The Need To Know Awards for Advertising in 2024

Awards season is upon us. Right now, decision-makers from across the advertising industry are scratching their heads and asking that all too common question: “which shows should we enter this year?”. A question that is, no doubt, echoed by curious colleagues in the hallway, over lunch or in a virtual meeting, as people begin to wonder what accolades their work and effort could be awarded in the months ahead.

Selecting the awards for which to enter the best work of the past year is no easy feat. Harnessing budgets, choosing categories, and picking which projects to enter are just some of the considerations at play. On top of that, there’s a balance of local, regional and global awards shows to navigate, as well as those catering to specific aspects of the work, such as strategy and craft.

LBB’s Emma Wilkie, awards director at The Immortal Awards and former managing director of The Gunn Report, comments that “awards season is an incredibly important time for our industry, helping to set benchmark for the year ahead, and allowing us to look back at the standout work, talent and companies of the previous year. It’s an indicator of the health of the industry, as we gather an insight into the kind of work that’s being awarded, or what trends are most prevalent”. Despite its importance, awards season is multifaceted and complex, posed with an influx of information and entry forms to navigate, agencies must make decisions that will impact how they are perceived for the year ahead.

Above (left to right): Awards directors Emma Wilkie and Paul Monan at The Immortal Awards 2023

As a result, many look to advertising and production associations for their guidance as to which award shows they might recommend to their member companies. To find out more, LBB reached out to associations from around the world to gain an insight into the awards that they advocate for most often.

For a history of advertising industry award shows and tips on how to enter, check out ‘The LBB Insider’s Guide To Advertising Awards 2024.’ If you want to learn more about LBB membership in order to enter the Immortal Awards click here or buy membership here.

Local, Regional or Global?

While the big stages at global award shows and a trophy cabinet full of polished hardware might be the goal for most advertising agencies across the world, the journey to get there is not instantaneous. Do agencies choose to enter into local, regional or global award shows? Emma says that the answer is all three.

“No one award show can claim to get everything completely ‘right’, or be representative of the whole industry and all its complexities”, continues Emma. “Therefore, it is important, if you can, to enter into a number of award shows that represent the work at local, regional and global levels, allowing you to construct a bigger picture of how the work has performed.”

Entering awards shows within your local market first will help to establish an understanding of how the work is received in the market it was intended for, acting as a stepping stone or indication as to whether the work might see success at larger competitions. Using this as a marker will help decision makers to decide whether to go on to enter projects into regional and then the global, and arguably most competitive competitions, helping to conserve those all too precious budgets, and hopefully, boost your chances of success.

These recommendations have been selected thanks to the help of advertising associations including KOMM, The Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA), and The Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland, in addition to industry metrics such as the WARC rankings.

Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity – Recommended by: KOMM, The Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA), The Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland

Perhaps the most well-known of all advertising awards, the yearly celebration of creativity hosted in the South of France sees companies from across the globe compete for coveted Lion trophies.

The undisputed global benchmark for creative excellence since 1954, the awards shows are lauded by advertising associations around the world and are a key indicator of the standard of work that companies and talent are creating.

Ciclope Festival

Ciclope rewards the craft, celebrating the best commercials, music videos and short films of the previous year. The categories include Direction, Cinematography, Production Design, Editing, VFX, Animation, and Music.

Clio Awards - Recommended by: The Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA)

Founded in 1959 to celebrate creative excellence in advertising, the Clio Awards accept submissions from around the world. Judged by a lineup of leading creative talent, entrants compete to win Grand, Gold, Silver and Bronze Clio statues.

The Clios are the first global awards show of the calendar year to announce their winners, offering an early glimpse into the companies and talent that the industry is most likely to see celebrated and awarded throughout the season.

D&AD - Recommended by: The Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA)

The D&AD Awards bring together the world’s best creative work encompassing commercial design, advertising, production and craft. Judged by over 300 creative leaders, practitioners and innovators, a D&AD pencil is a sought after addition to the trophy cabinet for creatives and businesses around the world.

Effie Awards – Recommended by: KOMM, The Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA), The Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland

The Effie Awards were established in 1968 by the New York American Marketing Association to recognise effective marketing from around the world. They celebrate all forms of marketing, as well as the companies and people who create campaigns that contribute to a brand’s success.

London International Awards (LIA)

The LIA was established in 1986, and remains the only international award owned by a woman and to have a full time staff of only women. The awards champion the creative process, talent and ideas. Championing diversity and education, the LIA’s juries are representative of the entire industry, and ensure that no two jury members on each panel are from the same company or network. In addition, the LIA’s are the only global award show that opens the jury rooms to press, global excellence teams and young creatives, for observation and transparency into the judging process.

MAD STARS

MAD STARS is an international festival based in Asia that combines marketing, advertising and digital content with creativity and cutting-edge technology. Held annually in Busan, South Korea, MAD STARS is the only global festival in Asia, it brings together the entire creative community, and is judged by leaders from 70 countries.

The Immortal Awards - Recommended by: The Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA)

Little Black Book established The Immortal Awards in 2018. All members of Little Black Book have five free entries to the awards, which are judged first at a local level, before moving to regional and global juries, allowing work from around the world to be judged by peers from across the industry.

Bypassing confusing categorisations and hefty entrance fees, The Immortal Awards is easy to enter, but difficult to win. The world-class jury is under no obligation to award Commendation or Finalist status to entrants, there is no quota of winners to fill, meaning that only the very best work takes home a prize.

The work that picks up Commendation and Immortal status is taken on a global roadshow, showcasing a reel of the best creativity to fellow creatives across continents, countries and cities.

Above: Matt Cooper, CEO of LBB, with awards directors Emma Wilkie and Paul Monan at this year Immortal Awards ceremony

The One Show - Recommended by: The Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA)

Established in 1973, The One Show attracts entries from agencies, nonprofits, corporations and individuals every year. It is one of the most prestigious award shows in advertising and design, with the Gold Pencil regarded as one of the top prizes within the industry.

The Webby Awards

The leading international award honouring excellence on the internet, The Webbys celebrate excellence in nine major media types: Websites and Mobile Sites, Video, Advertising, Media & PR, Apps & Software, Social, Podcasts, Games, and AI, Metaverse & Virtual.

The Recommendations - Regional

ADFEST

ADFEST was founded in 1998 to elevate the standards of excellence within APAC and the Middle East, while honouring the uniqueness of local cultures. Poised at the forefront of evolving creative, marketing, and production landscapes, the festival fosters a vibrant learning environment, spotlighting the region's most inspiring work and providing valuable networking opportunities.

Ciclope Africa, Asia and Latino

As well as Ciclope Festival, the global awards show and conference, Ciclope organises a series of three regional awards, for Africa, Asia and Latino. Recognising craft and the art of execution, as opposed to the idea, Ciclope awards advertising and music videos in different categories including Direction, Animation, Visual Effects, Cinematography, Editing and Music Video.

Dubai Lynx – Recommended by: KOMM

Established in 2007, Dubai Lynx is the most prestigious creative communications award within the Middle East and North Africa region. There are 20 different Lynx Awards to enter work into, offering insight into the highest calibre creative work coming out of the region, and the companies behind it.

El Ojo de Ibero-América

El Ojo was the first advertising award to celebrate creativity through a Latin lens, rewarding the best people, companies and ideas of the Latin region. The annual event is the largest within the region, and brings together the best of the region’s creative community.

Eurobest – Recommended by: KOMM

Eurobest champions and honours creative excellence across Europe, celebrating the best work of the region and setting the benchmark for creativity on the continent, by recognising work that is groundbreaking, forward thinking and bold.

Golden Drum

The Golden Drum represents the professional creative, marketing and advertising communities in the European advertising space. The annual awards reward the best creative work of the region, in addition to the people and companies responsible for creating it. It celebrates the work that stands out and cuts through the noise within the specific cultural, economic and political climate of the region.

Loeries

The Loerie Awards celebrate the best work in the advertising and brand communication industry from the Middle East and Africa region. Running for 45 years, winning a Loerie is the highest accolade for creativity and innovation across the region.

Spikes Asia – Recommended by: KOMM

The Spikes Asia awards are the most prestigious award for creative communications and marketing effectiveness in the Asia-Pacific region. They serve as the benchmark for creativity within the region.

The AWARD Awards – Recommended by: Commercial Producers Council Australia

AWARD, The Australasian Writers and Art Directors Association, is the most prestigious awards show representing the New Zealand, South East Asia and Australia regions. It strives to raise the standard of creativity across the region, recognise and reward excellence and inspire the next generation of creative talent. 

The Lovie Awards 

Launched by The Webby Awards in 2010, the Lovie’s recognise excellence in the European internet space, across culture, technology and business.

The Recommendations - Local 

Every country offers its own selection of advertising awards catering to its local market, awarding the work and talent that best speaks to its own demographic and cultural understanding. LBB recommends that before entering campaigns into regional and global shows, you secure an understanding of how your work performs in its local market first. 

If you’d like more information on the local advertising award shows in your market, please feel free to reach out to abi@lbbonline.com.

For a history of advertising industry award shows and tips on how to enter, check out ‘The LBB Insider’s Guide To Advertising Awards 2024.’ If you want to learn more about LBB membership in order to enter the Immortal Awards click here or buy membership here.