A new research study from the IPA and Thinkbox, in conjunction with The Gunn Report, has revealed the direct correlation between strong advertising creativity and business success. The study shows that the most creatively awarded advertising campaigns are 11 times more efficient at delivering business success, providing figures that have not been updated since Donald Gunn’s 1996 report “Do Award Winning Commercials Sell?”.


The research analyzed the correlation between 175 campaigns’ performance across a wide range of the worlds’ most respected creative awards determined by The Gunn Report, and their performance in hard business terms recorded in the IPA Effectiveness Awards Databank between 2000 and 2008. The study examined both the effectiveness (in terms of a campaign’s ability to drive business effects such as share, sales, profit and loyalty) and the efficiency (in terms of share growth per point of Excess Share of Voice) of creatively awarded and non- awarded campaigns.
- The vast majority of Gunn Report creative award scores (74%) are for TV commercials, showing that TV creativity is at the heart of the success of these campaigns.
- The more creatively awarded a campaign, the more effective it becomes.


- Creatively awarded campaigns are much more likely to be ‘emotional’ than ‘rational’ (44% vs. 19%).


- Investing in creativity is a powerful way to achieve fame. The study shows that brands can buy awareness but not fame; fame is proven to be at the heart of the most effective advertising.
- Creative awards strongly reflect consumer liking of ad campaigns.
