After 26 years, Cresta has been given a complete makeover.
Following last year’s awards, Cresta founder, Nancy Ross, retired and brought in a new team to match the awards to the creative industries’ changes.
New chief executive officer, Lewis Blackwell, was previously SVP and creative director at Getty Images and before that editor and publisher of Creative Review. Alan Page, the new president, is a highly awarded creative director with extensive digital experience. The pair has been at the spearhead of a complete revamp of both the look and the substance of the awards.
Blackwell noted, “Cresta has a unique judging system that is one of the fairest tests of creative work in the entire awards calendar. And we will be retaining and reinforcing that system. But other aspects needed updating and redefining to make Cresta even more relevant and rewarding for today’s creatives and their agencies.”
A new website has been launched, categories have been updated and additional high-level jury members are already coming on board. Pol Hoenderboom, vice president & creative director, BBDO Worldwide is first up, joining the grand jury. The new entry system claims to be state-of-the-art.
But what Cresta believes to be its crowning glory is its belief that “to judge the very best creative work, you have to be the very best creatively yourself”.
As part of its commitment to this, the team brought in award-winning designer, Fernando Gutierrez, whose work includes identities for The Design Museum, London and Museo del Prado, Madrid, to update Cresta’s look. Thought Bubble/Awards Engine, the teams behind numerous major awards entry systems, have rebuilt Cresta online.
“We took cutting edge fashion brands such as Acne and Comme de Garcon and content brands such as Kinfolk and Cereal as our inspiration,” Page explained. “Our aim was to separate Cresta from other awards by adopting a more creative aesthetic and a strong, contemporary feel.”
There will be no “lavish ceremonies” or “jury jaunts” as the new team characterise some established conventions in the awards industry. Instead, the team plans to work with partners to present a series of “high level, focussed events around the world”.
These events will include Cresta Futures, a year-round global initiative to inspire, involve and inform the next generation of creatives.
“The future of Cresta is inextricably linked to the future talents, skills and abilities of a new generation of creatives,” commented Blackwell, “and we want Cresta to be at the forefront of making sure industry, government and today’s leading agencies are fully involved in developing and valuing that next generation.”
The 2019 Cresta Awards opens for entries on February 1.
