The ICA’s Creative Power Group represents the best of Canada’s agency creative and planning leaders, a community created to debate industry issues and drive Canadian creative excellence.
One recurring issue is the value of creativity and how it is recognized. This includes the relationship between awards and recognising / measuring agency and brand excellence while assessing the value, cost, and impact of awards. Globally, leaders have questioned the number and transparency of award schemes, the Creative Power List is Canada’s response to that issue.
To address this, the Creative Power Group, working closely with leading audit, tax and consulting firm, Grant Thornton LLP, has built a transparent ranking system of Canada’s agencies that helps them decide which awards to go for and what that could mean for their national standing.
As well as setting up the Creative Power List, the Creative Power Group will be building stronger relationships with each of the international shows, looking to improve training for judges and provide greater understanding of how each show works. The ICA has already become the Canadian judge nominating partner for the D&AD, as part of its continuing to build a strong relationship between Canada and the international shows.
The Creative Power Group created the mechanics of the first ever Creative Power List in 2020 – deciding which national and international awards should matter, what they are worth and how to create a transparent scoring system. Full details on this methodology and scoring system are available here. This scoring system was used to create the Creative Power List for 2021, based on 2019 performance. Each year the Creative Power List is based on the awards performance of the previous calendar year.
A ranking based on 2020 performance wasn’t created due to the ICA’s call to support people not awards in the wake of COVID-19.
Following the annual meeting of the Creative Power Group a revised methodology for the next list is agreed and published. Get your sights set firmly on the awards that matter in recognising Canada’s Creative Power and take a look at the methodology to impact your ranking.
Creative Power List methodology for 2025
Creative Power List 2024 – Agencies
Creative Power List 2024 – Brands
Creative Power List methodology for 2024
Creative Power List 2023 - Agencies
Creative Power List 2023 - Brands
Creative Power List methodology for 2023
Creative Power List 2022 - Agencies
Creative Power List 2021 - Agencies
Creative Power List methodology for 2021 and 2022
The Creative Power Group welcomes feedback on this initiative and its methodology. It is created by the industry for the industry. Please email any feedback and nominations for the Creative Power Group to scott@theica.ca.
