CAP set criteria for award eligibility

04 March 2005

The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) has produced a set of rules establishing the criteria marketing communications need to meet to be eligible for industry awards. The rules are designed to aid award organisers when vetting entry material but will prove useful for marketers, who should be aware of all criteria before they consider submitting their work.

Marketing communications that have been subject to an Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld adjudication are immediately ineligible. Furthermore, marketing communications that have been withdrawn or significantly amended as a result of ASA or CAP intervention may not be entered in their original form.

The rules also stringently cover flyposters and Ad Alerts. Any advertisement that has appeared as a flyposter can not, under any circumstances, be entered for an award. The restriction applies also to campaigns that have included a flyposter even if the flyposter is not part of the campaign that is submitted. Similarly, if CAP has issued an Ad Alert against a marketing communication, or a campaign of which it is a part, the marketing communications may not be entered.

Award organisers are encouraged to ensure their entries list contains no marketing communications that should not be accepted. Although it is vital that the CAP award eligibility criteria are applied, it is also important for award organisers to ensure judges are fully aware of the different constraints that apply to marketing communications that are not subject to the CAP Code.

Of the eligibility rules, the Chairman of CAP, Andrew Brown, says, “The industry awards acknowledge the creative talent, imagination and energy involved in putting marketing campaigns together. The recognition marketers gain is not, however, solely for their creativity. Marketers can be eligible for an award only if they adhere to the Code when producing their work. By establishing the eligibility criteria, the industry can recognise campaigns that have not only been a success from a marketing point of view but also achieved that success by working within the rules. With everyone on the same level playing field, successful marketers can enjoy receiving the plaudits they rightly deserve.”

Click here to read the CAP Award Eligibility Guidelines