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Media Lions

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The Media Lions celebrate the context of creativity.

Entries will need to demonstrate an inspiring and innovative implementation of media ideas; work which is enhanced and amplified by a game-changing channel strategy that takes consumers on new journeys and unlocks new experiences.

A number of criteria will be considered during judging and weighted as follows: 30% insight and idea; 30% media strategy and targeting; 20% media execution; 20% impact and results. The same piece of work can be entered up to four times in Media, not including section ‘E: Excellence in Media Craft’. However, the same piece of work may only be entered once in ‘A. Media:Sectors’.

Entries in Section E: Excellence in Media Craft can only be submitted and paid for by Independent Media Agencies or companies owned by a Media Network or Independent Media Network. The same piece of work can be entered only once in each category within this section.

Explore the categories

A. Media: Sectors

The same entry can be submitted only once in this section.

A01 Food & Drink.
All food and drinks.
* All fast food entries should go in A05. Retail.

A02 Consumer Goods.
Beauty, cleaning products, household goods, technology, furniture and lighting, toys, fashion, home appliances, other FMCG / consumer durables.

A03 Healthcare.
Pharma, OTC drugs, wellness.

A04 Automotive.
Vehicles, other automotive.

A05 Retail.
Retail, eCommerce, restaurants, fast food.

A06 Travel / Leisure.
Travel, tourism, transport, live events, museums & galleries, gambling, sports, gaming, other recreation.

A07 Media / Entertainment.
Music, film, television, publications & media, books, news, digital platforms, other media.

A08 Consumer Services / Business to Business.
All commercial public services, Legal, financial, B2B technology, consultancies & professional services, other business services, internal & corporate communications.

A09 Not-for-profit / Charity / Government.
Government, public information, NGOs, military, charities, non-profit organisations.
* All CSR work should be entered in the relevant sector and/or D06. Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility category in section D. Culture & Context.

B. Channels

Work in these categories will be judged on media creativity and channel innovation; work which unleashes the media opportunities beyond existing formats to effectively communicate the brand message.

B01 Use of Screens & Audio Visual Platforms.
Including TV, video-on-demand platforms (VOD), streaming platforms and other online service providers. Screens other than TV might include, but are not limited to, touchscreens, dynamic digital screens, interactive screens and responsive displays.

B02 Use of Audio Platforms.
Including radio, podcasts, social audio platforms and other audio technology.

B03 Use of Print. NEW
Entries in this category may include, but is not limited to, newspapers, magazines, inserts and trade journals, print work with digital and interactive elements such as downloadable applications, QR codes, AR and 3D printing.

B04 Use of Outdoor. NEW
Including traditional billboard or poster sites, bus shelters, wallscapes and transit advertising using standard advertising space.

B05 Use of Ambient Media: Small Scale.
Non-mail and print collateral, including small physical objects and all other hand-held (or equivalent in size) items.
* ‘Small Scale' refers to the physical size of the ambient item, not the scale of the distribution.

Please send physical samples for the jury to experience.

B06 Use of Ambient Media: Large Scale.
Non-traditional outdoor / billboards, including 3D and non-standard shaped sites, ticket barriers, signage, wallscape, digital billboards, window clings, building wrapping, helicopter banners and other executions that utilise a space or an existing permanent feature.
* ‘Large Scale' refers to the physical size of the ambient item or execution, not the scale of the distribution.

B07 Use of Events & Stunts.
Work which uses stunts, events, event sponsorship, competitions, promotional games, street art, guerrilla marketing, launch parties, live shows, live streamed events, festivals, concerts, sporting events, etc. within traditional, digital and new emerging environments.

B08 Use of Digital Platforms.
Online platforms or associated technologies and the harnessing of a digital environment in a media campaign. These might include, but are not limited to, websites, search engines, ecommerce platforms, banner ads, instant messaging, mobile apps etc.
* Social media-led campaigns should be entered in B10. Use of Social Platforms.

B09 Use of Mobile.
Mobile technology including smartphones, tablets, Bluetooth, SMS, MMS, WAP, GPS, mobile games and applications, etc.

B10 Use of Social Platforms.
Work that uses social media, vlogs, blogs, wikis, content-sharing sites, hosted services etc. to create and/or enhance relationships with a community / consumers. Insights gained through the strategic use of social data and associated targeting methods will also be considered.
* Work entered in this category should be planned and executed on social platforms as opposed to campaigns that went social.

B11 Innovative Use of Influencers. NEW
The creative and innovative use of influencers to drive brand message and awareness to a specific audience and/or to drive business results.

B12 Metaverse, New Realities & Emerging Tech. NEW
Use of existing or new technology to execute or support a media campaign, which creatively push the boundaries of existing platforms or media formats. Including but not limited to AR, VR, AI, wearable tech and mobile devices, voice technology, blockchain technology, gamification, virtual worlds, metaverse and all other emerging platforms. Does not include prototypes of early stage technology.

C. Insights & Media Strategy

Work in these categories should demonstrate how insights and data contributed to the successful placement and media execution of content used to engage with consumers. Entries will be judged on how successfully they demonstrate target-audience related engagement. Please note that the entries in these categories will not be judged on the content itself, but the role of media in creating, leveraging, and amplifying the content.

C01 Audience Insights. NEW
The use of audience insights and understanding of consumer behaviours or needs in order to develop a customised media strategy. Entries in this category should demonstrate how these insights contributed to the effectiveness of the media campaign and generated real impact.

C02 Use of Brand or Product Integration into a Programme or Platform.
Including product placement and branding in film, TV, mini-series, web series, music video, streaming services, sponsorship, etc.

C03 Data-driven Targeting.
The creative use or interpretation of data driven effective targeting. Entries should demonstrate how data contributed either to programmatic targeting, or provided a key quantitative insight that helped define the target, brand message or channel.

C04 Use of Branded Content Created for Digital or Social.
Including branded social media, websites, microsites, mobile applications, games, native advertising, etc.

C05 Data Integration.
The creative interpretation of data to demonstrate how different streams were integrated to provide new insights from planning through to delivery of a creative campaign or brand strategy.

C06 Co-creation of Branded IP.
The creation of a new and shared piece of IP by a brand or product in collaboration with its media partners to drive engagement and specific business results. Entries should demonstrate how effective and mutually beneficial the unified working relationship was.

D. Culture & Context

Work which is brought to life through cultural insights and regional context.

D01 Local Brand.
Work for brands which are only distributed in a single locality or market that resonated with a specific target audience.

D02 Challenger Brand.
Brands which have creatively adapted their approach in response to competitor pressure by challenging the status quo to create game-changing work that uses progressive thinking and innovative creativity.

D03 Single-market Campaign.
Work which aired or ran in a single country / region / market. Entries should describe how the campaign was designed for the specific target market.

D04 Social Behaviour & Cultural Insight.
Work inspired by a specific audience or community, hinging on identifiable social behaviour or cultural insights, stemming from the ideas, customs, values and lifestyles found within a specific region or locality.

D05 Breakthrough on a Budget.
Creative use of modest budgets and/or resources in relation to the market and/or industry to create maximum impact. Entries should demonstrate how fresh insight, smart spending and compelling strategic thinking solved a business problem despite limited resources.

D06 Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility.
Purpose driven work or brand activism which address social, ethical and environmental issues. Entries should demonstrate how the brand’s purpose has created value and impacted communities by connecting customers to culture.

D07 Market Disruption.
Brands that have creatively adapted their strategy in response to local / regional / global issues, embracing new ways of delivering their brand while showing consideration for the consumer.

E. Excellence in Media Craft

Work that exhibits ingenuity and outstanding craftsmanship in harnessing media to deliver a brand message, change behaviour or engage consumers at scale.

Entries in this section can only be submitted and paid for by Independent Media Agencies or companies owned by a Media Network or Independent Media Network. The same piece of work can be entered only once in each category within this section.

E01 Media Insights & Strategy.
The use of unlocked insights and understanding of consumer behaviours / needs in order to develop a customised media strategy to meet a brand’s specific business objectives, marketing goals and overall positioning.

E02 Media Planning.
Sourcing and selection of media platforms to deliver a brand's message based on deep audience insight and creative use of media channels. Entries should detail the reach, penetration and frequency of the message to generate the desired response.

E03 Media Execution.
Entries should demonstrate how media thinking and skilful negotiations with media owners contributed to the execution of a campaign strategy across selected channels and achieved business goals. Consideration will be given to effective use of media channels as part of the brand storytelling and to the creative delivery.

E04 Use of Channel Integration. NEW
Work which connects multiple brand touch-points, successfully blurring the line between chosen media channels and demonstrating how the different mediums complement and build on each other to cut through and deliver results on clear brand objectives.
* Entries in this category must show that multiple types of media were used in the campaign (e.g. Screens, Social, Outdoor, Print, New Realities etc).

E05 Use of Data & Analytics. NEW
The application of data and analytics to form the basis of a media strategy or drive insights that helps define the target, brand message or channel. Entries should provide evidence of research or insight, quality of thinking and the development of a strategy.

What does winning work look like?

For years Android has had the reputation of being more complicated than iOS. Many iPhone users don’t even consider switching because of this. So Samsung hijacked Apple to let people test drive a Samsung from the comfort of their iPhone. Giving consumers the opportunity to experience the user interface and features samsung has to offer before purchasing.

2023 Jury President

Christian Juhl

Global CEO

GroupM

Other Lions in Engagement

Creative B2B