GENERAL CREATIVE REQUIREMENTS

Creative work is scored as part of Scoring Section 3: Bringing the Strategy & Idea to Life, which includes Question 3 and the Investment Overview.

Because judges are required to read the written case before reviewing the creative work, the creative reel should focus on creative examples. The reel is not meant to be a video version of the written case – judges are eager to view the work after reading the case.

Creative materials should include:

• Creative reel
• Creative images
• Primary Publicity Image

Also entrants are required to provide the below publicity materials at time of entry:

• Primary Publicity Image
• Lead Agency & Client Logos

CREATIVE REEL

The focus of the reel should be the creative work. Judges recommend that 70% of the reel is spent showing examples of creative work the audience experienced, or other materials created to bring the idea to life internally or externally. You do not need to feature all items selected in the touchpoints checklist (from the Investment Overview), only those integral to the case’s success that are explained in your written case. Any set-up (re: context, challenge) should not impede the judges’ ability to have this clear understanding. 

Must include: 

• At least one complete example of each integral touchpoint, to ensure that the judges are seeing a breadth of your work. It can be helpful to label each creative example by type of media (TV spot, Radio spot, etc).
• Video clips that are over 60 seconds may be edited down for time; but entrants are encouraged to keep as close to the original as possible.
• If showing multiple examples of a touchpoint (e.g. 3 TV spots), after you show one example in full, it is ok to edit down the additional examples for time.

Do not include: 

• Results of campaign. 
• Agency names, logos, images.
• Competitor creative work or logos. (Exception: permitted if competitor logos/work were included in your campaign materials. Competitors may be mentioned verbally).
• Editing that will misconstrue what your audience viewed (e.g. changing the audio during a TV spot).
• Any confidential information, as creative reels will become public for finalists & winners.
 

CREATIVE IMAGES

Images of the Creative Work: 2 images required; 6 images maximum

After the judges read your case and watch the reel, they review images of your work. Images uploaded should complement your reel and help the judges better evaluate creative elements that ran in front of your audience. 
It can be helpful to provide images of work best seen as a still image (e.g. website, print ad, direct mail piece, etc.). Or, you may wish to upload work that you want judges to get another look at after watching the reel. 

This is an opportunity to showcase your creative work: 

• Highlight elements that are better seen as a still image vs. video format. 
• Draw further attention to key elements you wish to highlight.

PRIMARY PUBLICITY IMAGE

This should be an image of the work that best represents your case. This image will be the primary image of the work for publicity and promotional purposes if the case is a finalist or winner.

LEAD AGENCY & CLIENT LOGOS

The logos will be shown on screen at the Awards Gala and in publications to promote your win.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR MATERIALS

Creative materials must be presented in English or with English subtitles.

Creative reel: 1 creative reel per entry, .mp4 format, High Resolution: 16:9 at 1920x1080. 

3-minute maximum. 
200 MB maximum file size. 
Do not include any agency names/logos in the video or in the file name.

Creative images: 2 required, 6 max. 

.jpg format, 150 dpi, RGB, resolution of the biggest side - 1772 pixels.
high-res. 15 MB max.
Do not include agency names or logos on any creative materials (including file names) submitted for judging.

Primary Publicity Image: Format JPEG, 150 dpi, RGB, resolution of the biggest side - 1772 pixels.

Lead Agency & Client Logos: specs: jpg/png

The total weight of uploaded files should not exceed 250 MB. Each file name should include entry title and category name. Do not include any agency names in the file name. 

All creative materials and Lead Agency& Clients Logos must be uploaded in a form of archival folder in personal account at website. Primary Publicity Image is uploded in special field in personal account.

SUSTAINED SUCCESS: CREATIVE REQUIREMENTS

Sustained Success entrants must feature work that ran in the initial year (initial year is either: A) year case started or B) at least prior to 2021 (or earlier), at least one interim year, and the current competition year (January 1, 2023 – October 1, 2024).

Each example of the creative work – in the reel and the images - must be labeled with the year it ran.  Entries that do not label the year will be disqualified.
Sustained Success Creative Reels may be a maximum of 4 minutes.

TALENT/LICENSING

Entrants warrant that the Works submitted are original work and accurate and will not infringe upon the personal or proprietary rights of or give rise to any claim by any third party.

The Creative Work provided for judging will be used for publicity purposes if your case is a finalist or winner.

TOPTIPS FROM THE JURY

• Show "how-where-when" you have interacted with the audience.
• The jury will read your written entry form before to view the creative materials. The jury is aware of the objectives, problems, strategy and results. The purpose of creative reel is to show how you implement the idea into life.
• Include at least 1 example of each key point (channel) of communications referred to written part of entry form. Creative reel should contain all the main types of interaction channels that were used in the campaign, including print, TV, radio, outdoor advertising, etc.
• Judges are often frustrated when reels do not show enough examples of the creative work and too much time is spent re-telling the story told in the written case study. 
• The jury may reduce the points if you specify, for example, the importance of advertising in the written part of entry form, but do not show examples of this format of advertising in creative materials. Conversely, if you show the creative materials, which are not mentioned in written part of entry form. 
• In creative materials participant must show realization and creative solution of entry only. All confidential information must be presented in written entry only.
• We recommend do not include any music/images that did not run in the original creative and that will cause confusion for judges with how your work ran in the marketplace.