Even one of the best marketing campaign can’t make its deserved affect with no dynamic media technique. Our 2025 Media Plan of the 12 months awards acknowledge the media companies and brand-side planners on the entrance strains of innovation, tradition, and social relevance.
This yr, we’re recognizing honorees throughout 22 classes, starting from Greatest Use of AI to Greatest Use of Social, chosen by a jury of fellow business professionals. Whether or not it’s reviving a model’s misplaced historical past for a brand new technology, a B2B enterprise discovering a extra basic viewers, and even creating a brand new vacation, these media plans took dangers and confirmed spectacular outcomes.
Telefónica | “The Licensed Hack”
Media Company: Havas Media Community Madrid
Class: Greatest Use of Native Promoting
Few corporations make it to their one centesimal anniversary, so to honor Spanish telecom Telefónica, longtime associate Havas Media Community Madrid seemed past cellphone airwaves to create a unifying model second. Havas rallied six of its high shoppers in Spain with shut ties to Telefónica—Hyundai, Iberia, Fundación La Caixa, Alain Afflelou, El Pozo, and Línea Directa—to purchase airtime throughout 5 main TV networks and reworked their commercials into synchronized, customized tributes.
The 2-minute-long second unfolded as seemingly strange advertisements that glitched out, with a unified voiceover regularly revealing the message. The advertisements aired in their very own industrial blocks throughout Antena 3, Telecinco, DKiss, DMax, and Paramount Community minutes earlier than midnight on April 19, the day of Telefónica’s centenary. Havas even introduced the media plan into the true world, gathering Telefónica’s high executives for what they thought can be a routine assembly, solely to be shocked by the tribute whereas surrounded by representatives from the manufacturers. The marketing campaign reached practically 20 million viewers, and secured 57 earned media mentions.
Basis to Fight Antisemitism | #TimeOutAgainstHate
Media Company: Mindshare
Class: Greatest Trigger Advertising and marketing Marketing campaign Over $1 Million
Following the surge in antisemitic incidents after Oct. 7, 2023, the Basis to Fight Antisemitism (FCAS) acknowledged that conventional consciousness campaigns have been failing to have interaction Gen Z and the big section of People who seen hate as “not their drawback.” To handle this, FCAS got down to reframe antisemitism as a part of the broader battle towards all types of hate with #TimeOutAgainstHate. The marketing campaign’s core technique was to remodel the acquainted sports activities timeout gesture right into a nationwide image for taking a pause to regroup and rethink. By partnering with eight main U.S. sports activities leagues, FCAS activated this message throughout soccer, basketball, hockey, soccer, baseball, and NASCAR.
The initiative spanned nationwide broadcasts, streaming platforms (together with dynamically inserted advertisements throughout stay timeouts), podcasts, social media, and a synchronized out-of-home billboard takeover in 41 cities. Outcomes have been substantial: The marketing campaign reached 76% of American adults, delivered 863 million paid impressions and over 3 billion earned impressions, and drove an 11-point improve in folks saying they have been “very probably” to face up towards Jewish hate.
Nike | “Profitable Isn’t For Everybody”
Inventive Company: Wieden+Kennedy Portland
Media Company: PMG
Class: Complete Marketing campaign Over $10 Million
Profitable has at all times been central to Nike’s model message. And as each athlete is aware of, in case you don’t got down to win, you’ve already misplaced, which is rarely extra true than through the yr’s largest worldwide sports activities competitors: the Olympic Video games. For the Paris Olympics, Nike got down to have a good time the individuals who work the toughest, prepare the longest, and put every thing on the road. “Profitable Isn’t For Everybody” wasn’t fairly—however neither is the ruthlessness it takes to push the human physique to its limits, illustrated by an enormous roster of Nike ambassadors together with LeBron James, Sha’Carri Richardson, Cristiano Ronaldo, and A’ja Wilson.
The marketing campaign launched on Nike’s social channels days earlier than the Opening Ceremonies, adopted by a Gen Z-focused international media rollout. And W+Ok stored creating all through the video games, together with 24 real-time medalist response advertisements despatched out moments after their victory throughout 5,000 digital OOH placements in 11 nations. The cross-channel technique generated 12 billion impressions and over 4 billion international views. Nike additionally turned probably the most dominant model of the video games, proudly owning 52% of all Olympic social dialog—surpassing official Olympic sponsors.
Sheba | “Gravy Race”
Inventive Company: AMV BBDO
Media Company: EssenceMediacom
Class: Greatest Use of Branded Content material/Leisure Much less Than $500,000, Complete Marketing campaign Much less Than $500,000
Cats love gravy a lot that Sheba, the premium cat meals model in Mars’ portfolio, determined to show it into a contest in the midst of March Insanity. Eight of the web’s most well-known cats acquired the total athlete therapy, with digital avatars and expertise profiles, to compete for the title of quickest licker in Gravy Race.
The marketing campaign started with behind-the-scenes “coaching” movies on social media, showing subsequent to precise sports activities content material with paid placements. The motion was accompanied by natural content material together with countdowns, polls, and remark highlights, together with play-by-play calls by 2022 Sportscaster of the 12 months (and cat lover) Ian Eagle. The ultimate showdown aired stay in Occasions Sq., in addition to on Instagram and TikTok. Over 16.5 million folks watched the feline event, with a mean engagement fee of 10.7% throughout TikTok and Instagram, greater than triple the business commonplace.
Sheba’s share of voice tripled, from 8% to 25%, accompanied by a 4% elevate in consciousness and an 18% gross sales elevate.
College Of Oregon Basis | “B1G Duck”
Media Company: Wieden+Kennedy Portland
Class: Greatest Use of Out of Dwelling Much less Than $500,000
It’s at all times robust being the brand new child in school, however the Oregon Geese soccer crew acquired an particularly skeptical reception when the College of Oregon joined the Massive Ten convention (also called B1G) as a part of a serious NCAA realignment in 2024. To make it recognized that they’d be a pressure to be reckoned with, the College of Oregon Basis positioned a 65-foot inflatable Oregon Duck on the White River, which flows by means of downtown Indianapolis alongside Lucas Oil Stadium, the place the Massive Ten introduced its new members.
Looming over followers and media, the large duck turned the speak of the occasion and the broader faculty soccer group. The duck even adopted pedestrians on land, with a “Going Quackers” audio expertise on a close-by bridge. The following social movie, addressed to the Massive Ten convention, concluded with some cheeky swagger in two easy phrases on behalf of the Oregon Geese: “Good pond.” The stunt established Oregon as a franchise with the arrogance to hold with its rivals, and with practically 10,000 social mentions eclipsed all different dialog across the Massive Ten occasion.
Mondelēz | “Elevate Your Snacking Playbook”
Know-how: Attain
Media Company: VML
Class: Greatest Use of Insights
Soccer season elevates snacking to its personal sport. To boost the profile of its Nabisco cookie and cracker manufacturers, Mondelez enlisted a crew of buy analytics and attribution consultants to craft an add-to-cart purchasing expertise at Walmart. The marketing campaign centered on a shoppable related TV expertise, permitting viewers so as to add featured snacks on to their Walmart cart by way of a QR code. With the message “Elevate your snacking playbook,” the inventive additionally highlighted Nabisco’s NCAA sponsorship to increase the marketing campaign’s relevance.
Company Kargo led the CTV technique, combining SmartCommerce’s Click2Cart expertise and Attain’s real-time, permissioned gross sales knowledge to hyperlink built-in promoting with ecommerce performance. The marketing campaign included high-impact show, house display placements, and in-pod CTV advertisements, creating a completely measurable and shoppable media ecosystem. This data-driven method enabled mid-flight optimizations and ensured each advert greenback was tied to gross sales outcomes, driving a 12% elevate in new consumers and reaching 10 occasions increased CTV conversion charges than business benchmarks—proving commerce-enabled CTV can considerably affect each model consciousness and gross sales.
Domino’s | Emergency Pizza 2.0
Inventive Company: WorkInProgress
Media Company: Mindshare
Class: Greatest Use of Streaming Media/OTT
With inflation dragging down shoppers’ post-pandemic pleasure in 2023, Domino’s gave away an Emergency Pizza that might be redeemed after a purchase order, a twist on the standard purchase one, get one proposition. When the promotion returned in 2024, the pizza chain aimed to succeed in much more folks amid a hotly contested QSR market.
To advertise Emergency Pizza 2.0, Mindshare used the perception that 64% of People between 18 and 49 years outdated take into account fandom a defining a part of their id and turned to on-line communities, providing a pizza for their very own distinctive emergencies. Utilizing revolutionary media integrations, the company embedded Domino’s inside the worlds the place followers of the chain have been already gathering on-line. On Twitch, The Glitch provided Fortnite gamers an Emergency Pizza well being increase; Netflix’s Squid Recreation experiential activation in New York provided comfort slices to the bottom scorers; and unfortunate Fantasy Soccer gamers acquired a share of a $1 million price of spherical carbs.
The techniques drove a 2.3% leap in retail gross sales and 5 billion earned media impressions, double the primary marketing campaign’s complete.
Atlassian | “It Begins With Jira”
Inventive Company: Atlassian Inventive Studio
Media Company: Noble Folks
Class: Complete Marketing campaign ($1 Million-$5 Million)
To drive long-term progress past software program improvement, undertaking administration platform Jira launched a daring marketing campaign to reposition itself as a vital software for creatives. Aimed toward fixing inefficiencies in non-technical workflows, the marketing campaign was grounded in a strong perception: Only one in 4 tasks are accomplished, and 95% of execs are annoyed with their present collaboration instruments.
“It Begins With Jira” dramatized the journey of huge concepts by means of reverse storytelling, displaying polished outcomes first then rewinding to disclose Jira’s function in making them occur. Media placements focused moments of inspiration, with large-scale out-of-home takeovers in transit hubs, in-app Uber advertisements, and a category-first in-flight content material partnership with United Airways. Storytelling collaborations with TED, Spotify, a customized podcast, and a humorous video collection starring Zach Woods helped the marketing campaign break by means of within the staid world of B2B advertising and marketing.
The marketing campaign exceeded expectations, with Jira hitting 132% of its top-funnel objective and gaining an 11-point increase in consciousness and 13 factors in utilization intent.
Jordan Model | “You Can’t Ban Greatness”
Media Company: Wieden+Kennedy Portland
Class: Complete Marketing campaign $5 Million-$10 Million
When Michael Jordan defied NBA uniform guidelines with a pair of black and crimson Nikes in 1984, the sneaker model smelled advertising and marketing gold. The defiant colorway mixed with Jordan’s meteoric rise lifted the Air Jordan 1 to prompt icon standing when it launched the next yr, step one in what would develop into the $7 billion Jordan Model. However after 40 years, the AJ1’s brash origin story was unknown by Gen Z, so Nike used the model’s fortieth anniversary to point out sneakerheads what the world can be like with out it.
“You Can’t Ban Greatness” rolled out banned stunts and merchandise throughout sports activities (Tyler Reddick’s NASCAR paint job, Jalen Hurts’ cleats) and gaming (the Jordan retailer was banned on NBA2K25). Even the Jordan Model’s @Jumpman23 deal with, adopted by 32 million folks throughout social media, went silent. All of it got here along with the Unbannable Anthem, debuted on the 2025 Grammys, to disclose how the AJ1 was by no means only a shoe. All in, the marketing campaign delivered over 6 billion paid impressions, social conversations across the model doubled, and constructive sentiment rose 56%.
HBO | “Increase Your Banners”
Media Company: Large Spoon New York
Class: Greatest Use of Experiential Much less Than $1 Million, Greatest Use of Out of Dwelling Much less Than $1 Million
HBO knew it couldn’t preserve driving the coattails of Recreation of Thrones to advertise the second season of its prequel spinoff, Home of the Dragon. Large Spoon New York introduced the collection’ escalating on-screen rivalry into the true world with a worldwide mixed-media marketing campaign urging followers to “Increase Your Banners” to take sides with one of many present’s warring households. Reveals of allegiance ranged from dueling trailers to launch the marketing campaign, unfurling actual and augmented actuality banners from landmarks just like the Eiffel Tower and Brooklyn Bridge throughout 20 nations, partnering with impartial eating places in New York on themed menu gadgets, and wrapping a 270-foot dragon across the Empire State Constructing.
“Increase Your Banners” turned a bona fide cultural second that blurred fiction and actuality, garnering 6.4 billion media impressions globally. Influencer partnerships, TikTok and Snapchat filters, and hashtags resulted in over 1.4 billion natural social impressions, with a 59% elevate in consciousness and 29% elevated intent to observe.
Jameson | “St. Patrick’s Eve”
Inventive Company: Ogilvy
Media Company: Publicis Collective
Class: Complete Marketing campaign $500,000-$1 Million, Greatest Use of Out of Dwelling Over $500,000
The annual bacchanal that’s St. Patrick’s Day—an important gross sales second for whiskey manufacturers—offered an uncommon problem in 2024: The vacation fell on a Sunday, traditionally a sluggish day for alcohol gross sales. So Jameson Irish Whiskey invented a supplemental vacation, St. Patrick’s Eve, that mixed iconic rituals from different main occasions throughout the calendar. The marketing campaign turned the Las Vegas Sphere right into a countdown clock, wrapped Chicago’s riverboats in inexperienced (in lieu of dyeing the waterway), and even dropped a digital Occasions Sq. ball, turning March 16 right into a full-fledged get together evening.
This ingenious method turned a probably quiet St. Patrick’s Day into an enormous win: Jameson’s family penetration rose 7%, gross sales beat historic Sunday benchmarks by practically 5%, and in key markets, year-over-year gross sales jumped 8%. By inventing a brand new celebration, Jameson didn’t simply save the vacation—it created a progress alternative.
V&A Museum | “If You’re Into It, It’s within the V&A”
Inventive Company: Adam&EveDDB
Media Company: PHD UK
Class: Greatest Use of Various Media, Greatest Worldwide Marketing campaign
Many younger folks assume museums are simply filled with outdated stuff. To achieve them, the Victoria and Albert Museum determined to show them fallacious by bringing its assortment of greater than 2.8 million objects—a lot of them fashionable icons equivalent to Harry Kinds’ cardigan—to the place they’re: particular curiosity magazines, streetwear shops, and TikTok. In crafting the museum’s “If You’re Into It, It’s within the V&A” media marketing campaign, PHD UK recognized a variety of hobbies, from mainstream to very area of interest, amongst its 18- to 35-year-old audience, then labored with V&A curators to decide on 70 completely different associated objects.
This stuff have been showcased throughout billboards, print, and digital and social media, together with having creators craft gadgets that includes the marketing campaign’s slogan. PHD additionally executed a collection of activations starting from customized tattoos to a Twitch stream to metallic detecting by producing a collection of “It’s within the V&A” objects that have been hidden throughout the U.Ok. as a nationwide scavenger hunt. The marketing campaign was a smash hit, with over 37 million impressions, searches for the V&A rising 23%, and consciousness up 28%.
Ford | “Child Bronco”
Media Company: Mindshare
Class: Greatest Use of Branded Content material/Leisure ($1 Million-$2 Million)
With Ford trailing its opponents in model favorability and cultural relevance, the automaker confronted a problem in producing pleasure for the Bronco and Bronco Sport. Enter Bronco Off-Roadeo, a one-day immersive journey that confirmed off the Bronco’s spirited efficiency within the wild. However Ford needed to succeed in audiences past gearheads to get behind the wheel. Media associate Mindshare introduced in Tonight Present host Jimmy Fallon to develop a branded content material section that might present Ford’s evolving id as a life-style model. As an alternative of specializing in specs and dust, “Child Bronco” used humor and emotion with Fallon as Cowboy Jimmy elevating a child Ford Bronco.
Because the Bronco grows, Cowboy Jimmy realizes that their subsequent problem—going off highway—requires greater than love. They discover the required coaching and experience on the Bronco Off-Roadeo, which viewers additionally had an opportunity to participate in by means of a sweepstakes. The section was amplified throughout the present’s social channels in addition to Fallon’s private Fb account to spice up Ford’s model visibility amongst non-traditional automotive audiences. “Child Bronco” contributed to large positive factors in model opinion (16%), seller visits (37%), and consideration (9%).
United24 | #TheDonationMap
Media Company: Havas Media Community Madrid
Class: Greatest Trigger Advertising and marketing
Because the Russian invasion of Ukraine dragged on for over two years, fundraising platform United24 was going through donor fatigue and the problem of sustaining international consideration. To achieve new, youthful audiences, the Ukrainian charity and Havas Media Community Madrid turned to on-line gaming to faucet into an unlimited, engaged group enthusiastic about causes however usually disconnected from conventional donation efforts. Contained in the massively common battle royale recreation Fortnite, United24 “hacked” the monetization system with a particular Donation Map, a meticulously recreated model of Kyiv’s Independence Sq.. Each competitor who stepped into the zone was immersed within the nation’s tradition and helped increase funds just by taking part in.
Havas devoted its complete finances to cellular and on-line platforms, with natural social engagement, influencer partnerships with gaming personalities throughout Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch, PR, and digital OOH promoting. United24 finally exceeded its €100,000 objective, noticed a forty five% rise in its net site visitors, and garnered 1.3 billion media impressions—all inside a month—making it the charity’s most seen initiative so far. This wasn’t only a marketing campaign, it was a blueprint for the way forward for digital fundraising.
Škoda | “The Redditor Edit”
Inventive Company: Leo Burnett
Media Company: PHD UK
Class: Greatest Use of Social
The Škoda Octavia sedan is thought for being reasonably priced and dependable amongst its hometown followers within the Czech Republic. However within the U.Ok., it additionally has a popularity for being secure and boring. When the carmaker was launching the refreshed 2024 mannequin of its bestseller, Leo Burnett and PHD UK wanted to alter perceptions. The media company turned to a group of Octavia superfans on Reddit within the r/CarTalkUK discussion board and requested them to revamp any facet of the car to how they need it to be.
Their customizations, which members voted on, turned “The Redditor Edit,” which was became an actual, purchasable mannequin—with Reddit superfans getting the primary check drives. Their evaluations turned testimonial movies and the copy for the 2024 Octavia’s launch advertisements, serving to the U.Ok. see the automotive by means of the eyes of its greatest followers. The tactic resulted in Octavia gross sales outperforming targets by 255%.
Cesar x TripAdvisor | Canine-Pleasant Journey
Media Company: EssenceMediacom
Class: Greatest Use of Branded Content material/Leisure ($500,000-$1 Million)
For some pet house owners, taking a trip with out their furry buddy can be like leaving a member of the family behind. To assist them discover extra dog-friendly lodging, Cesar, Mars Inc.’s premium pet food model, partnered with Tripadvisor to create a digital content material hub for pet-friendly itineraries, together with an AI journey builder. Corporations trying to cater to pet house owners may entry a enterprise hub advocating the advantages of pet inclusivity. And the platform launched a Vacationers’ Alternative Awards class for pet-friendly accommodations. Group engagement was fostered by means of boards and a sweepstakes, whereas influencers, paid search, and PR amplified attain.
Over 5 million pet dad and mom visited the hub, with over 40,000 journeys deliberate. Cesar’s model consciousness rose by 11% and consideration jumped 50%, whereas pet-friendly venue listings on Tripadvisor rose 16% for eating places and 18% for accommodations. The initiative was so profitable, Tripadvisor is rolling it out to different components of the world.
Dove | “Actual Magnificence Redefined for the AI Period”
Inventive Company: SOKO
Media Company: Mindshare
Class: Greatest Use of AI/Machine Studying
In 2004, Dove challenged unrealistic magnificence requirements with “Actual Magnificence,” a marketing campaign and pledge to function solely actual, various, and unretouched ladies in its promoting. Twenty years later, generative AI platforms had begun producing the identical form of unrealistic photos as airbrushing used to, posing a brand new problem to ladies’s self-image. Amid the AI slop, nonetheless, Dove made an fascinating discovery: Its 20 years of inclusive imagery had already influenced these AI fashions. Merely referencing “Dove Actual Magnificence” in prompts led to extra various outputs throughout options equivalent to race, physique kind, and age.
In partnership with inspiration-focused platform Pinterest, Dove’s Actual Magnificence DNA interactive expertise allowed customers to outline magnificence on their very own phrases, utilizing prompts equivalent to “courageous” and “inventive” then selecting the corresponding photos, retraining Pinterest’s AI to favor larger inclusivity. The marketing campaign’s launch included a Pinterest homepage takeover and multi-channel amplification throughout TV, social, and out-of-home, and finally acquired 787 million impressions. The Actual Magnificence DNA software additionally had a 21.4% increased interplay fee in contrast with platform norms.
Google Workspace | “50 States 50 Tales”
Media Company: EssenceMediacom
Class: Greatest Use of Branded Content material/Leisure Over $2 Million
As an alternative of operating one flashy Tremendous Bowl advert like each different large model, Google Workspace handed the highlight to 50 small companies, one from each U.S. state. The objective? Present how actual persons are utilizing Google’s Gemini AI in on a regular basis methods, from boatbuilders in Maine to sweet makers in Ohio. Every enterprise acquired its personal 30-second spot, which aired domestically through the Tremendous Bowl in its house state, making these distinctive AI use circumstances really feel private and genuine. The advertisements weren’t polished product demos; they have been mini documentaries displaying how AI truly helps under-resourced groups get extra achieved.
“50 States 50 Tales” led to 71 million social impressions and 91.3 million media impressions throughout nationwide publications, focused digital and paid social, a microsite, PR, and strategic earned media. Google Workspace trial conversions noticed 20 occasions extra progress in comparison with previous campaigns. And the small companies additionally noticed actual outcomes like doubled gross sales and report weeks.
Gilead | “Sniffies Cruising Confessions”
Media Company: Initiative
Class: Greatest Use of Voice
With the darkish shadow of the AIDS disaster fading into reminiscence, the HIV prevention remedy PrEP was getting unfairly stigmatized, even inside components of the homosexual group. With damaging narratives that recommend the remedy is just for promiscuous folks gaining traction, conventional public well being messaging wasn’t chopping it. So as a substitute of going medical, drugmaker Gilead and Initiative New York went actual.
“Sniffies Cruising Confessions” was a 13-episode podcast created in partnership with homosexual hookup app Sniffies and iHeart Media. The collection took a daring, sex-positive stance in discussing homosexual males’s lives, created inside the group and designed to disrupt the narrative round PrEP with unbranded messaging. The podcast format additionally allowed listeners to have interaction intimately and privately, free from judgment and stigma; it finally was streamed over 500,000 occasions, with greater than 300,000 downloads and 124 million impressions. Most significantly, 82% of hesitant listeners mentioned they’d now speak to their physician about PrEP. It turned Gilead’s most profitable PrEP marketing campaign in a decade, with the drugmaker already planning two extra seasons.
