Award Categories

This category is reserved for campaigns that demonstrate how it led with a purposeful cause- addressing a social, ethical and/or environmental issue. This can be CSR focused, marketing for brands, charities, not-for-profits, health enterprises, sustainability causes, social movements or inclusion and diversity initiatives. 

Winning entries will be able to demonstrate positive and measurable impact in the world, how it has raised awareness of an organisation’s values/initiatives, or made constructive changes to cultural and social perceptions, while also delivering on its marketing objectives. 

This category will be celebrating the best use of Print and Publishing to drive awareness, sales, and to meet objectives for the client. Judges will be focusing on how the client has utilised the publishers’ media, networks, audiences, tools and portfolio of products and the results these delivered. Entrants should be clear as to why Print and Publishing was chosen and integral to the success of the campaign. 

The campaign could have been executed through traditional print or digital publishing or could have used both. 

Examples can include, but not restricted to campaigns utilising publishers’ magazines, newspapers, leaflets, and other digital or non-digital content outlets. 

This category recognises the best content created for a brand. The content should authentically align with the brand values and strategy which resonates clearly with the target audience. Judges will evaluate the content creation and creative execution, with additional credit given to storytelling across media channels, as well as the customer experience as evidenced by consumer engagement metrics. 

Examples can include but are not limited to videos, articles or publications, podcasts, radio shows, video games and live event content directly made for the brand. 

This category rewards campaigns for local brands that are specific and exclusive to a certain country or region. The campaign will be implemented locally, and the entries will be able to demonstrate how the project has helped a local brand fulfil its targets and reach KPI’s. Entrants should outline the challenge for the brand within the market, and how they worked to overcome them.  

Judges will look for great insight and execution, including the use of appropriate media channels and strong results, such as increases in brand perception, local engagement, and sales. 

This is an amazing opportunity for entrants to showcase campaigns for smaller, countrywide brands that are producing amazing work. Campaigns for global brands that are widely available to multiple countries should not be submitted in this category. 

This category celebrates campaigns that demonstrate a brilliant communication strategy. Judges will be looking for a clear narrative in the brand’s storytelling across all elements of the activation, a compelling use of messaging in its aims and authentic methods of communicating whether that be the use of existing channels, or the creation of new ways of engaging.  

The winning campaign must demonstrate clear consumer insight and connectivity with the target audience via the development of a fertile strategy and precise execution. This can include any form of media used, whether a single or multi-platform campaign. Judges will favour work that pushes boundaries and is at the forefront of innovation. 

This category recognises campaigns that were successfully boosted by the distribution, amplification, and presentation of its content. The content could be existing, user generated or newly created and can be in any format including, but not limited to, video, print, OOH, audio, native advertising.  

Campaigns in this category will be specifically judged on their content strategy, which will include identifying the target audience and how effectively the placement of content was planned and implemented to engage with those consumers. 

We encourage entries from both media owners and media agencies. 

Examples include distributing and amplifying user generated content, social media content, third-party generated content, brand-specific content, such as videos, articles, podcasts, radio shows, video games and live event content. 

This category recognises the campaign that can demonstrate the most successful consumer engagement showing tangible target audience related results. The campaign can have used any media channel so long as it can prove engagement with either wide-scale or niche consumer groups. The jury will be looking for audience related results and proof of engagement through metrics such as ‘time spent with brand’, ‘number of interactions with the brand’, ‘number of downloads’, ‘number of comments’ and other key engagement metrics.

This category recognises physical, virtual or hybrid experiences that deliver an effective event or experiential campaign for consumers. The case should be clear on its results and be focused on the event / experience itself. The jury will expect to see how the brand has developed its interaction with the consumer, created a number of key touchpoints and brought to life the brand's values and identity. The winner will be able to demonstrate the tangible benefits for the brand ideally including business results as well as impressive campaign metrics.  

Examples can include but are not limited to- pop-ups, stunts, guerrilla marketing, projections, ambient media, digital simulations and virtual or Hybrid events

The winner of this category must have combined two or more platforms, such as mobile, OOH, social media, technology, TV, cinema, radio, print or other mediums. The successful multi-channel campaign must show an effective use of various mediums in a creative and engaging way to obtain great results on clear objectives. The decisions behind the varying platform choices should be clear.  

The Judges will be looking to see clear decisions behind the varying platform choices and why the formats chosen are integral to the campaign’s success. They will also be looking for how the channels worked together, why and how they combined the audiences of the channels. 

Note that the campaign can be solely implemented using digital media, or solely implemented using traditional media, as long as there are two, or more platforms used successfully. 

The winning campaign will demonstrate the most successful strategy created to launch or re-launch a new or existing product, service, or brand. Judges will look for proven understanding of the target audience and marketplace, which is incorporated into the strategy and execution. 
 
Entries focusing on a relaunch should be able to present a significant and obvious update or change to the product, service or brand in question. It will also be advantageous to compare previous results to those that have been achieved since the relaunch.  

Please note - the launch or relaunch of a marketing campaign will not be suitable within this category, judges will specifically be looking for the launch or relaunch of a product, service, or brand. 

This award will recognise the creative and strategic media approach that results in a qualified brand impact on the local audience. The winning work could be for a challenger, local, or global advertiser operating in other countries outside of its’ home region. The best work will have been adapted for local execution and specifically curated for this market, recognising cultural nuances. 

Judges will look for great insight and execution, including the use of appropriate media channels and strong results such as increases in brand perception, customer engagement and sales. 

This category will be looking at how a brand has successfully used audio as it’s main driver to deliver its ROI. Judges will be focusing on the innovation, creativity, planning and the business results achieved through the campaign.  

The campaign could have been executed through traditional audio media, digital audio media or a combination of both. 

Examples can include, but are not restricted to, the use of Podcasts, radio, streaming platforms or other channels in the audio space such as: WTOP FM, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Soundcloud, NTS, Bandcamp, Internet Radio.  

The winner in this category will demonstrate the best use of data and will have effectively reached consumers with a successful campaign that has been notably enhanced or even made possible through learning and insights gained from the data. Campaigns can range from social media to e-commerce, as long as they have data at their heart.  

The winning entry should prove the best use of small or big data, which has ultimately improved results, as evidenced by metrics, increases in the average order value, a reduction in online CPA or increase in ROI. Pre- and post-campaign statistics will be another useful benchmark for judges. 

This category rewards brand communication that has understood and used mobile to make a success of the campaign. Entrants should be clear on how and why mobile was used and should demonstrate how it played a critical role in achieving the client objectives and great results. 

Examples include, but are not limited to apps, mobile websites, mobile games, and mobile based advertising. 

This category rewards campaigns that have used the web/online landscape effectively and as its primary marketing tool. The jury will be looking for creative implementation, great examples of interaction and successful results which only web could have achieved.  

Examples include, but are not limited to, content produced for the online landscape such as websites; landing pages; video ads; display ads; microsites; apps; SEO; banner ads and pop-ups. 

This category is open to all campaigns which have used Out of Home as the primary media channel to amplify a product, service, or brand. Judges will be looking at how the OOH campaigns delivered the clients’ objectives, showcased interaction, innovation, and excellence in the medium. 

Examples can include but are not restricted to digital and non-digital billboards, posters, bus shelters, sports centres, building wraps and small and large sized ambient media, or objects such as OOH promotional products and installations. 

This category rewards campaigns that has used social media as its core driver of success. The jury will be looking for great examples of interaction and results which only social media could have achieved.  

Examples of the use of social media channels can include but are not limited to– organic, sponsored and paid-for content, blogs, social video, social posts, video-sharing sites. This could include campaigns using platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, X (Twitter), Twitch, Pinterest, LinkedIn, WeChat, Facebook and TikTok. 

This category has been created to celebrate media campaigns, which have used sport as a vital component of their strategies to drive results, resonate with consumers and communicate the client’s key messaging. This could include working or partnering with sports teams, organisations, communities, individuals, and associations within any sport around the globe, or an activation at a sports event - local, regional or global - which allows key touchpoints for the client’s target audiences and is part of an overall media strategy. 

Judges will be looking at the results the association with sport has achieved, how it met and surpassed the client’s objectives and used sport as a key communicational tool. 

Examples could include but are not limited to- innovative sponsorship activations at sporting events like F1, FIFA World Cup, NBA playoffs, Super Bowl, Cricket World Cup, Rugby World Cup, or the Olympics and working with sports teams, clubs or organisations- such as the Concacaf, IOC, PGA, Manchester United, Real Madrid, New York Kicks. LA Lakers and Denver Broncos. 

This category rewards the campaigns that have best leveraged a strategic partnership between a brand and talent(s) as part, or as the whole of its activation. 

 The talent may be a celebrity, sports star, leading industry figure, social media influencer, esports star, brand ambassador, or other notable character, real or fictional, who has directly tapped into their own following to benefit the brand. The activation may be part of a planned campaign using the talent or used more spontaneously in real-time marketing.  

Overall judges will look for authenticity between talent and brand.

This category rewards campaigns that have understood and used technology as the primary amplification tool to deliver on the objectives of its clients. The winning work will be able to demonstrate why/how the technology was strategically selected and used and how the brand and technology worked seamlessly, to engage, target, and resonate with the right audiences. Jurors will be looking at how only the use of technology made all the former possible.  

Examples could include but are not limited to the use of- programmatic, first and third-party data tech, real- time marketing, voice activations, AR, AI, Chatbots, IoT, Metaverse, software, wearable tech, drones, AV technologies or a custom-made technology solution. 

This category will be amplifying the best campaigns which have used TV, streaming TV services, Video channels and Cinema as their key media channel. Judges will be looking at how the campaigns met the client objectives with engaging and creative content in one of more of these mediums. 

Examples can include but are not restricted to the use of Television channels, Streaming services, Television Networks, Cinema operators/Chains or Broadcasting companies such as: Netflix, Amazon, YouTube HBO, China Global Television network, CJ CGV, Wanda, Disney, Sun TV and ABS-CBN. 

This category is open to campaigns that have utilised viral marketing tactics to generate engagement around a product, service, or brand, to generate maximum positive coverage and consumer interaction. Judges will be looking for campaigns which have been amplified by the power of peer recommendations or references across social networks and other online channels, offline, online or both.

The activation should have employed one, or a number of the following viral marketing tactics- a message which instantly translates as relevant, bold, funny or awe-inspiring to the right target audience; content which has a call to action or is instantly shareable; the use of emotive content that encouraged its audience to take action and an overriding short and simple message for the brand, service or product being marketed. 

The jury will also be looking for metrics such as level of reach, connectivity with the audience, the number of shares the campaign achieved across its different channels and its overall impact of the brand, service, or product it was amplifying. 

This category has been set up to encourage the industry to partake in creating campaigns that can demonstrate an innovative approach to media that is intentionally considered - from planning to implementation - to drive better media results for advertisers.  

Entrants in this category should demonstrate how the campaigns have been curated to do one, or a combination of any of the following: combat ad fraud, reduce environmental impact, simplify the complex, making social media a safer place for young and funding independent journalism. Ultimately the jury will be looking to award campaigns which are striving to make media practice better for advertisers and improving the marketer experience. 

The winner in this category will showcase the value a collaboration can deliver for a campaign. Collaboration should be between a minimum of two organisations, and they should have equal billing in the curation and execution of the campaign. It could be a partnership between the client and the agency, the agency and the media partner, or the agency and other involved parties, such as a tech company, the creative or the PR agency. The winning entry will highlight how collaboration was at the heart of the project and integral to the campaign’s success.  

Judges will be looking for collaborative relationships that go beyond a traditional sponsorship agreement.  

This category will champion campaigns that have focused on or highlighted the topic of inclusion/inclusivity. The jury will be looking to award a brand that has positively represented or contributed to individuals or communities from various; backgrounds, experiences, capabilities, and perspectives who are usually excluded, unrepresented or marginalised. 

Entrants should demonstrate an authentic and effective campaign that delivered impact for the groups that it is representing, alongside fantastic marketing results. 

The campaign must focus on a topic of inclusion, examples can include, but are not exclusive to- work based around gender, age, race, sexual orientation, or disability. 

This category has been curated to celebrate ground-breaking creativity within the media industry. Entries should demonstrate how their campaigns have been propelled to new heights, whether that be through innovative ideas, clever use of media channels- existing, as well as the creation of new, or a game changing strategy. 

Judges will be looking out for cut-through or pioneering campaigns, that skillfully navigate but also transcend the media landscape. Please note whilst results will play a role in the judging of this award, the jury will be focused on the creative idea, concept or innovation.