I don’t know about you, but this year feels a little different from the rest.

Is it the lagging economy? The changing media landscape? Or the fact that if you asked ten people what the most effective advertising strategy is, you’d probably get ten completely different answers.

Maybe it’s all of the above.

These are the challenges we all face–agencies and marketers alike. Which is why, for the first time, we invited several clients to participate in the judging process. It’s also why we created a new category, “Excellence in Brand Creativity,” which recognizes those marketers who are redefining our perception of advertising.

This year, our judges set the standards high. Golds were not easy to come by. Every idea found within these pages is worthy of kudos and conversation. A little reassurance, perhaps, that creativity will always remain recession-proof.