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Some of the industry’s brightest and best are standing by to judge submissions to this year’s Thinkbox TV Planning Awards, run in partnership with Campaign.
They’re a demanding bunch - but fair - and here they tell us what it is that an entry will need to do to win their vote. Entries for 2025 have now closed.
Will Harrison, group marketing director, The AA
“TV continues to be critical for mass reach but there are also evolving targeted opportunities with the continued rise of on-demand, mobile and ongoing programming trends. Let’s get behind attention-grabbing, stand-out creative craft combined with smart media placements, all rooted in insight to drive a strategic mission. Exciting stuff!”
Jo Arden, chief strategy officer, AMV BBDO UK
“I'm looking for a surprising point of view on the audience. An insight which makes the judges smile in recognition. I want to see people's secrets played back to them in the planning.”
Matt Thomas, senior director, brand function and media, Procter & Gamble
“I’m excited to review this year’s entries for the Thinkbox TV Planning Awards. I’ll be looking for entries which start with a clearly defined challenge or opportunity and transform that creatively into TV activation which delivers business results.”
Susan White, group marketing director, Hillarys
“A brilliant TV campaign doesn’t just capture attention - it earns it. To stand out, an entry needs to showcase the perfect mix of strategic planning, creativity, and measurable impact.”
Laurence Green, director of effectiveness, IPA
“Whether it’s playing to TV’s age-old virtues or new-fangled possibilities, my head will be turned by strategic clarity, quality of ‘idea’ and at least a whiff of ‘work that works’.”
Emma Withington, chief planning and strategy officer, Havas Media Network
“For me, an entry needs to demonstrate a balance of rigour and flair. By that, I mean, how have they used data to solve a problem [and] executed it in a way that demonstrates passion and creativity. Entries that make me envious are also a good indicator of great work!”
Luke Forshaw, head of brand and marketing, Back Market UK
“At a time of splitting hairs over 0.01% CTR decreases and dubious impression counts, TV advertising retains a premium, trusted presence in the UK landscape. For this year's Thinkbox TV Planning awards, I'll be looking for original, creative concepts that best leverage their environment and audience.”
Lindsey Clay, Thinkbox chief executive and chair of judges
“I’m looking for brilliant stories about the transforming power of TV that will inspire other planners.”
Jason Spencer, business development director, ITV
“Make me wish we had done it! The winning entries have all the ingredients: a killer insight, a big idea, a dash of innovation and a scoop of creativity wrapped in a simple story well told. And it's all about the results: show us how this campaign drove impact and delivered against the objectives to solve the problem.”
Ruth Cartwright, investment director, Sky Media
“I’m looking for an entry to be creative and thought-provoking; it’s often hard to stand out among so many entries. The key for any winning entry is a great idea, underpinned with tangible results.”
Matt Willifer, chief strategy officer, Carat
“New learnings into what works best, so we can continue to evolve how we use this incredibly effective medium. So, how to plan for reach in the modern world, how to best take advantage of addressability, how to integrate into content, how to make TV shoppable, how TV campaigns best fit as part of a multi-media campaign, and so on. TV is such an important medium, I would love to see case studies we can learn from.”
Kelly Parker, chief executive, Wavemaker
“I’ll be looking for entries that show a clean line between insight, plan and impact. Entries that show innovation, of course, but innovation that is rooted in real understanding and that drives the kind of results that we know TV is capable of.”
David Amodio, head of video sales specialists Northern Europe, Amazon
“Considering a big part of our industry relates to storytelling, it always amazes me how so few award entries utilise that skill. Yes the uniqueness, results and data points need to be there, but don’t miss the opportunity to entrance the reader.”
Lin-sze Teh, head of planning, Starcom
“Big or small budget, I’d like to see how a smart use of data and insights have been used to shape not just the role for AV within the wider media mix, but how it has led to a distinctive implementation approach.”
Parry Jones, chief executive, The Specialist Works
“My vote goes to entries that show the power of modern TV. Campaigns executed using deep specialist knowledge. Proper, detailed, passionate, TV-geekery. But most importantly, I’ll vote for the entries that show a meaningful, measurable impact on business goals! I’ll vote for what the client’s CFO would vote for.”
Sophie Gildert, AV account director, EssenceMediacom
“I’m looking for entries that use innovative strategies to showcase the power of TV regardless of wallet size. I’m not necessarily looking for big and shiny, but an entry that shows how impactful and creative TV planning can make TV an accessible route for all.”
Simon Bollon, founder and director, Boutique
“In an era of effectiveness, campaigns that have had a real world impact on the top and bottom line of a business is what I’d be looking for. But I’m a sucker for a brilliant creative, and sometimes, simply great creative deserves recognition!”
Zoe Harkness, head of partnerships, Thinkbox
“I would like them to demonstrate how they used their planning skills to drive success for their brand. I want the results to match the objectives and for them to have utilised at least a few of all the amazing things that TV can do these days. It should inspire other planners and make them think ‘I wish I had done that’.”
Rupen Shah, head of client services, Thinkbox
“For me, the key ingredients are pretty straight forward - clearly articulated and quantified objectives upfront, smart strategic thinking with supporting data, robust execution of the TV plan, and strong results that exceed the aforementioned objectives, all presented clearly and concisely. Simples!”
Shauna Lewis, deputy media editor, Campaign
“I'll (hopefully) be keeping it simple and looking for creativity and tangible results from the entries. Creativity to me is media planning which connects with an audience in an unexpected way and the tangible results are maybe self-explanatory, but I want to see results which can be attributed to the campaign and the campaign alone.”
The shortlist will be announced in May and winners will be celebrated at a live awards ceremony on Thursday July 10th. More information on the awards can be found here.