Creativity International Awards Launches 45th Annual Competition

Erica Gamet

I know how we all love a good design contest and the Creativity International Awards is one that I enjoy following. Partially because I just can’t get enough of drooling over the winning entries and partially because the contest has been around for so many years. Started in the early 70s, this long-running independent design contest has always sought to discover and showcase outstanding examples of illustration, photography, art, and typography in print and packaging.

The awards—which many professionals consider the awards show of the design industry—are open to students and professionals alike, from all around the world. The all-volunteer panel of judges bring with them their professional expertise and knowledge from the advertising and design worlds. This year’s contest will feature seven design divisions and boast well over 100 categories. To be considered for entry, submitted work must have appeared in print form between June 1st of 2014 and May 31st of this year. The deadline for this year’s contest is September 11th.

There are no cash or merchandise prizes for this contest. Now, I’m usually all about the prizes, but the winners of this contest basically do it for the prestige and the love of design. Certificates are given, as well as the winning designs being featured on the contest’s website. Tied in with the contest is the traveling exhibit put on by Creativity International Awards which brings the exhibit to conferences in the advertising and graphics industries, festivals, expos, and even museums. The winning designs are included in the exhibit and featured in the Creativity Awards app for the iPad. If you have a design you’d like to enter in the contest, check out all the specs and rules at the Creativity International Awards website.