If you ever want to feel utterly inspired about the power of comms, judge the Best Creative Comms category at the UnAwards.
by Alan Oram and Team Alive With Ideas
This year, five of us from Alive With Ideas took on the mighty challenge.
And we do mean mighty.
Because while the UnAwards received nearly 600 entries overall, the Best Creative Comms category alone attracted an incredible 61 submissions – a true kaleidoscope of imagination, bravery, and brilliance.
From those 61, we distilled a longlist of 13, and from there a shortlist, highly commended entries, and a winner.
And honestly? It was exhilarating.
The spectrum: from tiny sparks to full-scale bonfires
This category is always eclectic, but this year it truly had everything:
Guerrilla-style ideas popping up on pavements and street corners
Youth-led activism turning advertising against itself
VR experiences dropping people into life-changing moments
Cinematic storytelling led by young people, community voices and even fictional heroes
Joy-filled, zero-budget videos filmed in a single afternoon that lit up whole towns
Bold, immersive place-branding worlds
Strategic creative advocacy about identity, heritage and belonging
From serious to playful, small-scale to large-scale, heartbreaking to hilarious - this category spans the full creative spectrum.
And that’s the beauty of it.
Creativity on its own isn’t enough… but it is the spark.
What stood out this year wasn’t only the work. It was the why behind the work.
Yes, we’re looking for originality, freshness and ideas that make you sit up straighter, but the strongest entries had something more:
A strategy that made sense
Objectives that meant something
Measurement that proved it worked
An unmistakable creative spark
A human pulse running through everything
We weren’t hunched over with clipboards, frowns and red pens - we were cheering, laughing, and feeling deeply moved. We were consistently wowed by the craft, impressed by the ingenuity, and connected to the stories.
It didn’t feel like judging. It felt like celebrating.
If you didn’t make the shortlist, please hear this.
Please, truly do not feel disappointed.
With 61 entries, the range and quality were remarkable.
At times, we were splitting hairs so fine you’d need a microscope to see them.
Some entries that didn’t make the shortlist were:
full of creativity
strategically sharp
brilliantly executed
beautifully designed
packed with heart
Sometimes the final nudge comes down to a nuance, a slightly tighter insight, a more daring twist, or simply an idea that felt fractionally more distinct in a crowded field.
If you entered, you should feel proud.
You inspired us. You reminded us why creative comms matters.
You showed what imagination can do in the hands of talented, passionate people.
Creativity isn’t decoration. It’s the engine.
Judging this category reinforced something we see every day in our work at Alive:
Creativity is not a luxury. It’s not “added value”. It’s not the icing.
It’s the engine. It helps people:
feel something
understand something
see themselves differently
take action
believe change is possible
It makes messages stick.
It makes stories human.
It makes ideas alive.
Whether through VR, chalk on a pavement, a school choir, a bear with a purpose, a box of superhero stickers, a bucket hat illustration, a community story, or a brilliantly scrappy video - creativity turns communication into connection.
And connection is everything.
To everyone who submitted: thank you.
Thank you for your bravery. Thank you for your imagination. Thank you for your craft, your passion, and your willingness to push the boundaries of what creative comms can be.
You made us proud to be part of this community. You reminded us why we love this work. And you showed once again that creativity is alive, bright, and thriving across the comms sector.
Until next year…
Keep experimenting.
Keep storytelling.
And above all, keep that spark alive.
Alan Oram is director at Alive with Ideas
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