The past year has been a rollercoaster ride for Australia’s production companies, media agencies and clients and creatives. Set amidst a backdrop of a global pandemic, natural disasters from floods to fires, border closures, and a talent desert, many held on for dear life.

But in amongst the uncertainty, Australia’s creative industry continued to reflect the country’s culture, mood and humour.

As we edge closer to the return of Australia’s richest advertising prize, The State of Originality – Nine’s way of encouraging brand owners and their agencies to bring their best for a chance to win $1 million of inventory across Nine’s vast ecosystem – this Big Ideas Store session takes a deep-dive into what it takes to make an ad a piece of art.

Four great minds in the industry, who are also judges of The State of Originality, join Powered Director Liana Dubois to show and talk us through their favourite ads, giving an insightful commentary into what makes a million dollar advert.

Cindy Gallop, Advertising Consultant and founder of MakeLoveNotPorn; Tara Ford, Chief Creative Officer of The Monkeys; Paul Chappell, Strategic Partner and co-founder of Brand + Story; and Josh Whiteman, Director and co-founder of Brand + Story reveal their thoughts on what it takes to fulfil the six categories to win the prestigious prize – originality, simplicity, strategy, branding, emotion and execution.

“Creativity flourishes with constraint,” said Gallop, a former Advertising Woman of the Year recipient in the US. “I haven’t seen any drop in quality or calibre of advertising even with all the tragedy and very difficult times all around us.”