Johnny's reflection on 10 years of The Creative Shootout

I set up The Creative Shootout in 2015 because I passionately believe in people, ideas and cause.

And felt back then (and still do) that some of the big industry initiatives and awards don’t celebrate or showcase creative talent, enough. Or ‘give back’, enough. The Creative Shootout has always been run as a not for profit, that has been supported by me personally, and Launch PR, collectively.

Fast forward 10 years, and this week would normally have been Creative Shootout Live Final week at BAFTA. But after a decade, I felt we needed to properly pause and see how the programme should evolve. Time is an important thing in the creative process and whilst pressing repeat is tempting, I never set it up to be expected or normal.

Looking at the results of our 2025 campaign for Epilepsy Action (our most recent Charity of the Year), they’re a source of real pride – and should be, for everyone involved. The ‘Could I Count On You’ campaign, created by 2025 winning agency Boldspace | B Corp™ for Epilepsy Action, has been game changing, reaching 17 million people and contributing to a 222% uplift in CRM contacts for the charity.

So, whilst we take a pause at a decade, I'd like to thank everyone (and way too many, to name check all) who have decently leant in over the ten years with support and kindness, to the Launchers at Launch (importantly, both past and present) for their passion and professionalism, the hundreds of charities who have entered, the annually chosen charities (Steven Day, thank you for engineering Jane Cooper and UNICEF in our first year ... huge!), every agency who has entered (Graham Goodkind and Andrew Bloch, Frank was our first ever agency entry in 2015), to Mischief, the most decorated Shootout agency, to every official Supporter and Partner (not possible without you, with a big call out to Erin and WallsMan Creative, with us from the start) and every judge who has given their time. To all the Associations also, and legendary show host and friend Scott Wimsett (along with his epic wardrobe). And finally, to the thousands who have come to watch. My youngest son did last year and for those who were there, the Coldplay music was really just for him 😉

The pause year is needed, but in the world we live in today, the give back to charity and creative talent showcase, over a decade, even more so. Look out for The Creative Shootout Playbook of the last ten years, coming to a social media account near you.

Partners and Sponsors: Launch | Bauer Media Outdoor UK | Acast | markettiers | IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) | thenetworkone | OnePoll | 72Point | JCDecaux | Jackanory | DMA (Data & Marketing Association) UK | IAB | Google | Huckletree | The Guardian | Chartered Institute of Public Relations | WallsMan Creative