Cresta Awards: A record response and the strongest shortlist

The Cresta Awards has revealed its 2020 Shortlist with more than 900 entries shortlisted. The organisers of the event made the bold move to go completely fee-free this year, in reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic.

While familiar names from the USA and leading European nations remain prominent in the shortlist, there is a surge in Australasian, Asian and Middle East participation. The strongest country on the shortlist is Germany with 116 shortlisted works, ahead of the USA with 92. An immensely strong entry from agencies in the United Arab Emirates, particularly in digital, led to a spectacular leap to 81 shortlisted entries from the Middle East’s creative industry hub.

“We had a spectacular response, with an incredible diversity of work,” stated Cresta president, Alan Page. “Work from 46 countries is represented across the entries that made it through to the strongest shortlist I think we have ever seen.”

“This year jurors were particularly open in volunteering comments on entries they liked. They were delighted to see work that had yet to be awarded elsewhere. Our different approach in this most challenging year has been rewarded by drawing in outstanding creativity that we can be first to recognise.”

Lewis Blackwell, Cresta chief executive officer, added, “The great range of entries includes many agencies and even countries appearing for the first time on our shortlist. We were struck by the response to our new categories. In Brand Purpose and Brand Activism we can see that the industry is globally engaged in outstanding work to help drive and deliver socially important changes.”

Among the works with multiple shortlist nominations are:

-60% Culture from BBDO Belgium
#HerShe Gallery from BETC Sao Paolo for Hershey’s

Cultural Heirs Voice of the Wall from Heimat Berlin

Build With The Force for LEGO from Serviceplan Germany
Daniel Craig VS James Bond from Publicis Italy for Heineken, which gained a longer life when the anticipated Bond film, No Time To Die, was delayed from April by the pandemic (now opens November).

New Zealand’s shortlisted works were dominated by Clemenger BBDO Wellington, largely with the Belted Survivors campaign for NZTA.

Dentsu Tokyo has done well for Japan with a range of shortlisted entries, such as in the relaunch of Pocky confectionery or with the Designing Tokyo film for Mori.
72andSunny’s network also has many shortlisted works, including the Swipe Night campaign for Tinder.

Among standouts in the UAE surge was MullenLowe MENA FZ’s The world’s tallest donation box, for which the core media was the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.