Getting the attention of consumers is becoming harder than ever, which is why marketers are turning to contests -- in particular, creativity-based contests -- to engage their consumers and also create awareness. These creativity-based contests are a great way to market any product or brand since they not only bring attention to the campaign but create positive association by allowing a customer to exercise his or her creativity.
From filmmaking contests to those that ask customers to create their own packaging design for a newly launched product, these creativity-based contests run the gamut. Brands around the world are using them to entice and draw in both current fans and new customers, and the power of social media to allow customers to share their creations only stands to make these creativity-based contests even more effective. Check out this collection of creativity-based contests to see the different ways brands have used them in their campaigns.
37 Creativity-Based Contests
From Personalized Bubble Gum Branding to Designer Song Challenges:
Katherinev123 — Jan 29, 2012 — Marketing
36
Social Media Artvertising
Create Your Own Ad with the AmEx Canvas Contest
35
T-Shirt Social Sites
Buy Cool T-Shirts or Submit Your Own Designs at Loviu
34
Crowdsourced Model Casting
'I am Levi's' Instagram Campaign Searches for Next Star
33
Vibrant Contest Announcements
Fedrigoni Love Paper Used Design to their Advantage
32
Crowdsourcing Design Duos
Heineken Limited Edition Design Challenge Chooses Paired Concepts
31
iPhone Photo Competitions
The 'Creative Boost' iPhoneography Contest Lets You Show Your Skills
30
Creative Customizable Covers
The Huck #22 Edition Lets You be the Creative Director
29
Student Shoe Design Contests
Vans Custom Culture 2011 Lets Kids Display Talent Competitively
28
Artistic Cap Contests
The New Era XC Design Competition Promotes Alternative Hat Styles
27
Graffiti Stencil Contests (UPDATE)
The Blek le Rat HUGO Man Competition Winners Revealed
26
Customized Cap Contests
The New Era 'Introducing' Project Wants Your 59FIFTY Designs
25
Coffee Cup Contests
Enter the LATTEA Design Contest and Win Cash and a Coffee Machine
24
Ethical Design Competitions
The Wiki-Bike African Bicycle Design Contest is for Sustainability
23
Wobbly Sculpture Contests
The Jell-O Mold Competition Wants You to Keep Calm and Wobble On
22
Automaker Photo Contests
Win a Ford Fiesta by Entering the Fiestagram Campaign
21
Existential Art Contests
The DeviantArt Inception Comic Book Art Contest is Exciting
20
Superhero Charity Contests
Join the MASScanvas Challenge 5: Stane Lee for a Good Cause
19
Search Engine Creativity Challenges
Google Search Caption Contest Seeks Humor & Insight
18
Watch Design Competitions
'Swatch MTV Playground' is a Global Creative Community
17
Personalized Bubble Gum Branding
Orbit Spotlight Series Creates Customized Packages for Customers
16
Design Crowdsourcing
Brandsupply Focuses Solely on Local Design Talent
15
Crowdsourced Fast Food Films
McDonald's McBites Contest Encourages People to Create Mini Films
14
Animated Soft Drink Ads
Jerome Masi & Gaetan Boutet Films the Whimsical 'Be Coke' Video
13
Vintage Design Challenges
ModCloth 'Make the Cut' Contest Seeks Talented Fashion Designers
12
Brew Brand Art Contests
Heineken Art Competition Celebrates Black History Month
11
Couture-Styling Contests
Win Clothes For SS11 with the Shopping Forecast
10
Global Technology Challenges
Microsoft Imagine Cup 2012 Helps World Solve Toughest Problems
9
Drink-Creating Challenges
Make Your Own Drink With VITAMINWATER Enhanced Water 'Flavour Creator'
8
Interactive Music App Contests
Get Creative and Win Money on ‘HUGO Create: The Game'
7
Soft Drink Scholarships
Students Compete in Dr Pepper Million Dollar Tuition Giveaway
6
Designer Song Challenges
Dolce & Gabbana Music Video Contest Asks Fans to Dance and Sing
5
Social Costume Contests
Toshiba 'Put Your Face On Toshiba Vision' Asks for Your Halloween Getup
4
Music Video Car Contests
Toyota 'Outsmart Shout Out' Campaign Creates a Pop Video for Fans
3
Canned Fast Food Castles
The Canned White Castle Sculpture Brings Holiday Cheer to Hungry Families
2
Wish-Granting Greetings
Clinton Cards Will Make a Customer's Holiday Wish Come True
1
Browser Film Contests
Mozilla 'Firefox Flicks' Competition Asks You to Tell a Story
Related Ideas
Luxury Bag Pop Ups
Hermès Debuted a Designer Bag Installation Pop Up in Manhattan
Work-Friendly Beers
Creative Juice is a Low-Strength "Desk Beer" for Creative Problem-Solving
Branded Freeze-Dried Candies
Skittles Pop'd Respond to Demand for Freeze-Dried Treats
Mixologist-Crafted Beverage Creations
PepsiCo will Host a 'DRIPS by Pepsi' Pop-Up in New York
Aggressive Athlete Ads
Nike Launches the Winning Isn’t for Everyone Campaign
Branded AI-Generated Short Films
KFC Philippines Captures Attention with AI-Generated Films
Halloween-Inspired Pretzel Campaigns
Snyder’s of Hanover Debuts the 'Pretzelface' Campaign
Generative AI Candy Campaigns
The Starburst 'Different Every Time' Campaign is Interactive
Ingenious De-Influencing Ads
Cuyana's De-Influencing April Fool's Campaign Highlights Greenwashing
Uniquely Commemorative Skincare Pop-Ups
Glow Recipe will Host a Beauty Night Market in L.A.
Lab-Themed Hair Pop-Ups
Garnier Fructis Showcases its New Collection Through a Scientific Pop-Up
Candy-Flavored Beverages
Skittles Drinks Reimagine a Favorite Gen Z Candy as a Beverage
Kid-Powered Imagination Campaigns
Lunchables' A.I. vs K.I. Proves Kids' Limitless Creativity
GenAI Confectionery Posters
The My Cadbury Era Tool Puts People into Retro Posters with AI
Inspiring Back-to-School Campaigns
BIC Partners with GRAMMY-Nominated Artist Charlie Puth
Premium Clean-Cut Drink Branding
The Sparkling ICE Branding Refresh Enhances Visibility
Beer-Pouring Party Billboards
JUBEL Made a Billboard That Pours Pints Invites People in to Party
Parisian Airport Pop-Ups
Moët Hennessy's Paris Concept Event Featured Travel Exclusives
Hug-Inspired Olympics Campaigns
Coca-Cola's Summer Olympics Campaign was Inspired by True Events
AI-Powered Bakery Pop-Ups
The Betty Crocker Dream Bake Studio Beats "Baker's Block" with AI
Athlete-Backed Shoe Campaigns
Nike Released Awaken Your Madness with International Soccer Players
Break-Encouraging Soda Branding
The Diet Coke Break Campaign Includes Customized Cans
Purposeful Consumer-Focused Campaigns
IKEA's Sleepfluencers Campaign is a Clever Way to Give Back
Star-Studded Tech Campaigns
Jewellery Pros and Music Talent Promote the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
Branded Dream Vacation Sweepstakes
Playa Bowls Looks to Sweeten the Summer Experience
Gen Z-Centric Campaigns
Urban Outfitters' Shift Happens Campaign Has Three Phases
Convention-Challenging AC Campaigns
Samsung's WindFree Ad Stars a Savvy Grandma-Fluencer
Refreshed Colorful Candy Brands
Elmwood Reinvents the New Skittles Branding Update
Global Handbag Campaigns
Coach's New 'Unlock Your Courage' Campaign Promotes Personal Expression
Social Movement Medals
The Openness Medal by Samsung Invites Gen Z to Share Challenges
Ice Cream Sandwich Pop-Ups
Chips Ahoy! Pop-Up to Serve Free Ice Cream in NYC
Iconic Character-Inspired Campaigns
Etsy's Christmas Ad Celebrates Personalized Gifting
Romantic Dating App Experiences
The Bumble 'Success Stories' Campaign Includes a Las Vegas Contest
Beauty Innovation Contests
Estée Lauder Launches The Catalysts Program
Craveable Soda Packaging
Sprite is Reviving Its Obey Your Thirst Campaign for a New Generation
Gen Z Crafting Events
Red Heart Hosted an Exclusive "Crafternoon" in NYC
Marketer-Targeted Cereal Ads
Surreal's Out-of-Home Campaign Speaks to Marketers, Not Consumers
Springtime Holiday Cereal Branding
Lucky Charms Limited-Edition Packaging is Here for Spring
Juice-Branded Summer Campaigns
Revl Fruits' 'Grow Up Never' Campaign Lets a Fan be a Waterpark VP
Empowering Clean Beauty Campaigns
Babe Original Celebrates Individuality with 'Originally You'
Travel-Inspired Chocolate Bar Giveaways
Kit Kat Introduced its 'Vanilla Break' Sweepstakes
Drink-Shaped Gaming Devices
7-Eleven is Giving Fans the Chance to Win a Slurpee-Shaped Tetris Game
Country Music Songwriting Contests
Busch Light Fans have the Chance to Inspire a BRELAND Song
Creativity Time Capsules
Crayola's Campaign for Creativity Reunites Adults with Childhood Art
Encouraging Jar-Reusing Campaigns
Kraft Mayonnaise's Initiative Encourages Consumers to Repurpose
Music Ticketing Campaigns
Coors Light Introduces 'Fix Tixflation' for Music Entertainment
Customized Candy Jingles
BRACH'S Candy Cane Carol Offers Fans a Unique Keepsake
Scented Fast Food Billboards
McDonald's Set Up a French Fry-Scented Billboard
Industrial Design Exhibits
Design Burger Hosted a 'Design Dialogues Exhibit' in London
Gamified In-Airport Activations
Haribo's Mobile Games Gives People of All Ages the Chance to Win
AI-Generated QSR Items
McDonald's India Asks Fans to Create its Signature Collection with AI
Confetti-Filled Snacking Commercials
Frito-Lay Launches the Taste of Super Bowl Campaign
Supersized Delivery Sweepstakes
DoorDash's Big Game Ad Shares Stuff from All the Ads with a Winner
Cheeky Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Events
Mindful Drinking Fest Boasts the NO FUN Cocktail Competition
Creative-Backed Footwear Campaigns
G.H. Bass Introduces Its Stepping Out Campaign
Upcycled Circular Design Products
Cyrc Designs Expansive Products with Sustainable Themes
QSR Summer Pop-Ups
McDonald's Mexico Launched a Summer-Themed Activation in Mexico
Visual Beer Brand Identities
Grolsch Has Unveiled a New Visual Brand Identity in Canada
Viral Video Databases
Viral Ideas Offers Inspiration for a Content Creator's Next Big Video
Soft-Textured Sour Candies
These Chupa Chups Sour Candy Products Come in Two New Options
Customer-Driven Retailer Recipe Contests
The 7-Eleven Hawaii Recipe Contest is Interactive
Interactive Connected Packaging
Asahi Beverages Philippines Debuts a New Experience
Streaming Service Expansions
Spotify Launched an In-house Creative Agency, Spotify Creative Lab
Provocative Guerrilla Campaigns
Jewelry Brand MWCurated Uses Fake Infidelity Flyers for Marketing
Connected Beer Jerseys
Miller Lite's Running of the Beer Ads Turns Fans into Walking Billboards
Celebratory Musical Snack Campaigns
This Butterkist Wicked Promotion Celebrates the Upcoming Movie
Brand-Led Global Studies
The LEGO Group Conducted a Study That May Inform Market Decisions
Stylish Soda Pop-Ups
Poppi World Enticed Health-Conscious, Fashionable Visitors During NYFW
Festive Advent Campaigns
Cadbury's 24 Out-of-Home Ads Represent the Countdown to Christmas
Diverse Community Creator Programs
The Champion Creators Program Harnesses Diverse Expression
Musical Nut Campaigns
INC's NutTunes Campaign Reaches Gen Z Through Spotify
Gen Z-Influenced Marketing Campaigns
Kraft Heinz is Studying Gen Z's Preferences with New Launches
Playful Gen Z Bubble Tea Campaigns
Krak Boba Launches Innovative PersonaliTEA Campaign
Specialty Cheese Campaigns
Alouette Unveiled its Creative 'Flavor That Sings' Campaign
Marketing Idea Generators
Thunderbucket Provides Marketing Ideas and Observations at Speed
Consumer-Driven QSR Burger Contests
The Burger King Million Dollar Whopper Contest is On Now
Co-Branded Custom Ads
Lexus and Universal Pictures Partner for the 'Experience OZmazing' Spot
Customized Candy Mix Experiences
IT'SUGAR Chews-Your-Mix Offers Customers More Options
Customizable White-Label Consumables
Printify Offers On-Demand Consumables for Brands & Businesses
Pumpkin-Inspired Community-Themed Campaigns
Danone North America Debuts the Tri Pumpkin Campaign
Dramatized Caramel Candy Ads
Reese's Big Game Ad Shows Exaggerated, Relatable Reactions to Change
Human Connection-Centric Campaigns
Etsy's New Ad Campaign Wants to Keep Commerce Human
Tongue-In-Cheek Soda Campaigns
Pepsi Jokes at Coca-Cola in It's Tastes Better Campaign
Reformulated Skincare Rebrands
Bath & Body Works Underwent a Large-scale Shift to Cleaner Products
Beverage Brand Music Contests
White Claw is Giving Canadians the Chance to Perform at AltiTunes
Brand-Boosting Social Media Contests
Iconic Beverage Group Debuts the Iconic Agua Challenge
Toaster Pastry Prediction Platforms
Prop-Tarts Challenges Pop-Tarts Fans' Intuition
Inaugural Candy Brand Calendars
The Chupa Chups Advent Calendar Has Lollipops, Gum and More
Artistic Multi-Beverage Ads
The Coca-Cola Family is Spotlighted in this Unique Ad
Social Marketplace Updates
Instagram Launches a Marketplace to Better Connect Brands and Creators
Customizable Cookie Boxes
Molly Bz Allows Customers to Build Their Own Cookie Boxes
Inspiring Daily Bodycare
method's Unleash Your Inner Shower Celebrates Personal Transformations
Swipable Curated Ad Inspiration
Swipify Lets Users Swipe Through the Latest Ad Campaigns
Artistic Libation Campaigns
The Madrí Excepcional 'Paint Your Pint' Competition Challenges Fans
Video Game Refreshment Campaigns
The Suntory x Super Mario Campaign is Playful
Creator-Celebrating Campaigns
The Frito-Lay My Joy Campaign Celebrates Creators of All Backgrounds
Themed Heart-Shaped Chips
Japanese Snack Brand Calbee Unviels its Valentine's Day Chips
Creatively Sponsored Art Events
Sharpie is Sponsoring the Upcoming Art Battle Event in Los Angeles
Recycled Ad Campaigns
Mars is Reusing Fan-Favorite Ads to Bring Attention to Climate Change
Viral No-Hole Bagel Campaigns
Philadelphia Cream Cheese Debuts the Philadelphia Bagel Wholes
Reality-Bending Car Ads
CarGurus Ad Features Melting Lego and Gourmet Chef Toddlers
Playful QSR Campaigns
Cossette Forms the New McDonald's Campaign to Closest Restaurant
Global Storytelling Initatives
Vans Announces its Narrative-Centric Always Pushing Campaign
Innovative Digital Signage
Creative Realities Enhances Fan Engagement & Outcomes with New Signage
Interactive Juice Packaging
Gulf Union Foods Launched Fun Connected Packaging for its Juices
Creativity-Celebrating Week-Long Campaigns
Crayola Education Will Kick Off Crayola Creativity Week
Springtime Snack Cake Promotions
The Mr Kipling and Cadbury Cake Easter campaign is Familial
Advanced Printing Techniques
BrandMyDispo Has Introduced Printing Techniques for Custom Mylar Bags
QR Code Turkey Branding
This New Butterball Branding Encourages Consumers to Engage with the Brand
Sustainable Future Contests
The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest Empowers Young Minds
Bizarre Soda Campaigns
Dr Pepper's Try More Weird Disrupts Life's Boredoms with Weirdness
Personalized Retail Media Networks
Thrive Market Collaborates with Instacart on a New Network
Gut-Friendly Kombucha Campaigns
Health-Ade's Thrill Your Gut Highlights the Benefits of Kombucha
Toxic-Free Election Challenges
Stonyfield Organic Addresses Both Environmental and Social Concerns
Skateboarding-Inspired Ads
Vans Launched the ‘Always Pushing’ Ad Highlighting Skating Culture
Content Creator News Sources
Creative Brew Offers Daily Insight and News for Content Creators
High-Quality Chocolatey Marshmallow Treats
Mallow & Marsh Products Boast a Permissible Profile
Inspiring Creator-Focused Decks
TikTok Launches a New Creative Content Inspiration Deck
Music-Centric Branding Initiatives
BACARDÍ Rum Partnered with the MTV Video Music Awards
Frighteningly Festive Candy Products
These New Bazooka Candy Brands Halloween Products are Tasty
Revamped Cotton Swab Branding
Q-tips Packaging Has Been Updated for the Brand's 100th Anniversary
Branded Sweepstakes Campaigns
Citrus Magic® Debuts the 'You’ve Got the Magic Touch' Sweepstakes
Promotional Influencer Videos
Activision Recruits Multiple Creators to Appeal to Gen Z Consumers
Voting-Encouraging Ice Cream Promotions
Ben & Jerry's Ran the Red Pencils for Pints Initative
Music Producer Gum Campaigns
5 Gum and Zedd Partnered for New Packaging and a Rave
Connected Packaging Updates
Appetite Creative Revamps its Connected Packaging with Tetra Pak
Cosmetic Branding Design Initiatives
The AmLactin x Kerasal #UnsexyDesignChallenge is Cheeky
Advertising Demand-Side Platforms
Yahoo Launched Yahoo Creative to Help Advertisers
Hobby-Funding Sweepstakes
Starburst's Pink Passion Protection Program Fuels Creativity with Cash
Empowering Consumer-Centric Campaigns
Which? Launches a Festive Campaign to Empower Shoppers
Guest-Crafted Salad Bowls
CAVA is Adding Bowls from Its Guest Custom Contest to Its Digital Menu
Festive Display Contests
The Truly Keep It Light Holiday Edition Helps to Cover Utility Bills
Beginner Artistic Inspiration
Drawing Prompts Helps Artists Develop a Consistent Practice
Frozen Spirit Sweepstakes Campaigns
The Jägermeister Freeze to Win Campaign Requires Refrigeration
Cocktail-Inspired Togetherness Activations
Smirnoff's Global Connectivity Initiative Launched
Trick Shot Sweepstakes
ONE Brands Debuts the ONE Puffs Trick Shot Challenge Sweepstakes
Creative Hollywood-Themed Games
'Greenlight' Tasks Players with Pitching Ideas to Studio Heads
New Year Sandwich Promotions
This Urban Eat On-Pack Promo Offers Hundreds of Prizes Up for Grabs
Growth-Based Marketing Platforms
Crowdtiv Connects Mentors and Mentees to Grow Businesses
Festive Chip Campaigns
KETTLE Chips' Christmas Campaign Features 24 Days of Prizes