No matter how many or few awards you’ve entered, you can never be too certain of your entry and there is always something new to learn from each and every award experience. Winning awards is an art. But like most arts, it only takes a bit of practice and learning to be mastered.
How to win a creative award
The Annual 2021 deadline is fast approaching and I’m sure you must be starting to give some finishing touches to your entries ahead of the final day. Here's 7 expert tips from industry insiders on how to craft the perfect submission!
Annual 2021 is accepting submissions until 27th May. Enter now to grab your slice of creative immortality!
1. Create a Journey
Humans are storytelling animals. We all love stories, and we all love to hear a good one. The best way to leave an impression on the judges is to tell a story about the journey you went through in creating your work.
Focus on the struggles, challenges and solutions that brought you to see your project to completion. What were you trying to achieve with this project? What was your desire, and what message were you trying to send? Why do you think your project is powerful? All of this needs to be taken into consideration when crafting your written submission.
2. Be Genuine
Judges want to hear about the process and story that brought about the final execution. Give them a behind-the-scenes on how your project came to life.
The most important thing you can do nowadays is be human. After a year in which a global crisis had us question our very sense of empathy, humanity is now valued more than ever. Show your true self to the judges and you will be rewarded.
3. Aim for Simplicity
Make sure the idea behind your campaign or project is clear to the judges. Make them see how you came up with the final solution. The old saying Less is More applies to any creative project as to any award submission.
Don’t go for complex and twisted copy in an attempt to say everything that matters about your project. There will always be something else to say. Let the project speak for itself, and instead focus on the key points. Strip it down until you’re left with the bare bones, then start building. It makes all the difference!
4. Be in the Right Place
It can be hard to make your work fit into one category. Often, and especially nowadays, a project can be digital, print, TV or all of these at once. It could have publishing elements, compelling copy or beautiful illustration. So where does it fit best?
Look at the previous winners and shortlisted entries for reference, then read the entry criteria under each section with care. If you feel a project spans over two categories, entering both will give you a better chance of success.
5. Be Effective
Results matter. Did your work achieve what it set out to do in the brief? Make sure to maximise the results your project gained for the client.
A good story can be enough to impress the judges, but each panel will also be looking for the sheer results that your project or work has delivered, and how impactful it was. The more effectiveness you can present, the better. Which leads me to my next point…
6. Give Evidence
Back up your entry with quotes from people who worked with you on your campaign. Use client testimonials if you can, as they carry enormous value.
You need advocates for your work whenever possible, and ways to bring tangible evidence onto the table.
7. Streamline Your Entry
Lastly, pay attention to the word count. Judges will have to read countless entries. Use concise copy to summarise why you deserve to win, and make sure to gather the best supporting material to maximise your project's impact.
This is where your entry truly comes together in each and every part. Simplicity, effectiveness, storytelling – unleash your best skills and pack them all into the best piece of copy you can craft. The more you can tell in less, the better. And you’ll be on the right path to a winning entry in no time.
We are here to help
If you need any assistance with choosing categories or crafting your entries, the Creativepool awards team will be happy to assist. Feel free to get in touch with one of our award experts and we’ll get your entries sorted!
