In a chaotic year, it is important to take a moment to explore the creative work that reminds us what makes the industry so unique. The Gerety Awards, named after copywriter Frances Gerety, celebrate the very best in advertising through a female lens. The awards are known for applying and championing this wide and powerful lens to select the best work in advertising.

Awards can help spotlight the work pushing the boundaries of creativity and remind the industry what is possible. For members of the Gerety Award jury, judging days are brimming with inspiration and healthy creative debate. 

To open up the doors of judging process and share some tips and tools to drive forward the work, Nicola Kemp sat down with members of the UK Gerety Awards jury, Nadja Lossgott, the former Co-Chief Creative Officer at AMV BBDO who is about to launch her own business, Noel Bunting, Chief Creative Officer at Publicis, Katherine O'Brien, Executive Creative Director at Adam and Eve DDB and Tash Beecher, Creative Director at Syneos Health.

Driving creativity forward in age of chao

In a turbulent year for creativity, the jury noted that whilst AI and tightened budgets might have created new processes, at the core, ideas and strategy remain. “There's a lot more pieces now but the way you come to great ideas hasn’t changed,” explained Katherine O'Brien, Executive Creative Director at Adam&EveDDB.

In an always-on marketing ecosystem, consistency and going slower to go faster takes bravery. “Doing the right thing sometimes means waiting for the right moment,” says Noel Bunting, Chief Creative Officer at Publicis. She shared that some of the best work allowed time for the craft to lead, waiting for the right moment without being pressured by award cycles. 

A powerful reminder in an industry in which pressure is the norm, patience can in fact be your biggest creative asset.

The jury shared that the stand out work leaned on insight and humanity. Humour also continued to be a theme of work that successfully cut through the clutter.

Whilst humour has been making a comeback for a few years, the jury noted that humour in the work was vast and spanned different cultures. Notably, work that made AI the core idea didn’t land as well. “Craft shone through,” explained Bunting. 

Keeping curious and creative

Jury president Nadja Lossgott shared that the judging process was both inspiring and enriching. “Everyone in the room has an opinion,” she shared, adding: "We might have slightly different tastes, but fundamentally we are demanding of originality, keeping an eye on the quality of the work.” She added that the best work makes people feel. 

Judging the work and sharing opinions underlined how debate and friction can help lead to better results and more boundary pushing creative. O'Brien shared that both in judging and in creating the work, stopping and creating space to think is essential. “Insert moments of fun. What we are doing at its core is a really cool job,” she says.

Broadening the lens

The Gerety Awards is unique because it looks at all work, not just work made for women, through a female lens. In a world where who makes the work shapes the work, the jury took some time to consider how to broaden the field and create an industry in which women can thrive.

Beecher shared that not only do we need to do more, but we must also apply the effort more efficiently. She recognised that there must be more space to allow creative leaders to think differently. O'Brien added that it is not just about helping women believe there is space for them, but actually creating that space. “‘We are a creatively based industry, we need to be more creative about how we do this job,” she says.

Bunting added that on the creative side of the industry, there is still a lot of work to do. The jury agreed that in order to achieve true parity, companies must understand the commercial benefit of diverse thinking. 

Lossgott added that the female lens adds nuance to other women watching. Seeing work created with women in mind inspires a new generation of female creatives. ‘Brilliant work is the best advertisement for the industry,’ Kemp added. 

The jury encouraged new creatives to get inspired to make the next Gerety Award-winning work. From playing games to get creative, to doing one thing that scares you every day, their advice underlined that creativity isn’t an individual pursuit. 

“Find your people and bring them with you,” added Lossgott. “Surround yourself with clever, kind, and brilliant people. People that can drive it, make it and shape it with their input. You can achieve nothing without it."