Award Categories

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 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 or inclusion and diversity initiatives. 

The winning campaign will be able to demonstrate the positive and measurable impact, or how it has raised awareness of an organisation's values or initiatives. 

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. 

Judges will be looking for 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. 

The winning campaign must demonstrate clear consumer insight and through the development of a brilliant strategy, precise execution, and connectivity with the target audience. 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.

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 as 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 so on.

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, tours, guerrilla marketing, projections, street performances, takeovers, ambient media, community events, immersive installations, festivals, digital simulations and virtual events.

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.

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 $450 throughout the entire entry period to be inclusive for all independent agencies in the region.

Judges also have the option to award multiple trophies within this category.

The winner of this category must have combined two or more platforms offline and online, such as mobile, OOH, social media, TV, cinema, digital, radio, print or other. The campaign can be purely digital, or traditional medium based, but it must be multichannel and show an effective use of media in a creative and engaging way to obtain great results. The decisions behind the varying platform choices should be clear.

Please 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 and focus on the results the campaign has delivered.

Entries focusing on 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 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 will be looking at how a brand has successfully used audio as its 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: Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Soundcloud, Deezer, Internet Radio, Parrandisimo FM and Jovem Pan.

The winner in this category will demonstrate the best use of data to successfully drive the campaign. The judges will want to see how this was made possible from econometrics and data insights. The winning entry should demonstrate the best use of small or big data insights, which have 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.

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 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 rewards campaigns that have used the web and online landscape effectively as their primary marketing tool. The jury will be looking for creative implementation, standout digital experiences, strong 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.

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 and the use of social commerce. This could include campaigns using platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, X (Twitter), Twitch, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Facebook and TikTok. Social media platforms such as Tik Tok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Twitch, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

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 F1, FIFA World Cup, Superbowl and the Olympics.
• Partnerships with sports venues such as Allianz Arena, Wembley stadium, Melbourne Cricket ground, Beijing National stadium or Madison Square Garden.
• Campaigns incorporating work with sports teams, clubs or organisations- such as the IOC, Copa libertadores, The Brazilian, Mexican and Argentinian national football teams and Concacaf.

This category rewards the brand that has best leveraged a strategic partnership between a brand and talent(s) as part, or as the whole of a campaign. The talent may be a celebrity, sports star, leading industry figure, social media influencer, 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 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 Online and Offline Video channels, Television channels, Streaming services, Television Networks, connected TV (CTV), Cinema operators/Chains or Broadcasting companies such as: Netflix, Amazon, YouTube HBO, ESPN, Disney Channel, Cinépolis, CNN en Español, MundoVision, La Red, ATV, Telemundo, Televisa, Globo and TV Azteca.

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

This category will champion campaigns focused on inclusion. The jury will be looking to award a brand campaign 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, as well as multi-cultural, indigenous and rural communities.

This category will celebrate marketers 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.

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.

This category will reward the campaign that has achieved the most against its stated targets. Results play a critical part in the judges’ evaluation, where figures showing the campaign’s direct impact on sales will be compelling, although other ROI metrics will also be considered. Positive uplift against business targets rather than campaign metrics will be most favoured. Judges will focus on the achieved results against the KPIs.

This category will allow a two-year eligibility period, with campaigns that ran between 1 June 2023 and 31 July 2025 eligible for entry. Work entered into any Festival of Media Awards in previous years should be able to present a significant difference, re-launch and or obvious update since it's last year’s entry.

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 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 Mercardo libre, Rappi, Linio, or Falabella to market it’s latest product in the retailers physical or virtual stores, or a combination of both. The category is also open to those retailers brands (Rappi etc.) using their own social commerce or ecommerce tools to sell their products.