Award Categories

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 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 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.

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.

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

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.

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 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 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 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 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 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 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.

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.