Think Tank: Government ad cuts threaten public services Its paper reveals how government-funded communications changed behaviour over the period by tackling drink-driving attitudes, acceptability, denial and decisions. And how "this relentless pursuit of potential drink-drivers saved almost 2,000 lives, prevented more than 10,000 serious injuries, and created a value to society of £3bn." It's an overview that credits each £1 spent on communications with saving society £154, £12 and £38 respectively across various waves of campaigning. And it lands in the industry's in-tray, not just as this kind of "social" investment recedes apace, but also as the first episode of the Government's new advertising procurement process draws to what is seen by many participants as an unsatisfactory close. This, then, is our elephant. Because, while advertising is largely understood (and, indeed, largely used) to serve commercial ends, it also has an enviable record of contributing to civic life and even to the nation's coffers. The IPA's own databank of gold-plated effectiveness cases now includes dozens of campaigns funded in the national interest - from anti-smoking efforts to promoting literacy. That golden age of government campaigning, sponsored and patrolled by the admirable, but allegedly bloated and now disbanded, Central Office of Information (COI) now appears to be over. And there are lessons here for all businesses that have to deal with government contracts in a time of austerity. Inevitably, the Government's axe fell disproportionately hard on those who had contributed most to the national cause. Accounts like the COI have always drawn in resource disproportionate to their fee. Agencies flocked, not just to the strategic and creative possibilities COI contracts offered, but also to the public service agenda. Those agencies must now re-apply for the job of ministerial running mate alongside hundreds of other wannabes. There is nothing wrong with that in principle, of course - except for the fact that the services they provide are being procured in this brave new world as if, in the words of one agency leader, "they were paper clips." Agency selection is an art. The best practitioners match the right client to the right agency for the right reasons and only then at the right price. The new Government Procurement Service tender bears no relation to this industry best practice. It is preoccupied with service agreements and consortia in order to shortlist 10 companies that will then go on to compete for briefs - a privilege for which they must pay an ongoing management charge. Beyond the public service elephant, the IPA awards look like being another advertisement for the power of TV and its apparent ability to add an emotional layer to brands. John Lewis's submission is entitled "Making the nation cry... and buy"; the McDonald's paper, "Getting Britain lovin" it again." Remarkably, only one shortlisted paper focuses solely on the use of digital media. Whoever wins the night's plaudits, we might expect a special whoop for the authors of the drink-driving case study. Sadly, Britain will be all the poorer if legitimate public service ends are undermined by underfunding and poor procurement. Laurence Green is a founding partner at the 101 marketing agency. He tweets at: laurence@101london.co.uk