This award recognizes the best COVID-era marketing strategy and campaign execution of 2020. Judges will be looking for an innovative concept, a creative response to a pandemic-era consumer or customer pain point, a strategic response to a marketing challenge and proof of a return on investment.

Awarded to the campaign that represented the most successful pivot from a pre-pandemic strategy to a post-pandemic strategy. Judges will focus on the pre-pandemic campaign and how the post-pandemic strategy supported original marketing goals—or exceeded them—and how quickly the new strategy was planned and executed.

If your brand engagements in 2020 were a clever mashup of at-home kits and online engagements, this category is for you. Judges will consider how the unboxing experience amplified the marketing strategy and enhanced end-user engagement.

Showcase that beautiful box filled with surprise and delight moments in this category dedicated exclusively to the best “kit” of 2020. The kit should be a central piece of the marketing strategy and should have been mailed or delivered to target audiences at home. Judges will look for a great kit filled with interesting and on-brand elements, and for proof of how those elements enhanced a virtual, digital or IRL experience or engagement.

For B2C and B2B marketers—this is your chance to get recognized for the virtual conference, website or online experience that kept your marketing moving forward in 2020. Judges will consider the use of virtual engagement tactics, content programming and delivery, site design, user experience and overall alignment with marketing objectives.

Awarded to the brand or campaign that best exemplifies a successful pivot from using traditional commerce solutions to drive customer conversion to establishing new ecommerce solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Judges will be looking for measurable results that illustrate the initiative’s success. 

Awarded to the campaign that successfully pivoted the use of a brand’s mobile app to accommodate for new modes of customer interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attention will be paid to innovation, campaign strategy, execution, technology and results.

Recognizes the COVID-era campaign that transformed outdoor spaces and unconventional, socially-distanced places into inventive engagement experiences. This category isn’t for billboard advertising. Think: drive-thru sampling experiences, drive-in movie experiences, car wash sampling experiences and more. Judges will look for inventive use of space, a creative concept brought to life and impact on ROI metrics.

Whether it was part of your pre-pandemic strategy or you shifted it into high gear last year, direct mail made a comeback in 2020. This category awards the direct mail campaign that most effectively leveraged copy, design, message and effective audience targeting to deliver (literally!) a promotional message that inspired awareness and action by its recipients. Judges will consider creativity, concept and impact on KPIs.

This award is delivered to the campaign that most effectively utilized a piece of research, data, consumer insight or behavior to inform a campaign’s strategy, messaging and execution. Attention will be paid to the application of these insights throughout every aspect of the campaign.

Awarded to a campaign produced by a new brand (less than five years old) that made waves in its industry category through an innovative launch campaign via any medium or channel. Judges will consider how the campaign’s strategy delivered by disrupting the marketplace and achieving objectives.

Awarded to the campaign best utilizing more than one marketing discipline to create a seamless consumer or customer engagement strategy that showcases outstanding creativity, consistency of message and achievement of objectives. This campaign should illustrate how an integrated approach creates impactful touchpoints and moves target audiences on a journey to action.

Awarded to entries that use campaign marketing to focus on a particular holiday or season (i.e. Valentine’s Day, Earth Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Summer, Winter, Spring, Fall, Women’s History Month, Pride Month, back-to-school, etc.) to drive sales. Judges are looking for a strategic and innovative use of creative, messaging and execution.

Awarded to the campaign that best promotes or leverages an entertainment brand or franchise to market a product or service. Judges will consider creativity, execution and relevance to both the entertainment and product brand, as well as measurable results.

Awarded to the campaign that best leverages a sports brand or franchise to market a product or service. Judges will consider creativity, execution, relevance to both the sport/sport franchise and product brand and measurable results.

Bringing a new product to market in 2020 was no small feat. This award recognizes the marketing concept and execution that effectively launched a new product or service via any medium or channel. Measurable results, creativity, moxie and overall launch strategy will be considered.

Awarded to the best use of loyalty marketing to motivate consumers to take action and/or encourage repeat purchases, including using discounts, points, rewards, coupons, premiums, membership programs, clubs and other incentives.

Awarded to the campaign most effective in gaining measurable market awareness for a brand, service, product or event including re-launches, repositions and new introductions.

Awarded to the best business-to-business campaign to generate prospects, leads, sales or customer retention. Judges will consider creativity, execution, relevance to the vertical market targeted and measurable results.

Out of Home campaigns took on new relevance in 2020 as consumers were simultaneously forced outside and into their cars. This category recognizes the creative use of digital and traditional out-of-home platforms to engage consumers along their path to purchase. Judges will consider the use of OOH as part of the integrated campaign, innovative uses of unconventional platforms and venues, technology integration and smart strategic planning informed by data.

2020 brought a lot of new tech to the fore—this is your chance to get rewarded for trying it out. This award will be given to the campaign that utilized a new technology for the purposes of driving its marketing campaign forward. Judges will look for never-been-done-before uses of new or emerging technologies and the clever or innovative role the technology played in generating results among target audiences.

Arguably the most fun category in the program according to our judges: Best Troll. Awarded to the brand or campaign that best incorporated online “trolling” tactics to achieve specific, measurable business goals through social media marketing. Judges will pay attention to innovation, brand reception, creativity, buzz, risk-taking and measurable results.

Awarded to the campaign that shows the most creative and strategic use of content marketing. Judges will consider how marketers created and/or curated and promoted content to attract and retain customers, create brand awareness loyalty, and drive ROI for the overall marketing strategy. 

Awarded to the campaign that best promotes a product or service through the use of gamification, contests or sweepstakes. This tactic can be part of a broader integrated campaign, but the impact of the gamification, contest or sweepstakes should be clear.

Given to the campaign that shows the most strategic use of AI, VR or AR to attract, retain or engage consumers. Judges will consider use, creativity, execution and results.

Compelling video content lit up the industry in 2020 as screen time replaced more traditional marketing tactics. This category recognizes the best use of produced or user-generated video to propel a campaign, generate viral impact or drive impressions. Judges will consider the creativity of the video and how well the video strategy generated awareness for the brand.

Awarded to targeted, measurable social media campaigns that leverage one or several social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok), to drive brand awareness and/or sales. Judges will consider the creativity of the concept, the effective use of the medium, the viral reach of the campaign and the performance against KPIs.

Awarded to the campaign that best incorporates sustainability as a central piece of its strategy, execution and messaging. Attention will be paid to creativity, innovation, measurable marketing results and measurable impact against sustainability KPIs.

Awarded to the campaign that best leveraged package design to promote a program’s marketing goals. Creativity, innovation, materials, technology integration and messaging will be considered. Judges will be looking for a strong story that maps the design to real-world action and ROI.

Did you partner with another brand or company in 2020 and create marketing magic in the process? This category recognizes all those “X” campaigns that best conveyed to consumers and customers the added value of a permanent or temporary partnership. (Think: Taco Bell X Forever 21). Judges will consider how the partnership was communicated through creative design, engagement, copy and messaging across all channels, and how the campaign delivered against KPIs.

This campaign really caused a ruckus. It stood out from the competition like a cat in a dog park to prevent competitors. Judges will be looking for a little risk or lots of courage. Judges will be looking for outstanding concepts, pivots and executions that took risks—and courage.

Awarded to the best campaign that delivers a marketing experience by using a vehicle at the heart of the program. Judges will consider the strategy, brand/market relevance, vehicle design, execution and measurable results. Car-based experiences for consumers (drive-thrus, car washes, etc.) should be entered in the Best Pivot or Out-of-Home categories.

Awarded to the campaign best utilizing creativity in producing a live event or face-to-face customer experience to enhance the strategic position or sales of a product, brand or service. Judges will consider strategy, target market and audience relevance, execution and measurable results.

Awarded to the program that effectively introduced or promoted a product or service by means of sampling or trial. Sampling and trial can include in-store, in-pack/on-pack, event sampling and direct mail. Program should demonstrate in its results an effective trial/conversion rate.

Awarded to the campaign that generated measurable buzz across traditional and/or social media and disrupted the status quo in a brand’s space through p.r. impressions and/or measurable viral impact. Judges will consider how new ideas performed against the marketing objectives the brand had for the campaign or promotion.

Awarded to the campaign that achieves all stated objectives while adhering to a budget under $250,000. Judges will consider innovation, creativity, execution and results.