2009 APG Creative Strategy Awards 

Since 1993, when they began, the APG Awards have given rise to the world’s most comprehensive and inspiring showcase of great strategic thinking. They have shown how agencies, and in particular their planners, are the primary source of strategic inspiration. The Awards play a vital role in defending the position of agencies at the heart of brand strategy.
 
The 2009 awards will, as ever, reward strategic thinking that made a difference in producing outstanding and insightful creative work. This remains the primary objective. 
 
But, given the current economic climate, we want to draw attention to another factor linking the most successful papers: that truly great thinking does not exist in isolation, but is rooted in strong commercial understanding.
 
Successful papers will therefore demonstrate not just inspiration, but how this inspiration is logically connected to a client's business objectives. But please note this is NOT about proving the effect of any communication; rather, it is about building a case for HOW it is intended to be effective. This is not a new requirement, but it has never been more important. We are looking for case studies that will demonstrate to clients that planners are their business partners whom they exclude at their peril.
 
This year we dispense with "categories" and will focus on the intrinsic quality of each paper. Each shortlisted paper will be awarded a Bronze, Silver or Gold, and as usual the best Gold paper will win the Grand Prix. In addition, there are fifteen special prizes.  As at the last Awards, we will crown the most successful agency as the Stephen King Strategy Agency of the Year.
 
Matt Willifer, APG Chair
matt.willifer@apg.org.uk
Guy Murphy, Chair of Judges, APG Awards 2009
guy.murphy@apg.org.uk 

You are welcome to enter the APG Awards regardless of what type of agency you work in: we recognise that great strategic thinking, and the outstanding work it leads to, takes place not just in ad agencies.  So we would like to encourage papers from all areas of business communications, such as media agencies, digital agencies, direct marketing, promotional agencies, PR, etc. 

Click here to see some questions which may be of interest if your agency is not a "traditional creative advertising agency".

Non-UK entries are also welcome. In 2007 these amounted to about a quarter of total submissions and included a number of gold winners. Indeed, the joint APG Strategy Agency of the Year was W+K Amsterdam. 

The Special Awards 

This year there are no categories, however there are several new Special Awards.  All Special Awards are made by the shortlisting panel (except for "Best presentation to judges"). 

Inspiration awards:

• Best use of numbers
• Best use of research
• Best creative brief or briefing
• Best presentation to judges
• Best-written paper 

The Judges 

The Shortlisting Panel    

Rachel Hatton - Chair of shortlisting panel - BBH
Joanna Bamford - Planning Consultant
Louise Cook - Holmes and Cook
Jez Groom - Edwards Groom Saunders
Craig Mawdsley - AMV.BBDO
Dan Ng - DDB
Ivan Pollard - Naked Communications
Jim Thornton - formerly Leo Burnett
Jon Tipple - McCann Erickson
Dylan Williams - Mother

The Rules of Entry

(amended 15/05/09 - see rules 11, 12, 16 and 18)

1. Entrants must be members of the APG. If there is more than one author at least one must be an APG member. (If the author(s) are from outside the UK, then this rule does not apply.)

2. The APG member(s) must be the presenter(s) to the final jury if the paper is shortlisted.

3. Your paper must be in written form and must not exceed 2000 words. State the word-count.

4. You must provide a summary of the paper, maximum 200 words, bound into your paper immediately following the title page.

5. The creative work must have appeared in market between 2nd June 2007 and 1st June 2009.

6. Your entry must be signed off by the senior management of all the companies involved in the submission and by your client. You must send these approvals with your entry, using the entry form.

7. Someone who has left an agency may write a paper under their own name on behalf of that agency, subject to agency and client approval.

8. An agency may submit a paper if the client has since left the agency, provided they have approval and sign-off from that client.

9. Where a person who worked on the strategy is no longer with the agency, then the paper may still be submitted by the agency providing that there is no misleading information about the origin of the ideas.

10. An agency may enter jointly with another agency and such collaboration is welcomed. 

11. You must submit for each paper (a) twelve written copies, and (b) a disk containing two electronic versions, one as a Microsoft Word file and one as an ASCII (text only) file. The Microsoft Word file should include the summary, the paper, and as far as possible everything that appears in the written paper, ie references of creative work, the original creative brief etc.

12. Ensure that your written paper has bound-in references of the creative work and of the original creative brief. You should provide audio-visual work (DVD or CD) only if it is essential to enable the shortlisting panel to fully understand and appreciate your paper. (In which case supply twelve copies.) 

13. All papers must be written in English and suitable translations of the work must be provided to allow English speakers to judge the entry.

14. Each entry must be accompanied by a completed entry form and the appropriate entry fee.

15. The entry fee is £525+vat (£603.75) per paper. However, there are two special offers. First, a multiple entry discount is available: for every four entries a fifth may be submitted free of charge. Second, and in addition, an "early bird" discount of £50+vat may be deducted for any paper which is paid for before 1st May 2009. For the early bird discount, you do not have to specify the paper or provide the entry form until you submit the actual paper. Payments made under the "early-bird" discount are not refundable. 

16. Multiple entries may be paid for by one cheque. A VAT receipt will be issued. Cheques must be payable to "Account Planning Group" and fees must be paid in pounds sterling. Entry fees may be transferred directly to the APG's bank account, in which case transfer must be completed prior to the closing date. Bank details and notes on reclaiming VAT can be seen here (click here). 

17. Entries must be delivered by 12 noon on 1st June 2007 2009 to Account Planning Group, 16 Creighton Avenue, London N10 1NU Tel 020 8444 3692. For details of alternative delivery point in central London see Rule 18.
 
18. Entries may be delivered to the reception desk at Bartle Bogle Hegarty, 60 Kingly Street, London W1R 6DS. If this facility is used, note the following:
(a) Entries must be delivered between 9.15am and 12noon on 1st June 2007.
(b) No record will be kept by Bartle Bogle Hegarty of the entries delivered.  So, to enable us to check that all entries are accounted for, please email APG to tell us of your delivery.  State author, agency, name of campaign.  Email steve@apg.org.uk
(c) Deliveries should be clearly marked APG AWARDS.
(d) Deliveries arriving after 12.10pm will be turned away and no responsibility will be accepted by APG or Bartle Bogle Hegarty for the return of such entries. 

19. If your paper is shortlisted, you will be expected to present your case in person to the judges, in London in early September. Alternative presentation methods may be provided for authors from outside the UK.

20. For winning papers, the Award trophy will be presented to the principal author. Co-authors and contributing thinkers will be credited and will have the option of purchasing further Award trophies.

21. World copyright of each entry will pass to the APG and it is the responsibility of the author(s) to ensure that the approvals supplied under Rule 6 are adequate for this purpose.