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No BS allowed: The NYF Advertising Awards calls out industry fluff in new campaign

The film features real farmers receiving free bags of manure—each humorously branded with typical advertising jargon bringing to light, in a deadpan satirical manner, the superficiality of the industry.

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Harshal Thakur
New Update
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The New York Festivals Advertising Awards is officially open for 2025 entries, and this year, it's taking no prisoners. With a fresh, fearless campaign titled "No BS Allowed," the festival—teaming up with Grey New York—is throwing down the gauntlet against advertising's worst enemy: meaningless metrics and hollow hype.

Advertising is an industry built on persuasion, but sometimes, the biggest victim of its charm offensive is the industry itself. Too often, campaigns rely on exaggerated impressions, dubious engagement stats, and dubious case studies rather than genuine impact. The New York Festivals Advertising Awards, known for spotlighting groundbreaking and culturally significant work, has decided enough is enough. With "No BS Allowed," they’re on a mission to shake the industry out of its collective delusion and get back to what really matters: creativity that moves the needle, culturally and commercially.

Rather than just wagging a disapproving finger, Grey New York took a hilariously creative approach to the campaign. Enter "100% Bull***," a mockumentary-style film featuring real farmers receiving free bags of manure—each humorously branded with typical advertising jargon. Labels like "Made-up Tweets," "Inflated Impressions," and "Lots and Lots of Positive Sentiment" are slapped onto bags of fertiliser, highlighting just how ridiculous these buzzwords sound outside the echo chamber of the industry.

The farmers, with deadpan sincerity, debate whether this jargon-laced fertiliser will help their crops flourish. The underlying message? All the bloated metrics and self-congratulatory nonsense in advertising might as well be manure—good for growing plants, perhaps, but not for growing brands.

But the campaign doesn’t stop at satire. In a move that blends symbolism with tangible impact, Grey New York and the New York Festivals will donate actual fertiliser to NYC Parks. This poetic gesture underscores the transformation the industry desperately needs: turning marketing BS into something genuinely useful.

Scott Rose, president of the New York Festivals, summed up the festival’s stance perfectly: “This campaign is a reminder that our jury wants to rise above the noise of awards gamification and honour the true achievement: the courage, creativity, and dedication it takes to bring powerful ideas to life, inspire action, and shape the future of our industry.”

The advertising world is no stranger to awards-season grandstanding, but "No BS Allowed" draws a sharp line in the sand. The message is clear: if your campaign is built on smoke and mirrors, don't bother entering—only work with genuine cultural or business impact will make the cut.    

With this bold stance, the New York Festivals Advertising Awards is challenging creatives, agencies, and brands worldwide to rethink what award-worthy work looks like. It’s a call to arms for authenticity, effectiveness, and creativity with substance.

Advertising industry mockumentary New York Festivals Advertising Awards Grey New York