Summit Creative Award
Celebrating 29-Years of Creative Excellence
Summit Creative Award
Small and medium-sized agencies produce impressive amounts of outstanding advertising, yet creative competitions are dominated by large advertising agencies, large clients, and large budgets.
Since 1994, the Summit Creative Award has recognized creative firms and helped them stand out. This international advertising competition offers participants this opportunity to showcase their talents alongside similarly positioned agencies and to have their work judged by experts in the advertising field. Our exclusive award selection process means winners have earned the right to broadcast their achievements far and wide.
Over 50 countries and five continents participate in this prestigious 29-year competition - the first and most prestigious of its kind.
The goal of our organization is to laud the creative work of less-than-huge agencies. We streamline internet submissions, offer many ways to acknowledge winners, and provide friendly customer service. Winners receive free certificates and medallions and can order elegant custom trophies.
WHO SHOULD ENTER
In-house Marketing/Creative Departments
Interactive Agencies
Creative Boutiques
Web & App Designers
Network/Affiliate/Local media
Video/Audio Production Firms
Freelancers
SUMMIT AWARDS OFFERS
Prestigious 29-year reputation
Reputable blind judging
Affordable entry
Complete visual winner Galleries
Winner microsites
Signature, custom trophies
No required winner "acceptance fee"
Friendly, knowledgeable customer support
Eligibility
The Summit Creative Award is exclusively for companies, boutiques, and individuals with annual billings below $40 million (see Guidelines for more information).
| Organization | Maximum Size (billings in millions) |
| Advertising Agency, Interactive Agency, Public Relations Firm, Media/Publishing company | $40 |
| Advertiser in-house marketing department | $40 (Marketing budget) |
| Video/audio production, web developers, animators, media company | $35 |
| Graphic design firm, Video/Film production, Display/Package design company | $30 |
| Not-for-profit organization, Creative boutiques, Commercial art/photography | $40 (Capitalized revenue) |
- The submitter must have produced entries within the last two calendar years until the final deadline (all 2021, 2022, up through the final 2023 deadline.)
- Entries may not have been previously entered in the SCA competition unless 51% of the work is revised.
- All entries must be submitted for judging exactly as published, aired, or implemented and may not be modified for awards.
- The Summit Awards may request proof of initial production, publication, and/or air date.
- The Summit Awards reserves final determination on eligibility.
Summit Award Winner Benefits
Recognition by the Summit Awards organization is an honor. It provides validation and an objective critique and offers unique opportunities to showcase creative excellence – publicity, winner directory and galleries, web microsite profiles, digital verifications, certificates, and trophies. These benefits are instrumental in helping winners achieve their business goals of attracting new accounts and employees, reinforcing client relationships, rewarding employees, partners, and subcontractors, and motivating team members.
Publicity
The association with the prestige of the Summit Awards competition is press-worthy and garners media and social exposure. The Summit Awards is committed to helping winners make the most of their success. Winners are publicized through various platforms, social networks, and the award’s website: www.summitawards.com. This publicity is beneficial as it allows the winners to reach new potential customers, which can help to grow their business. Additionally, being associated with the Summit Awards competition reflects positively on the winner, as the competition is well-known and respected in the industry.
Winner Directory
Winners and their entries are listed in the Summit Awards' winner search directory for a period of four years following the announcement. This helps build their online presence and visibility and makes it easy for potential employers and colleagues to find them and their work. It also provides a platform for them to showcase their work and accomplishments, which can help them stand out in their field.
Gallery Showcase
The Summit Awards is unique in publishing all winning entries in its Winner Galleries. Showcasing winning work for all to see. By featuring their work in the Winner Galleries, winners can take advantage of the increased exposure and recognition they receive. This can help them grow their networks, find new opportunities, and build their reputation.
Winners
Winning entries receive the coveted Best of Show, Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Finalist awards. Judges select Best of Show from the top-scoring entries. Our signature custom trophies symbolize creative excellence and demonstrate that your firm has achieved the pinnacle of successful advertising and marketing communication.
Credibility
To ensure the Summit Award and the winner’s integrity, the competition’s bylaws limit the number of winning entries. The limited number of awards serves as a quality control measure since judges can only select the best of the best entries. This ensures the Summit Award remains a prestigious and sought-after honor among the advertising and marketing community.
Top Agency Awards
The Summit Awards also recognize exceptional firms with a Top Agency Award in addition to the Gold, Silver, and Bronze individual entry awards. The Top Agency Award is Summit Awards' most prestigious award given to the best-performing companies in both quality and quantity. This award is given to agencies that have submitted the most entries and achieved the highest overall score for their submitted projects. It is a way to recognize and celebrate agency teams' dedication and work and dedication.
Winner Microsites
The Summit Awards is the only organization offering winner microsite profiles. The microsites are free, fully customizable company profiles hosted on our highly trafficked website driving traffic to winners’ sites. Past winners have had thousands of visitors explore their website profiles, thus increasing their website’s online prominence and visibility. These microsite profiles offer an easy-to-use, built-in editor, space to upload images of winning entries, and links to winners' portfolios. Companies searching for winners' accomplishments visit these profiles while deciding where to invest their advertising dollars.
Industry Assistance
The Summit Awards is the only awards organization that gives back to the industry by offering need-based assistance to qualified entrants and discounted student fee structures. Summit Awards is committed to helping reduce barriers for freelancers who need financial assistance. Please email sia@summitawards.com for details.
Blind Judging Processes
The Summit Awards adheres to strict “blind judging,” meaning the entering company’s name is withheld from view. This is to ensure the complete impartiality of our board of judges. This prevents any conflict of interest or bias that could influence the outcome of the competition. It also ensures that all entries are judged on their merits rather than their company or brand. All entries are given a randomized number; the judges only see this number and not the company name when evaluating the entries.
Judging Scope
Strength of Concept/Ideation/Big Idea
Quality of Execution
Ability to Communicate and Persuade
Judges' Power Points
Originality and uniqueness of approach; message targeting and honing; the synergy between concept, copy, and layout/execution. 1-40 pts.
How well executed is the idea (visual appeal, the tone of voice, chosen media, placement, etc.) 1-20 pts.
How well does the creative move the target audience closer to the action or encourage a change in thoughts? 1-20 pts.
Judges' discretion to boost submissions they identify as exemplary. 0-10 pts.
Receive a Call for Entries
The Summit Awards takes privacy seriously. We do not sell, rent, lend, or in any way distribute your information, and it is only ever used for the Summit Award's communication purposes.
