To make the call for entries matter, New York Festivals couldn’t just announce it, it had to confront the reality of award season head-on. The industry says it only cares about the work, yet everyone knows how much politics, performance, influence and well-dressed BS have crept into award season. So instead of preaching, NYFA chose satire. By exaggerating the behaviors everyone recognizes but rarely admits, the brand made its point clearly: if an idea needs help winning, this might not be the show for it.

Why Let the Work Speak When Bobby can DM Instead?

Famously Effective

NYFA has always been about one thing: the work. No politics, no agendas, no lobbying, just ideas judged purely on their quality by a single, senior, cross-category jury. Instead of stating that belief, we tested it against its opposite. By introducing a fictional lobbyist who embodied everything NYFA refuses to participate in, we created a clear collision between influence and merit. The more visible and exaggerated the politics became, the more valuable NYFA’s position felt. In an industry conditioned to navigate noise, access, and favors, choosing ideas over politics wasn’t just principled, it was distinctive, and that distinction made the campaign famous.