Vehicles / Aftermarket products cars, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, trucks.

Cosmetics, self-care, hair products, nail care, salons, spa services.

Juice, soft drinks, coffee, energy drinks, beer, wine, liquor.

Education, retail stores, campaigns, recreational and medical.

Virtual products, memberships, services warranties, subscriptions digital downloads of books, music, videos.

Brick-and-mortar or online programs, language classes, instructional sessions.

Consumer & Business - Audio, video, home entertainment, screening rooms, computers/laptops, gaming devices, VR/AR devices, sound systems, UAV/drone.

Clothing, footwear, accessories, jewelry.

Banks, insurance, investment.

Fresh, packaged, frozen and snack foods

Appliances, furniture, indoor and outdoor decor.

Informational sources, recruitment, policy or program communications.

This category honors campaigns from the insurance sector, including life, health, property, casualty, and any other type of insurance.

Campaigns which promote non-prescription products and services, wellness and personal care, and health education and/or awareness.

Campaigns for medical products or services, or to shape understanding of conditions or treatments, targeted at healthcare professionals, practitioners, or patients.

Digital streaming, broadcasting, publishing.

Items for hygiene and self-care and personal gadgets and personal electronics.

Commercial and residential.

All retail and ecommerce include innovative retail concepts, such as e-commerce experiences, pop-up shops, or subscription services.

Fast food, casual dining, fine dining, promotions & launches.

Software, operating systems, or software/apps.

Equipment & products for athletic and leisure activities.

Airlines, cruises, resorts, theme parks, tours & travel packages including adventure travel, eco travel, culinary, volunteer and booking services.

Honoring campaigns that embrace circular economy principles and promote sustainability within the entire product life cycle. Entries should demonstrate how brands minimize waste, extend the life of products, and create closed-loop systems, from design and production to use and end-of-life recycling/repurposing, contributing to environmental and economic benefits.

Campaigns for Brands whose mission is to make a positive impact, including buying one/donate one models, brands giving back, making a profit and doing good.

Communication that shines a spotlight on all aspects of social change and/or awareness of equity, access, participation, and rights within a society on a regional or global level.

Campaigns that address issues related to gender, race, ethnicity, disability, age, and other aspects of diversity. These campaigns aim to create more inclusive and equitable societies and orgranizations.

Campaigns that leverage technology for social impact

Campaigns aligned with specific social justice movements, such as Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ rights, or gender equality.

Campaigns that foster community engagement and cohesion, whether at the local, regional, or global level. Campaigns that aim to foster a sense of belonging, unity, and mutual support among community members. Campaigns that focus on healing, rebuilding, and reestablishing social connections disrupted by crises. 

Campaigns advocating for mental health support, reducing stigma, promoting well-being, and contributing to a more compassionate and mentally healthy society.

This category honors creative campaigns that use the power of art, design, and visual expression to inspire social change, foster positive behaviors, and make a lasting impact on individuals, causes, and society. Entries in this category should demonstrate how artistic elements, such as visual aesthetics, design, photography, illustration, or other creative mediums, have been central to the campaign's success in promoting positive outcomes and social good

Honors campaigns that effectively use AI-driven technologies like chatbots, virtual assistants, or personalized recommendation engines to enhance customer experience, drive engagement, or achieve business goals. This category highlights AI’s strategic role in solving  marketing challenges and creating custom consumer interactions.

Spotlights effective use of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) in advertising. Entries should showcase how ASMR, subtle sounds enhance the sensory experience, connects emotionally with audiences, and amplifies the brand's message, driving engagement in a creative, purposeful way.

Creative work that celebrates innovative marketing campaigns that seamlessly integrate with their surroundings, effectively engaging audiences in unconventional and unexpected locations or through unique, context-aware tactics.  Campaigns that blur the lines between the ad and the environment, delivering memorable and immersive brand experiences.

Showcases campaigns that effectively utilize audio branding to enhance brand identity and create memorable consumer experiences including sonic logos, custom soundscapes, and distinctive audio elements used across podcasts, advertisements, and smart devices. Entries should demonstrate how audio branding was integrated to evoke emotions, strengthen brand recognition, and deepen audience connections, with a focus on creativity and measurable impact on consumer engagement.

This category recognizes outstanding advertising campaigns and experiences that leverage emerging technologies like AR, VR, and MR to create immersive and interactive marketing content, enhancing user engagement and brand messaging through digital, simulated, or blended reality environments.

Campaigns and strategies that push the boundaries of traditional advertising, showcasing cutting-edge creativity, unconventional ideas, and pioneering approaches to effectively capture and engage target audiences.

This category recognizes exceptional marketing campaigns that go beyond traditional advertising by seamlessly integrating a brand's message or product into engaging and entertaining content. Branded Content / Entertainment celebrates creative strategies that provide value to the audience through compelling storytelling, whether in the form of films, web series, podcasts, or other entertainment media, while effectively conveying the brand's identity and message.

Honors campaigns that engage consumers through immersive, interactive storytelling. Entries should highlight the  use of interactive elements, whether through digital media, apps, or activations that invited audiences to participate in the story resulting in engagement with the brand.

Marketing to the culture and ethnicities of a target market.

This category celebrates the strategic use of PR tactics, media relations, and messaging to positively influence public perception, build trust, and achieve specific communication objectives.

Honors campaigns with a clear social purpose, making impact beyond traditional brand objectives. Entries should demonstrate how the brand’s mission was aligned with social, environmental, or community-driven goals, and how these initiatives resonated with the audience, generating awareness and action.

Celebrates campaigns that leverage user-generated content to drive brand awareness and engagement. Entries should demonstrate how brands empowered their audience to participate, create, or share content that effectively harnesses the power of authentic, consumer-driven stories to amplify the brand’s message.

Honoring campaigns that excel in actively involving and engaging the target audience. Creative and effective work that is noted for their ability to ignite a response, whether through interactive experiences, events, social media interactions, or other strategies that effectively capture the audience.

Campaigns that go beyond traditional advertising by seamlessly integrating a brand's message or product into engaging and entertaining content. This category celebrates creative strategies that provide value to the audience through compelling storytelling, whether in the form of films, web series, podcasts, or other entertainment media, while effectively conveying the brand's identity and message.

Honoring exceptional marketing materials and printed or digital assets that effectively convey a brand's message or promote a product or service. This category recognizes excellence in design, content, and overall impact of promotional materials such as brochures, flyers, posters, and other collateral items.

Campaigns that successfully leverage partnerships and sponsorships with other brands, influencers, or organizations to achieve marketing goals. 

This category recognizes outstanding initiatives that leverage digital technology to create immersive, interactive, and engaging online or virtual experiences, often showcasing innovation in web design, user interfaces, user experiences, and digital storytelling.

Participatory hands on interaction with a brand in an environment or business situation.

Experiental Marketing celebrates innovative campaigns that create immersive, real-world brand experiences, often through events, installations, or interactive activations. This category recognizes strategies that go beyond traditional advertising to engage and connect with audiences on a personal level.

This category celebrates marketing campaigns or experiences that incorporate game-like elements, mechanics, or interactive strategies to engage and captivate the audience.

Celebrates and recognizes campaigns that utilize unconventional, attention-grabbing, and often low-cost marketing tactics that make a significant impact.

Marketing/promotion involving endorsements and/or product placement from celebs, influential people, and organizations with access to audiences.

Celebrates campaigns that integrate e-commerce capabilities into media content allowing consumers to directly engage with and easily purchase products within the ad experience. Platforms include Pinterest shoppable pins, in-game purchases with branded commerce, Facebook Shops, YouTube ads with "shoppable moments," and Snapchat's AR try-on features. Campaigns should demonstrate how this integration drives measurable impact while improving the consumer's journey to purchase.

Engagement of audience within the brand’s social space.

Targeted communications for a professional audience, designed to communicate information and/or generate a response e.g. websites, microsites, interactive sales materials, e-Detailing, interactive eLearning, or educational platforms.

User-experience design, all aspects of a product's development, including design, usability, function, branding and marketing. Anything that affects the users journey on-screen and off.

This category would honor campaigns that would harness the power of urban environments, street art, installations, and unconventional mediums to leave a lasting mark on their target audience