on the corner of the frame during the whole movie? Aren't the guys thinking that having that kind of information is affecting the whole experience they have created and they have just been awarded for that? Somehow an award made them lose the respect for their own work and they didn't mind having a element on the site that wasn't in the client's approved flatscreens.
I sound like the old man in the sector, or something...
PS: If you know who said that quote I wrote on the first paragraph, share it on the comments please.
Anyway, this applies to FWA or any other site that does this. I was on the hotel trying to get back on finishing the presentation I have to do and went to FWA because the site was mention in a conversation with some friends in a random NY Starbucks few hours ago.
So I saw that the nice guys at Pixelinglife managed to get another FWA Award. Good I think, but then I go to check the site, and I saw the usual banner on the corner. This one:
Then I stopped and I though about it for a sec. The purpose of that banner is for FWA to get hits and to grow on audience. And somehow it kind of sounds fair as FWA is giving you hits. Ok, if you look at it in that way sounds fair.
BUT. When you see a Bafta/Oscar award winning movie, do you see a Bafta/Oscar on the corner of the frame during the whole movie? Aren't the guys thinking that having that kind of information is affecting the whole experience they have created and they have just been awarded for that? Somehow an award made them lose the respect for their own work and they didn't mind having a element on the site that wasn't in the client's approved flatscreens.
I sound like the old man in the sector, or something...
PS: If you know who said that quote I wrote on the first paragraph, share it on the comments please.
Many designers will think that, yes. But are they the target of the site?
Just think about watching The Dark Knight on the cinema with an rotating Oscar on the top-right for the whole movie.
Just think about watching The Dark Knight on the cinema with an rotating Oscar on the top-right for the whole movie.
Salvador Dalí ?
It may be, I saw that quote first on a Salvador Dalí exhibition in London. But it was in a corridor a bit away of the exhibition so I though those were just random quotes from different people that had a exhibition on that gallery.
But I guess, if you also say that, it may be from him.
But I guess, if you also say that, it may be from him.
I think it looks really cheap when sites put that awful banner on their sites. It kinda says "here's our website, it haven´t gotten any real awards, but we´re really proud of this 'Mickey mouse-award'..."
Oh, and comparing fwa-sotd with the Oscar... gtfo ;)
Oh, and comparing fwa-sotd with the Oscar... gtfo ;)
I can't believe I am rising to the bait yet again, Ricardo and hope this is not going to be a regular FWA bashing blog.
BTW, congrats to the Hi-ReS! team for winning FWA SOTD on 24 February with the Nokia Beautiful Connections site. I hope we didn't upset you or get anything wrong by doing that. W+K London mentioned the win in their blog AND linked back to thefwa.com at http://wklondon.typepad.com/welcome_to_optimism/2009/03/nokia-e71.html. Maybe they overstepped the mark by actually linking back to us?
Okay... back on topic...
First of all, we do not make anyone put the award ribbon up, it is totally up to them. We also say that if they do put it up they don't have to link it back to us.
Secondly, the purpose of the banner is not to drive traffic back to our site but to show some recognition and respect for an award winning website.
Lots of sites display the banner and some leading brands do as well. I think you'll find that the clients almost always have to approve the banner placement.
Check out some of these as well and hope they don't make your blood boil. :)
http://www.hp.com/apac/wakeupyourfeelings
http://hello.mymotorola.co.kr
http://www.lexus-gs450h.ru/
http://www.walkmankomiks.pl/
http://www.greenpeaceweather.com.br/
http://www.levi.com.sg/staytrue07/
http://www.samsung.com/fr/microsite/i8/
http://www.walkthelinedvd.com/
http://www.dieselgenes.se
http://www.levi.com.sg/copper/
http://www.dermosystem.com
http://www.harley-davidson-actions.com/
http://www.montblanc.com/collection_villeret_1858.php
http://www.converserussia.ru
http://impossiblestory.com/index_pop.php?movieid=
http://www.itv.com/documents/html/demons.html
BTW, congrats to the Hi-ReS! team for winning FWA SOTD on 24 February with the Nokia Beautiful Connections site. I hope we didn't upset you or get anything wrong by doing that. W+K London mentioned the win in their blog AND linked back to thefwa.com at http://wklondon.typepad.com/welcome_to_optimism/2009/03/nokia-e71.html. Maybe they overstepped the mark by actually linking back to us?
Okay... back on topic...
First of all, we do not make anyone put the award ribbon up, it is totally up to them. We also say that if they do put it up they don't have to link it back to us.
Secondly, the purpose of the banner is not to drive traffic back to our site but to show some recognition and respect for an award winning website.
Lots of sites display the banner and some leading brands do as well. I think you'll find that the clients almost always have to approve the banner placement.
Check out some of these as well and hope they don't make your blood boil. :)
http://www.hp.com/apac/wakeupyourfeelings
http://hello.mymotorola.co.kr
http://www.lexus-gs450h.ru/
http://www.walkmankomiks.pl/
http://www.greenpeaceweather.com.br/
http://www.levi.com.sg/staytrue07/
http://www.samsung.com/fr/microsite/i8/
http://www.walkthelinedvd.com/
http://www.dieselgenes.se
http://www.levi.com.sg/copper/
http://www.dermosystem.com
http://www.harley-davidson-actions.com/
http://www.montblanc.com/collection_villeret_1858.php
http://www.converserussia.ru
http://impossiblestory.com/index_pop.php?movieid=
http://www.itv.com/documents/html/demons.html
Yeah, I mean, I think part of it has to do with the kindness and linking back to FWA, but a great deal of it has to do with designers being damned proud of their FWA and wanting to show it off. (For better or worse.)
You really can't compare the fwa to an oscar. But if you could, any movie that wins an oscar or is even nominated for an oscar is sure to mention it in every ad, preview, DVD case, etc. The recognition is an honor and a validation to their audience.
Plus, you are trying to compare online media to film. If a film solely existed as a sit online I imagine they would display their Oscar at some point in the experience, and if a websit had commercial advertising and DVD packaging maybe they would reserve the few banner for those mediums. But that would just be silly.
Plus, you are trying to compare online media to film. If a film solely existed as a sit online I imagine they would display their Oscar at some point in the experience, and if a websit had commercial advertising and DVD packaging maybe they would reserve the few banner for those mediums. But that would just be silly.
good point and your right about it!
keep it up
keep it up
I agree with Jason, the opportunity isn't there elsewhere to show the award, not is it a micky mouse award, I've been a judge on some of the higher ranking design awards, and the judging is rushed, so don't think that just because something has a name for it, that it is any good.
Also comparing a web site with a film, is like comparing a pop video to sheet music.
Also comparing a web site with a film, is like comparing a pop video to sheet music.
Recently I had the same complaint about a similar concept, which I will write about on my blog, when it eventually goes live. However, in this case, there are valid points on each side.
Yes, putting the banner on a website could take away from the pure experience you will get without it.
But at the same time, as mentioned above, the web is a single medium that normally only associates with itself. It's an abstract reality in marketing. The aim of a website is always to advertise a product, not itself. If you have print ads advertising the website, that's simply because the website once again advertises and tries to sell you the product (whatever it may be). There's no box containing a website to place the banner on. So, if you got an award there is really only one place to showcase it, on the website.
Secondly, I would consider it an immense honour to get an FWA award and look forward to getting one. Because of this I would proudly display it on the website in the least damaging way I could.
There are valid points in this post but I do feel it does portray an unnecessarily negative stance to the FWA. Where, at the end of the day, it's the responsibility of the designer and his client, to make the final call.
Yes, putting the banner on a website could take away from the pure experience you will get without it.
But at the same time, as mentioned above, the web is a single medium that normally only associates with itself. It's an abstract reality in marketing. The aim of a website is always to advertise a product, not itself. If you have print ads advertising the website, that's simply because the website once again advertises and tries to sell you the product (whatever it may be). There's no box containing a website to place the banner on. So, if you got an award there is really only one place to showcase it, on the website.
Secondly, I would consider it an immense honour to get an FWA award and look forward to getting one. Because of this I would proudly display it on the website in the least damaging way I could.
There are valid points in this post but I do feel it does portray an unnecessarily negative stance to the FWA. Where, at the end of the day, it's the responsibility of the designer and his client, to make the final call.
Although I was talking about the FWA banner, I wasn't really picking on the FWA itself, but the people that decide to put the banner up in the website for their client.
Yes, I know that putting the banner isn't compulsory, neither linking back to the site. That's good.
And, in the case of W+K, I don't see any problem on mentioning the award and linking back to the FWA, as long as it's outside the website/experience. (Btw, let's don't mix my way of thinking with Hi-ReS! or W+K, I'm just a little pawn on that world.)
To make my point shorter; a blog or a portfolio is the right place to put that, the website itself, it is not.
Yes, I know that putting the banner isn't compulsory, neither linking back to the site. That's good.
And, in the case of W+K, I don't see any problem on mentioning the award and linking back to the FWA, as long as it's outside the website/experience. (Btw, let's don't mix my way of thinking with Hi-ReS! or W+K, I'm just a little pawn on that world.)
To make my point shorter; a blog or a portfolio is the right place to put that, the website itself, it is not.
I guess we agree to some degree. Just feels like a bit of a toss up if the core designer (or whomever played a major role) doesn't have a blog etc... Although a portfolio of the offline variety would be an obvious choice. You'd have to be pretty retarded not to include it there.
Not saying it makes it any better, just thinking out loud.
Mind you, I think a definite attribution to using these banners is the fact that the design community is innately a bunch of media and attention whores. Especially those desiring acceptance in design circles.
Generalization I know.
Not saying it makes it any better, just thinking out loud.
Mind you, I think a definite attribution to using these banners is the fact that the design community is innately a bunch of media and attention whores. Especially those desiring acceptance in design circles.
Generalization I know.
websites are NOT movies. not even close. even award winning sites. there's no reason to compare the two.
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They are proud of it.
And MANY certainly think 'OH SHI-' when they see that banner on a site.