Communication Arts Competitions

competitions

Gain worldwide recognition for your work by entering the most prestigious juried competitions in visual communications.

Since 1959, Communication Arts has published the absolute best in visual communications from around the world. To find the best work, Communication Arts sponsors creative competitions that recognize the finest talent in the industry.

Ask any creative director which competitions rank as the most influential, and they'll place Communication Arts at the top of the list. CA's Award of Excellence is one of the most-coveted in the industry. If chosen, winning places you in the highest ranks of your profession.

Winners are selected by your peers, a nationally representative panel of distinguished visual communicators. Past judges have included such luminaries as Saul Bass, Michael Beirut, Lee Clow, Hillman Curtis, Louise Fili, Milton Glaser, Jeff Goodby, Hal Riney, Sam Scali, Paula Scher, Michael Vanderbyl, Lynda Weinman, Fred Woodward and Jeffrey Zeldman.

Winning entries are published in one of five Annuals: Interactive, Illustration, Photography, Graphic Design and Advertising. With over seventy thousand copies of each Annual distributed worldwide, you're guaranteed outstanding exposure to potential clients and colleagues.

All of the CA Annuals are must-have references for creative excellence in visual communications and have furthered numerous careers through the worldwide exposure they provide.

The Annuals

Interactive Annual - Deadline: January 16, 2009
A juried competition of the best work being done for the Web, disk, interactive kiosk or handheld devices, the Interactive Annual includes about 40 projects. Selected entries are also shown on the Commarts Web site. Categories include advertising, entertainment, information design, self-promotion and experimental/virtual community.

Illustration Annual - Deadline: March 6, 2009
Hundreds of beautiful illustrations used for editorial, institutional and advertising are selected for their creative excellence by a jury of designers and art directors. We include a complete index and addresses of the selected illustrators.

Photography Annual - Deadline: March 6, 2009
Over 200 photographs from famous photographers and rising stars. Only 3% of the work entered is selected for this annual. The work is reproduced utilizing speci al techniques and the highest-quality printing available. A complete index is included with the addresses of the selected photographers.

Design Annual - Deadline: June 1, 2009
Juried by nine top designers and attracting entries from the USA, Canada, England and 40 other countries, the Design Annual features the best posters, brochures, packaging, trademarks, corporate identity, annual reports, catalogs, letterheads and signage, and is fully indexed for reference. Only 2% of the work entered is selected for the annual. Detailed captions provide the reader with an explanation of the project's scope, the concept and solution.

Advertising Annual - Deadline: June 1, 2009
Juried by leading creative directors, art directors and writers, the Advertising Annual displays the best in consumer and institutional print ads along with posters, broadcast and new media. Everything is reproduced so you can actually read the fine print. The broadcast scripts are included for every television and radio commercial and, for quick reference, a complete index helps the reader find an agency, client or individual.

Designers talk and think a lot like science fiction writers do, except in a much less melodramatic and histrionic way. — Bruce Sterling

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