How to Win the Crowbar Awards, Insights from Nikki Baker
“This is the only time where you don’t have to play it safe.” – Nikki Baker, CEO of Fallon
The Crowbar Awards are live for 2025 with a timely new challenge. This year’s brief focuses on Dollar General and asks teams to create a holiday campaign that shifts the brand from a discount corner store to a true gifting destination.
Breaking and Entering host Geno Schellenberger sat down with Nikki Baker, CEO of Fallon and this year’s Crowbar judge, to discuss how applicants should approach the competition.
The Brief
Applicants must work in teams of three, often made up of an art director, copywriter, and strategist. The campaign should target 23 to 29 year olds navigating the hectic holiday season. Submissions are due December 2, 2025 at 11:59 pm CT on crowbarawards.com. The winning team will join Nikki Baker on the B&E Podcast, gaining exposure and valuable connections in the industry.
What Nikki Baker Wants
Nikki’s background as a creative and now a CEO shapes her perspective. She emphasized that the strongest work will come from a balance of strategy and simplicity.
Ideas must come first. Spend most of the time exploring concepts before execution.
Simplicity wins. Out of home or quick cultural references can prove whether an idea works.
Think of Dollar General as a co-conspirator in the holiday chaos. Position the store as a partner who helps shoppers manage stress.
Tap into cultural truths. That might include the overwhelm of December, the flood of weddings and social commitments in your twenties, or even the collective fatigue with hearing Mariah Carey too early.
Show the strategic walk-up. Make it clear how you arrived at the idea with a few strong data points and a clear story.
Tips for Teams
Nikki also offered practical advice for working as a group.
Lock deadlines early and stick to them.
Create checkpoints to review progress.
Share ideas outside of your team to gather perspective.
Over-communicate and use simple tools like text groups and shared timelines.
Seek mentor feedback, even if mentors cannot execute on the work itself.
Why This Year Matters
This is the first time the Crowbar Awards brief has been tied to a seasonal moment. For Nikki, this makes it an opportunity to test real-time cultural thinking. She encouraged entrants to aim high and not settle for safe ideas. The goal is to produce a holiday campaign that makes larger retailers jealous.
Final Word
The Crowbar Awards are designed to push young creatives into producing work that could define their portfolios for years. For Nikki Baker, the winning entries will be those that marry cultural relevance with strong, simple ideas.
The best submissions will not just show Dollar General as a store but will position it as a true ally in the holiday rush.
Listen to the full episode with Nikki Baker on the Breaking and Entering Podcast to hear her full take on creativity, strategy, and what makes great teamwork.
