Archive notice: This article was originally published on July 16, 2007. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
For everyone who would like to realize a particularly original idea for a media project but does not know how they can realize their idea, there is now the SCOOP! ideas competition. The Axel Springer Academy is launching a new, unusual funding initiative: Neither business plans nor market research decide on the best idea, but an independent jury whose members come from the most varied creative fields and which brings together some of the best in their respective disciplines.
The Axel Springer Academy is initially realizing the SCOOP project as a one-off, over a period of up to two years, with a funding contribution of up to 500 000 euros. No limits are placed on the future media makers: The project ideas can involve all media genres, but must have a journalistic approach and be realizable periodically. The submission deadline is August 31, 2007.
“Creativity is an essential component of our corporate culture and the basis of our business. We are therefore now continuing our good experiences with experimental media sponsorship from the DER FREUND project. With the new SCOOP! funding initiative, the Axel Springer Academy wants to give people who passionately stand behind their idea the chance to turn their ideas into reality”, says Dr. Andreas Wiele, Executive Board member Magazines and International at Axel Springer AG.
The project of the unusual literary magazine DER FREUND had ended as planned after the eighth issue in June 2006 and a new funding initiative had been announced. After it opened at the beginning of 2007, the Axel Springer Academy, as Axel Springer’s ideas workshop and laboratory for the future, took over project management, developed the idea for SCOOP! and was able to win a high-caliber jury for the project.
Jan-Eric Peters, founding director of the Academy, who has himself already successfully developed various projects such as WELT KOMPAKT for Axel Springer: “The SCOOP! jury stands for success through creative achievement. We all know that success requires not only the idea, but also the person who recognizes its potential, who believes in the project, supports it and realizes it. That is what SCOOP! is intended to achieve.”
A 14-person jury makes its decision on the best idea at the end of October. Its members come from the most varied creative industries and can thus evaluate the projects from different perspectives. They include: Oliver Berben (film producer), Mirko Borsche (Art Director), Michael Conrad (President Berlin School of Creative Leadership), Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (director), Max Hollein (Director Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt), Jette Joop (designer), Dr. Tanja Kinkel (writer), Michael Michalsky (designer), Felix Petersen (co-founder of the online platform plazes.com), Miriam Pielhau (presenter), Tim Renner (music producer), Nadine Schemmann (illustrator). Also Jan-Eric Peters and Dr. Andreas Wiele.
The funding initiative will be accompanied by a campaign in print and online media until the submission deadline on August 31, 2007. Scholz & Friends Berlin created the advertising motifs “SCOOP! The Axel Springer Ideas Competition”. Information, application documents and dates are available exclusively on the Internet at http://www.mein-scoop.de. The website design comes from the agency KircherBurkhardt, Berlin.
