What makes win, place, or show? Judging creativity in advertising at award shows

Abstract

Judging advertising creativity at award shows is poorly understood. This research assessed what constitutes advertising creativity; examined the benefits and consequences of advertising-award shows; and investigated how judges bestow creativity awards. The research was conducted with elite advertising-award show organizers allowing the investigation of various characteristics that included: the role of judges; the composition of panels; the selection criteria adopted; the judging process; and the time line used. Decisions about what is or is not creative are dependent upon the adjudicating panel while heuristics were found to dominate the entire process. Limitations and future research are indicated.