Victorian Country Press Association Ad of the Year Competition
Would you like to win an international trip?
Have you produced a great newspaper advertisement which will work for your client?
Of course you have!
Then you're in the right place!
All you have to do is enter your great advert into our fantastic online competition.
So register now, it’s that easy!
‘VCPA Ad of the Year’ is an innovative competition designed to engage all VCPA Advertising Representatives in the creation of higher quality, harder working press advertisements. The competition has been freshened up with new judging criteria which will score you at every stage of the production of the advertisement.
There will be two judges this year and each section will have their own judge. In addition there will be a major prize awarded for each section winner.
Les Holloway (Advertising Works) will be judging the Under 7000 section and Anthony Alborn (West Australian News) will judge the Over 7000 section.
What you can win:
International trip to the value of $5,000 - across 2 circulation sections
Apple iPod Touch - Runners up in each of the 6 categories across 2 circulation sections
$100 voucher - Monthly category winners
See below for details
Judging Criteria
Headline – 10 points
Headlines which promise a benefit, mention the prospect, have a news feature, talk favourably about the product, or invoke curiosity work better and score more points than headlines which just trumpet the advertisers logo. Does the headline make an offer to the reader, and is it delivered clearly, simply and decisively? Is it specific with dates, times, prices, quantities?
Body Copy – 10 points
The copy is where the selling takes place, and follows up what is promised in the headline, and highlights the features and benefits of the product. Use as many words as you need to convince prospects that your client’s product is worth the money they have to pay for it. Including the price is essential, but is not selling copy. Does the ad copy answer the questions the prospect would ask about the product? Is there an emotional link formed from the product to the reader, and are relevant facts included for the reader? Is the ad copy persuasive? Does it use the ‘12 Most Persuasive Words’? Does the ad copy excite me and make me want the product?
Illustration – 10 points
The right illustration attracts the right prospects. Show the product being advertised, show the product in use, and show the benefits of using the product. Involve people in the illustrations. Use hero shots, use smaller inset photos, use a series of photos.
Call to Action – 5 points
No advertisement should be published without a call to action. The ad must ask me to do something, call into the shop, ring the business, click on their website, send for a brochure. A call to action can incorporate factors that will increase the urgency of the ads content by either using time (this offer is for 2 days only) or availability of product (only 10 available at this price, first in best dressed)
Layout – 15 points
A good quality layout lends credibility to the advertised product and to the offer being made, it also adds a degree of integrity to the advertiser’s corporate brand generating trust between the prospect and advertiser.
Ads that are easy to read, do not have distractions, and have an easy eye flow, score higher than poorly laid out ads. Gradation is an important factor in the ads layout. Big photos and headlines should be at the top of the ad, and smaller photos and smaller text copy underneath the bigger ones. Colour should be used appropriately and intelligently so it maximises the ads eye appeal and increases the chances of readership and response. Setting all copy in caps, or using non serif type faces for long blocks of copy diminishes the ads appeal. Long copy blocks need to be broken up into legs of copy, rather than just running across the page. The various parts of the ad need to be linked together to form a powerful selling tools to prospects. It must flow!
Conditions of entry
Advertising Representatives must read and agree to all competition conditions before entering any advertisements in the competition. Competition Entry is Easy! Ad reps can simply upload their advertisements electronically via the website http://www.vcpa.com.au/entry-form.html
Advertisements must have been published and produced in-house at a VCPA Member publication* to be eligible to be a part of the 2011/2012 competition. The Published Ad must have appeared in a VCPA member paper from: 1st July 2011 until 30th June 2012
The competition will have 3 categories:
Best mono ad
Best colour ad (includes spot & full colour)
Best marketing or feature idea
Each category will have 2 circulation sections:
Under 7000 copies
Over 7000 copies
The VCPA Ad of the Year finalists will be selected from a monthly competition which commences on the 1st July 2011 and every month there will be a winner from each of the three categories in both circulation sections.
The monthly voucher prize for each section is valued at $100. The prizes will be mailed to the Advertising Representative directly (total of 72 prizes for the duration of the competition).
At the end of the 2011/2012 competition, in June 2012 all the monthly winners from the Under 7000 circulation section and all monthly winners from the Over 7000 circulation section July 2011 to June 2012 (i.e. all 12 winners from Best Mono ad under and Under 7000 circulation and all 12 winners from Best Colour ad under and Under 7000 circulation) will be judged and one advertisement out of each section (excludes Marketing & Features) will be eligible to win the ‘VCPA Ad of the Year’ award.
The major prize recipient will be given $5,000 for an international trip to the destination of their choice. The winners will be required to visit a newspaper (approved by VCPA) at their designated city of their choice (which VCPA can help arrange) and agree to provide a full report of their time overseas including their visit to their chosen newspaper. The winners will present their report at the 2013 VCPA Advertising Conference or other VCPA function. The runners up at the end of the competition (from each of the three categories in both sections) will win an Apple iPod Touch 8GB (valued at $280 each, total of 6 prizes) Winners will be notified by email and all member newspapers will be notified via a Special VCPA Bulletin email. The winner of the VCPA Ad of the Year and runners up will be announced at the VCPA Advertising Awards dinner in August 2012.
*Full member newspapers only
Enter your Ad of the Year here