Creating waves shortlist announced

A shortlist of eight advertising hopefuls has been announced in connection with National Accident Helpline's radio ad script writing competition, Creating Waves.

The contest asked members of the public to create a 30-second radio advertisement, promoting National Accident Helpline's ‘Stop Nuisance Calls' campaign.

The lucky winner, to be revealed in July, will travel to MediaCityUK in Salford to hear their script brought to life by professional voice actors, courtesy of production and audio experts On The Eighth.

Finally, the winning entrant will be able to hear the finished version of their original script played out on local radio.

The winner will also have their work critiqued and polished by the vastly experienced Alistair Ross, writer and director of numerous high-profile and award-winning advertising campaigns over the past 17 years.

Ross, who is Creative Partner at London-based agency The Gate, was given the tricky task of choosing the eight finalists. He said of the entries: "Great radio strikes a balance between clarity of message, and entertaining the listener.

“Across the many entries I reviewed, the most successful stayed close to the subject matter of nuisance calls, but gave it an unexpected twist."

National Accident Helpline's Marketing Director Beth Powell, who is also on the panel of judges for the competition, said: “It's been wonderful to see how the competition entrants have brought the essence of our ‘Stop Nuisance Calls' campaign alive within such a tight 30-second brief.

“We're looking forward to the final stage of judging, and to seeing the winning script brought to life in a professional broadcasting studio.”

Shortlisted entrants include students studying for media-related qualifications at a range of universities including Bournemouth, Plymouth, Birmingham, Salford, South Wales and Sunderland, as well as graduates working towards a career in advertising.

You can view the eight shortlisted entrants, along with further information about the competition and judging panel, on our Creating Waves page.