Account Planning Group UK

The APG Creative Planning case histories are detailed examples of planning's contribution to the development of creative advertising, representing a valuable database of account planning ideas, thinking and best practice.

The case histories originated as entries to the APG Creative Planning Awards, a unique industry scheme which exists to acknowledge the thinking process which leads to a distinctive advertising strategy.

The APG Creative Strategy Awards Competition

The APG Creative Strategy Awards were launched in 1993 and have been awarded every two years since then. They were instituted to celebrate the best of creative, strategic thinking and delineate the contribution 'Planning' and planners make to excellent communications strategy and excellent, original campaigns.

They represent an exceptionally useful resource for planners and strategists looking for new and tried and tested ways to crack strategic problems.

The competition has two phases: A written paper and a presentation to judges. The cases available on Warc are the original papers awarded at the short-listing stage. Gold, silver, bronze and Grand Prix are awarded based on both phases of judging.

Special prizes are also given and these may vary from year to year. In 2013 they were awarded as follows:

• Denise Williams Prize for Best presentation to judges (Sponsored by Denise Williams)
• Google Planning Innovator Award (sponsored by Google)
• The Guardian Prize for Progressive Thinking (sponsored by The Guardian)
• The Thinkbox award for Brand Impact, rewarding the case where a big idea has used TV to change the way people think and feel about a brand
• Best brief or input
• Best channel strategy
• Best multi-market planning
• Best use of research
• Best-written paper

About the APG

The APG is a not-for-profit organisation run for and by its members: primarily account planners in advertising agencies, but increasingly the wider community of communications strategists, including media planners, channel planners, digital planners and DM planners.

We believe in the importance of excellent advertising and communications strategy. With products increasingly generic, budgets ever tighter, and communications channels more varied, it has never been more important to have crystal clear strategic thinking to set a brand apart from its competition. We also believe in the role of planning in delivering excellent strategy. Planners are at the heart of creative businesses, so are more likely than anyone else to produce strategies that are creatively inspiring.

Further information about the Account Planning Group, the Creative Planning Awards and APG publications is available at www.apg.org.uk.

Browse the latest APG Creative Strategy Awards on WARC