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 Mobile apps, mobile websites, mobile games, and mobile based advertising.
This award will recognise the creative, strategic media and marketing approach that results in a qualified brand impact on a local audience within North America and Canada.
The winning work could be for a challenger, local, or global advertiser, as long as it is specifically curated for a for a local audience. Winning entries should demonstrate strong insight specific to a location and how they recognised cultural nuances. Judges will be on the lookout for the use of appropriate media channels and strong results, such as increase in brand perception, customer engagement and sales.
This category is open to campaigns which have tapped into the world of music as the main driver of their
strategies and success.
This could be campaigns that have curated musical experiences, are focused on, or incorporated the use of a licensed, or original piece of music, or collaborations with music acts/artists, or organisations such as, but not limited, to music publishers, licensors or distributors, record labels and music streaming platforms.
Judges will be looking for an authentic connection between the music and the brand, and how music has been leveraged to communicate and resonate with consumers, while delivering or surpassing its client objectives and generating awareness, product or service uplift and key amplification to current and potential customers
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 and websites such as; landing pages; video & display ads; microsites; web-based apps; search and display; SEO; banner ads and
pop-ups.
This category is looking at how a campaign’s search tactics and strategies helped drive an advertiser’s product or service to stand out from its competitors across any sector and delivered or exceeded the results/goals set.
Judges will be looking a variety of metrics including visibility, and increase in revenue, brand uplift and engagement, as a result of the innovation and effective search campaign. They will be looking for tangible results for the product or service attributed to the search campaign.
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, 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, SuperBowl or the Olympics and working with sports teams, clubs or organisations- such as the IOC, PGA, Manchester United, Real Madrid, New York Kicks, LA Lakers and Denver Broncos.
This category will celebrate agencies or clients who have courageously stepped outside of the comfort zone to create a gutsy, head turning campaign that has sparked conversation and been rewarded with impressive results. This could be campaigns that have ripped up the industry rulebook and made unconventional media and marketing choices, or deviated from cultural norms and/or tackled taboo subjects.
The jury will be looking for entrants to demonstrate how and why they pushed the boundaries into unknown or uncertain territory, the risks at hand and how they overcame marketing challenges to achieve success. These campaigns can cover any medium.
This category is open to any marketing initiative where gaming has been the focal point of the campaign’s strategy and successfully used the medium to increase results for the client’s brand. This could include utilising both gaming and esports communities, or partnerships with organisations in this space and games publishers. This could also include gamification campaigns created by brands to engage with specific audiences.
Judges will be looking at how the brand has engaged with the esports or games/gaming organisations and generated key resonation with its products or services to the right audience, and with the innovation of the partnership activation.
Examples could include but are not limited to the use of: esports teams, companies, events and tournaments. Gaming/streaming platforms. Gamification initiatives and apps. Virtual realities or experiences, wearable tech, the metaverse and all other emerging platforms. Single or multi-player video games, arcade, console, mobile and other offline/online gaming experiences.
This category is open to campaigns that have successfully engaged with their customers utilising real-time information. The strategy may be planned or be more spontaneous/reactionary, so long as the entry showcases how the brand created relevant messaging and reacted with audiences in real-time by responding to current data, trends, news or events.
Judges will be looking for how the time-sensitive content, amplified interaction with their audiences, drove brand awareness, increased conversion, and enhanced the brand’s image.
The range of real-time work judges will consider includes, but is not limited to, marketing automation such as triggered emails, response to timely news, trends or events, engaging with customers on social media, personalised digital content based on interactions, live event promotion, or location-based deals through emails or apps. Platforms could include X (Twitter), TikTok, Snap, WeChat, OOH, digital displays, or Instagram.
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 skilfully navigates but also transcends the media landscape within the region. Please note whilst results will play a role in the judging of this award, the jury will be focused on creativity itself
This category will award the best campaign focused on retail media, which could be offline, online, or a
combination of both.
The winning work should demonstrate how and why a brand has used retailers’ sites and/or its stores, audiences, tools, resources, and data to drive awareness, or sales uplift. The jury will be focused on the key metric of growth, paying special attention to results such as: purchase intent, click through rates, conversions, store, or site visits and the number of new customers purchasing the brand’s products or services and the revenue uplift, as a result of the retail media strategy.
Judges will also be looking for how the campaigns have effectively interacted across its platforms, and how they have combined data and creativity to use retail media in an innovative way.
Examples could be a brand using a retailer such as Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Best Buy, Amazon, CVS,
and/or other retail brands to market its latest product in the retailers physical or virtual stores, or a combination of both, or an online only/Ecommerce brand using their own social commerce or ecommerce tools to sell its products.
This category welcomes entries from media owners and agencies, rewarding the best content newly created for a brand. The branded content should fit with the brand values, strategy and clearly address the marketing challenge. 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 will reward campaigns that have used a holiday or celebration day as the focal point of their strategy to generate results for their clients. Campaigns should make excellent use of audience insights around habits, activities, and preferences around the event, which are specific to the target market. The jury will also be looking for campaigns which have demonstrated how clever planning and strategy leading up to the occasion have been crucial to their success.
Examples include, but are not limited to Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, Eid, Passover, Dia de Muertos, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Easter, New Year, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, and Halloween.
This category is for campaigns which have focused on, celebrated, promoted or incorporated cultural and
awareness moments as the core of their strategy to generate results for its clients. Campaigns should make excellent use of audience insights around habits, activities, and preferences around the event.
The jury will be looking for campaigns which have demonstrated how clever planning and strategy have led to success and driven sales, but also had a significant impact, or drove further awareness of the issue the Awareness or Observance Day, Week or Month is focusing on.
Examples include, but are not limited to LGBTQ+ month, International Women’s Day, Black History Month, Mental Health Day and Disability Awareness Week.
This category will reward the most impressive campaign for brands within the automotive sector.
The award is open to activations for car, motorbike, other vehicle and automotive parts/ hardware, products, manufacturers or services. Brand Examples include, but are not limited to: General Motors, BMW, Fiat, Chrysler, Toyota, Volvo, Volkswagen, Honda and Tesla.
This category will reward the most impressive campaign from the entertainment sector.
The award is open to activations for Entertainment services, products or companies including news and book publishers, television channels, streaming platforms and shows, games, music labels or organisations, music artists and films. Brand Examples include, but are not limited to: Netflix, FIFA, PlayStation, EA Games, ESPN, SKY, Disney, Spotify, iTunes, EMI, Marvel, Warner, Penguin Books, The New York Times.
This category will reward the most impressive campaign from the fashion, beauty, and retail sector.
This award is open to activations for brands including retailers and luxury, e-commerce, fashion, beauty or cosmetic companies, products, or services. Brand Examples include, but are not limited to: Glossier, MAC Cosmetics, L’Oréal, ASOS, IKEA, Boohoo, Zalando, LVMH, Estée Lauder, Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Alibaba.
This category will reward the most impressive campaign for a brand within the financial and utility service sector.
The award is open to activations for finance and/or utility companies, products or services, such as insurance, banking, energy and commodities. Brand Examples include, but are not limited to: HSBC, Santander, Bank of America, AXA, Allianz, Bupa, Generali, Enel, EDF and Shell.
This category will reward the most impressive campaign for brands within the Sports sector.
The award is open to activations for all clients within the sports industry, including sportswear brands, sports teams, sporting events, sporting televises and sports venues. Brand Examples include, but are not limited to: Nike, adidas, Under Armour, NBA, UFC, F1, FIFA, UFC, PGA Golf Tour, Wimbledon, NFL, Champions League and Cricket World Cup.
This category is reserved for independent agencies who are executing outstanding campaigns and making their stamp on the industry. Entrants should detail the challenges they face as an independent organisation, and illustrate how they used their independent capabilities, tools, resources, and community to generate impressive results and develop business for both the brand and the agency itself. When evaluating the work, judges will be looking for creativity, solid insight and how the campaign met or surpassed the client objectives.
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To be considered an independent agency 51% of its ownership should be independent inclusive of private equity and have no affiliation with one of the six holding groups WPP, OMG, Havas, Publicis, IPG and Dentsu. The agency – big or small – needs to be the lead on the campaign.
For this category, the entry price will remain at £415 throughout the entire entry period to allow better
access for independent agencies with restricted budgets.
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, 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 constructive changes to cultural and social perceptions etc. and also delivered on its marketing objectives.
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 an AdTech company, the creative or 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 and demonstrate a beneficial mutual venture throughout the campaign process.
The winning campaign must demonstrate clear consumer insight and through the development of a brilliant and fertile strategy, precise execution, and connectivity with the target audience.
This category celebrates brands who have a clear narrative in their storytelling across all elements of their
campaign, a compelling use of messaging its aims and objectives with work that pushes boundaries and in some cases the creation of new ways of communicating.
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 demonstrate how a campaign was successfully boosted by the
distribution, amplification, and presentation of content. The content does not need to be original or newly
created content and can be in any format e.g. video, print, OOH, native advertising etc.
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 and how it successfully tapped into the media owner eco-system.
We encourage entries from both agencies and media owners.
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 campaigns that demonstrate the most successful consumer engagement with tangible target audience related results. The campaign can have used any media channel so long as it provides 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 average engagement times, engaged sessions, views – combining web and app properties – event session starts, and time spent with the brand by the audience.
The winner of this category will demonstrate the most successful multi-channel campaign and must have
combined two or more platforms offline and online, such as: mobile, OOH, social media, TV, cinema, digital, radio, print or other.
The case should show effective use of the mediums in a creative and engaging way to obtain great results on clear objectives. 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. Judges will be looking for how the channels worked together, why and how they combined the audiences of the channels and how they orchestrated the integration of personal data to make the campaign a success.
Please note: The campaign can be purely digitally integrated, purely integrated of traditional media, or a combined activation of both, but must be multi-channel in its approach.
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 and focus on the results the campaign has delivered.
Entries focusing on a relaunch should be able to present a significant update 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 is not suitable within this category, judges will specifically be looking for the launch or relaunch of a product, service or brand.
This category is open to campaigns that have tactically responded to happenings, moments, and events in the cultural, economic, social, political, health and community landscape in a creative and resourceful way.
Judges will be asked to pay special attention to how long the response took to get to market; how long it took to have an impact and how the campaigns adapted their media and marketing strategies in their response to deliver the best possible results and effective change.
Examples of moments, events or happenings could include headline making events or occurrences such as natural disaster responses and sudden political or cultural changes.
This category will be looking at how a brand has successfully used audio to deliver 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 or digital audio media or could have used both.
Examples can include, but 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 reflect the achievement of effectively reaching consumers where the successful campaign has been notably enhanced, or even made possible through learning gained from econometrics or insights. Campaigns can reach from social media to e-commerce as long as they have data and insights at their heart.
Judges will be looking at how data has been used to inform the campaigns and apply pivot strategies to adapt and evolve the overall delivery of the work when needed during the execution.
The winning entry should demonstrate the best use of small or big data and the resulting insights, 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 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 events.
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 will be celebrating the best use 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 & 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 rewards brand communication that has used social media as its primary marketing tool. 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, Twitter, Twitch, Pinterest, LinkedIn, WeChat, Facebook and TikTok.
This category rewards the brand that has best leveraged a strategic partnership between the brand and talent(s) as part or as the whole of a campaign. The talent might be a celebrity, micro-influencer, creator, public figure, brand ambassador or leading industry figure but can also include other notable individuals (real or fictional) who have 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 recognises campaigns, which are primarily immersed in technology and have used the medium to deliver clients objectives. The winning campaign 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.
Examples could include but are not limited to the use of- programmatic, first and third-party data tech, real-time marketing, AR, AI, Chatbots, GPT, Bard, IoT, Metaverse, software, wearable tech 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 primary 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 not restricted to the use of Television channels, Streaming services, Television Networks, Cinema operators/Chains or Broadcasting companies such as: Netflix, Amazon, YouTube HBO, Cineworld, AMC, Telemundo, ESPN, Disney, NCB Universal.
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 is focusing on the best full funnel media campaigns. Judges will be looking for meaningful growth for clients over a two-year period via brand performance measurement and key growth metrics. This will include brand metrics such as brand awareness, brand lift and the overall effect on the bottom line of the product or service being advertised. The jury will also take into account performance metrics such as campaign KPIs and how they were met or beaten.
This category will allow a two-year eligibility period, with campaigns that ran between 1 July 2022 and 31August 2024.
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