The past year was a difficult one for advertising. Despite the challenging climate, we were pleased to still see some creative risk-taking in the entries submitted.

“Not surprisingly, the most innovative work is in the online and integrated categories,” said juror Paul Little. “People are inventing what's new and that’s exciting. It doesn’t always work but at least they're trying.”

“I'm always amazed at how talented people can reinvent even the most well-worn categories,” said juror Hélene Côté. “It was great to see much more integrated, conceptual thinking that went beyond traditional media.”

“Television remains a very strong category,” said juror Carter Weitz. “In spite of what experts were saying a few years back, it’s far from being dead.”

When asked about the future, juror Maureen Shirreff expressed hope that the challenging economic climate will cause manufacturers and brands to concentrate more on innovation. “That’s where great ads really begin—great products,” she said.

“It's obvious that personalized, self-selected communication is the way of the future,” Côté said. “It's not about what you do as a company, but how you can be relevant to millions of consumers, one at a time.”