Award Categories

NEW : Best Use of an Adtech Platform

This category recognises the innovative use of an adtech platform as a core driver of campaign success. Judges will be looking at how the platform’s unique capabilities were instrumental in achieving outcomes that couldn’t have been delivered through other methods—highlighting its ability to integrate creativity, data, and technology to effectively connect with audiences and drive conversion.

The platform may have been used as a standalone solution or as part of a larger campaign led by a brand, media agency, or media owner. Regardless of execution, the key focus will be on how the adtech platform directly contributed to measurable impact and campaign performance.
UPDATED : Best Campaign for an Awareness or Observation Day/Week/Month

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.

Entries should demonstrate how the campaign successfully leveraged audience insights, including behaviors, preferences, and engagement patterns related to the observance. Judges will be looking for thoughtful planning, strategic execution, and measurable results—not only in terms of business outcomes like increased visibility or sales, but also in raising awareness and driving meaningful impact around the issue being highlighted.

Winning campaigns will show how cultural relevance and purpose-driven creativity came together to achieve both commercial and societal goals

Examples include, but are not limited to LGBTQ+ month, International Women’s Day, Black History Month, Mental Health Day and Disability Awareness Week.
UPDATED : Best Collaboration Award

This award recognises the success of a campaign based on the partnership between two or more parties, including but not exclusively between an agency, media owner, brand or ad technology owner.

The partnership should have been integral to the success of the campaign and judges will be looking for collaborations where all parties played a meaningful and active role in shaping the strategy, execution, and outcomes of a campaign—going beyond a traditional sponsorship agreement.

Successful entries should demonstrate shared expertise, how responsibilities were divided, how decisions were made collectively, and mutual value creation, ultimately proving how the collaboration led to stronger results than any single entity could have achieved alone
UPDATED : Best Launch or Relaunch Campaign

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 a clear understanding of the target audience, marketplace, as well as competitive context and focus on the results the campaign has delivered.

Entries should detail how insight informed the positioning or repositioning of the brand, product or service — to meet a specific challenge or opportunity in the market, and how that was brought to life across touchpoints through a clear strategy.

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.
UPDATED : Best Local Execution of a Brand

The judges will award the brand that has adapted a campaign for a local execution and developed a creative and strategic media approach towards an audience within North America & 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 to tailor their campaign and deliver a campaign to a local audience. 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.

Please note: entries will be assessed within the context of the brand's size, resources, and market position. This ensures that smaller local brands are not disadvantaged when compared to larger global entities; each campaign's impact will be considered relative to its unique circumstances.
UPDATED : Best Response Campaign

This category is open to campaigns that have tactically responded to the cultural, environmental, economic, social, political, health and community landscape in a creative and resourceful way. Judges will look for brands who have developed their campaign strategy – short term, long term or in real time - in reaction to the changes within the environments and adapted their media and marketing strategies to deliver the best possible results.

Winning entries should be able to demonstrate how and why the brand has responded to the topic in focus. Judges will be looking for clear insight and an authentic brand connection to the issue at hand.

Examples include, but are not limited to, campaigns responding to topics such as: inclusion & diversity, extreme weather conditions, environmental issues, conflict or war, political elections or policies, consumer trends, viral movements OR moments, cultural shifts, news stories, crisis, public affairs and healthcare issues from pandemics to viral infections
UPDATED : Best Use of Audio

This category celebrates campaigns where audio plays a central, integral role in driving success. Entries should demonstrate how the unique capabilities of audio—whether through traditional radio, digital audio platforms, or both—were strategically leveraged to build a meaningful connection with the audience, create a distinct brand experience, and deliver measurable results. Judges will be looking for campaigns that have used Audio creatively and effectively, ensuring it was not just a supporting element, but a primary driver of engagement, impact, and return on investment.

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, ESPN Radio, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Soundcloud, NTS, Bandcamp, Internet Radio.
UPDATED : Best Use of Mobile

This category rewards brand communication that has made mobile a central, strategic driver of campaign success.

Entrants should clearly explain how and why mobile was uniquely leveraged to engage audiences, meet objectives, and achieve results, demonstrating a deep understanding of the platform’s strengths — whether through apps, messaging, mobile-first content, location-based targeting, or real-time engagement. Judges will be looking for examples where mobile wasn’t just a channel, but a critical part of the strategy and execution.

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.
UPDATED : Best Use of Online

This category rewards campaigns that have effectively used the web and the broader online landscape as their primary marketing tool. Entries should demonstrate a strong understanding of the digital environment — from user behaviour and platform potential to emerging tools and technologies — and how that understanding translated into strategically achieving audience engagement and met specific business or brand objectives.

The jury will be looking for creative implementation, standout digital experiences, great user interaction, and results that could only have been achieved through the web.

Examples include—but are not limited to—content produced specifically for the online space, such as Connected TV (CTV), landing pages, video and display ads, microsites, web-based apps, search and display, SEO, banner ads, pop-ups, and digital publishing. This may include branded editorial content, interactive articles, native advertising, digital magazines, or partnerships with online media platforms.
UPDATED : Best Use of Out of Home

This category is open to all campaigns which have used Out of Home as their leaf channel to amplify a product, service, or brand. Judges will be looking for work that goes beyond simple placement — showcasing smart media planning, contextual relevance, audience understanding, and innovative use of format, location or technology.

Successful entries will clearly articulate how the campaign used the unique strengths of OOH — visibility, scale, immediacy, or environmental presence — to meet the client’s objectives and deliver brand or business outcomes.

Examples can include but are not restricted to digital and non-digital billboards, posters, bus shelters, transit advertising, retail displays, sports centres, building wraps and small and large sized ambient media or objects such as OOH promotional products and installations.
UPDATED : Best Use of Search

This category recognises the most effective use of search marketing — paid or organic — to drive measurable results for a product, service or brand across any sector.

Judges will be looking for innovative or creative use of search tools, platforms or technologies and smart, insight-driven search tactics/strategies that helped the brand stand out from competitors, connect with its audience, and meet or exceed clearly defined goals.

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.
UPDATED : Best Use of Social Media

This category rewards brand communication that has used social media as its primary marketing tool. Entries should demonstrate how social was central to the idea, not just a distribution channel — and how it enabled direct interaction, cultural relevance, and measurable impact in ways no other medium could.

Judges will be looking for a strong understanding of the chosen platform(s), how they were used to build meaningful engagement with the target audience, and how social-specific features — from formats and tone to influencers and community dynamics — were harnessed to achieve the brand's objectives. Creativity, strategy, and authenticity will be as important as results.

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, Twitch, Pinterest, LinkedIn, WeChat, Facebook and TikTok.
UPDATED : Best Use of Technology

This category recognises campaigns, that are deeply rooted in technology and have leveraged it as a core driver of creativity, effectiveness and strategic impact.

Entrants should clearly explain why a particular technology (or set of technologies) was selected, how it was implemented, and how it enabled the brand to engage, target, or interact with audiences in new and meaningful ways. Judges will reward campaigns where the use of technology enhanced the brand experience, enabled innovation, and delivered measurable outcomes — whether through increased efficiency, reach, personalisation, interactivity, or performance.

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.
UPDATED : Best Use of Video

This category celebrates campaigns that have used video-based media as their primary channel to drive impact, build brand equity, or deliver commercial results. Whether through television, cinema, streaming platforms, online video, or other video channels- entries should demonstrate how video was used strategically and creatively to tell compelling stories and engage.

Judges will be looking for campaigns that align strong creative execution with platform-specific thinking — where the content was appropriately implemented, formatted and tailored to the strengths of the chosen video channels and the target audiences. Entries should clearly show how video played a central and critical role in achieving client objectives.

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.
UPDATED : The Retail Media Award

The winning work should demonstrate how and why a brand has used retailers’ sites and/or its stores, audiences, tools, resources including loyalty programme, and data to drive awareness, loyalty, 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, first-time conversions and repeat 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.

This category is open to brands that have used retail media as part of their campaign. Examples could be an automotive brand using a retailer such as Walmart to market its latest vehicle in the retailers physical or virtual stores, or a combination of both, or a beauty brand partnering with a retailer such as Ulta to promote their products with Ulta’s loyalty programme members.
Best Branded Content

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.
Best Campaign for a Holiday or Celebration

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.
Best Campaign led by an Independent Agency

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 $499 throughout the entire entry period to allow better access for independent agencies with restricted budgets.

Judges also have the option to award multiple trophies within this category.
Best Campaign Led by Cause

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.
Best Communications Strategy

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.
Best Distribution and Amplification of Content

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.
Best Engagment Strategy

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.
Best Event or Experiential Campaign

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, Brand activations, Live performances, Product Sampling, Immersive installations, Festivals, community events, stunts, guerrilla marketing, projections, ambient media, digital simulations and virtual events
Best Integrated Campaign

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
Best Use of Data Award

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.

Example could include but are not limited to: Music based activations analysing and utilising listening data to present an engagement campaign personalised to specific users, or a pharma/health-based campaign using consumer data to locate key audience figures to partner with to promote a health cause.
Best Use of Gaming

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.
Best Use of Music in a Media Campaign

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.
Best Use of Print & Publishing

This category will be celebrating the best use of traditional print, or digital publishing media owners/vendors inventory to drive awareness, sales, and to meet objectives for the client. Judges will be focusing on how the client has utilised the publishers’ data, networks, audiences, tools and portfolio of products - which could include events - and the results these delivered. Entrants should be clear as to why this medium 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 and their digital portfolio of products, as well as leaflets, and other digital or non-digital content outlets. This could be an automotive brand using a specialist car magazine or the NY Times to reach a particular audience, or an FMCG brand using a site such as Reddit to reach the right consumers at the right time.
Best Use of Real – Time Marketing

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.
Best Use of Sport
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, venues, communities, audiences/fanbases, networks, and associations within any sport amateur to professional 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 the US / Miami Open, F1, FIFA World Cup, Superbowl and the Olympics.
- Partnerships with sports venues such as Allianz Arena, Scotiabank Arena, AT&T Stadium, Fenway Park or Madison Square Garden.
- Campaigns incorporating work with sports teams, clubs or organisations- such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, IOC, PGA, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Cowboys, LA Lakers and New York Kicks.
Best Use of Talent

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, leading industry figure or community spearhead. 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.
Inclusive Campaign of the Year

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.
The Bravery Award

This category will celebrate agencies or clients who have courageously stepped outside of the comfort zone to create a courageous, daring or provocative 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, campaigns that have 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.

Please note whilst results will play a role in the judging of this award, the jury will be focused on the braveness of the campaign.
The Creative Use of Media Award

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.
The ROI Award

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.