Another edition of The Annual is ongoing. The Creative Industry’s ‘Most’ Award has evolved much in the past ~6 years, but the core values of the competition have remained the same: to drive positive change in the industry, to lead by example and relinquish true power in the hands of those who live the industry day by day.
Based on this principle, People’s Choice was born with the awards. The Creativepool Annual is the only industry award with a People’s Choice element. Decisional power and the opportunity to choose one People’s Choice winner is given to the +320,000 members of our beautiful community, coming together for two weeks to choose the winners of the prestigious People’s Choice award.
We do have judging panels, of course. One for each category, 6 judges on average with an even gender split, with senior creative and marketing leaders from top agencies and brands. We are extremely honoured and proud to welcome representatives from the creative industry and have them join us in the celebration of creativity, demonstrating how strong and resilient we creative professionals can be. They make The Annual such an incredible moment of joy for the entire industry.
And yet, People’s Choice is the strongest testimony we can offer to the true power of creativity. Thousands of votes cast every year, crowning the best work, professionals and companies from the creative and advertising industry – from production to design and beyond.
How does People’s Choice work?
The way People’s Choice work is strikingly simple. There is a shortlist page showcasing all the best work from the Creativepool community that was entered into The Annual this year. Anyone with a Creativepool account, free or Pro, individual or company, can log in and go to the shortlist page to cast their vote.
Votes are anonymous, but the rankings of each candidate won’t be – not until the last three days at least. We do care about keeping the suspense on ;)
Those taking part in People’s Choice will have a chance to follow The Annual competition up close, witnessing as their favourites climb the rankings and ascend to the status of masters of creativity. This is separate from the judges vote, who work on awarding our Bronzes, Silvers and Golds. But it is just as important.
More than an award
To us at Creativepool, People’s Choice is more than an award. It is the embodiment of all our values and everything we’ve always believed in. It represents a moment of fun and healthy competition, the time to show the world what the industry is all about.
We pride ourselves with knowing that there is no other creative community out there who could do something at this scale. Creativepool is a progressive and creative platform, one that cares about innovation and groundbreaking work as much as it cares about highlighting the gems of the industry. Our dream is to connect the creative industries under a single banner, one voice and purpose, enabling them to drive positive change with their amazing work and campaigns. People’s Choice is how we present that dream to you. Because we want you to be a part of it all.
We’ve been in this game for many years. We know that there would be no industry without the grassroots movements, the independents, the misfits and the disruptors. There would be no creativity without constraints, challenges, blood, sweat and graphite. The good and bad of the industry is what makes it so alive. We hope that People’s Choice shows you that, pushing you to cast your votes and make a difference for the entire industry. What wins today may make the global industry leader of tomorrow.
What’s the big deal?
You may remark that we make it sound like a very big deal. That this whole part of this strange piece typed on a blank page is starting to sound like a passage from a John Milton poem, or a Karl Marx essay. In all honesty, you wouldn’t be far from the truth.
We make it sound legendary because it is a big deal. Giving our community the chance to express their opinions on who should win, stepping down from an ivory tower to hand over the sceptre in their hands, this is our way to intend the industry and to try and shape how the industry should work. For all you know, we may be a bunch of monkeys typing on a bunch of keywords to have this all delivered to you. Some of us in the team may be veterans of the industry, others may have only seen it from afar. There is no one who lives the industry as much as you. There is no one who should have more power to judge than you, and our esteemed Annual jurors.
It is the least we can do to drive change in an industry that is still far too dominated by white males, nasty stereotypes, and egos as large as the British Parliament in Westminster. It’s the least we can do to bring the Creativepool difference.
So join us. Take part in People’s Choice for the next week, join the fun and celebrate creativity in a year that needs all the optimism in this world. As governments around the world make questionable choices to lead their countries to recovery, we know we’ll have a huge part to play in ensuring society – and the economy – get back on their feet.
We’ve collected some of the most amazing, inspiring and surprising works, companies and leaders from 2020 on our lovely and colourful shortlist page. Now, it’s over to you. The future is in your hands. Let’s drive change together.
