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edinburghcentric was a bit bleary eyed this morning, after attending the Chip Shop Awards 2008 last night.

The Chip Shop Awards are awards for design and advertising work that never makes it to the client’s presentation table. Not because of lack of creativity - far from it - but with categories including Best Non-PC, Best Use of Shocking Copy and Best Use of Bad Taste, it’s all about controversial ideas in a world of political correctness gone mad.

It’s also about punching above your weight, with a category for Best Work For Any Brand You Haven’t A Hope Of Winning.

Held in trendy bar Lulu, on George Street underneath Tigerlilly, tickets for the Chip Shop Awards were £40 a pop, so we arrived with somewhat high expectations.

If you’ve not been to Lulu, here’s a quick insight - follow the steps next to Tigerlilly down into a low lit, low ceilinged basement, where mirror tiled columns sparkle and beaded curtains around the DJ box add a casual retro touch. With these cool, casual surroundings, along with the crowd of uber fashionable design creatives, we felt part of something special.

Glaswegian comedian Scott Agnew warmed the crowd with a stand up set, before the awards ceremony began. Chairman of the judges, Michael Wolff, co-founder of Wolff Olins - that agency that designed the logo for London 2012, gave a speech about creativity before taking his place to hand over the trophies and shake the hands of award winners.

The Winner of the Chairman’s Award was company Lake, with their advert for Jim the Window Cleaner, from the category Best Use Of A Shop Window Postcard Space. The Grand Prix was won by National Galleries of Scotland, for their Warhol Can Columns. Slightly off topic for the awards, as the campaign was a real one.

Next year’s awards are set to get tougher, as the competition becomes an international one with international judges and companies entering. The Chip Shop Awards are set to become as popular as the Roses, or even D&AD.

For all the category nominations and winners, visit the Chip Shop Awards website.

Tags: chip shop awards, d&ad, edinburgh, george street, lulu, scott agnew, the chip shop awards, the roses, tigerlilly, wolff olins
Posted at August 22nd, 2008 by Alex Grover | No Comments »