Campaigns entered into these categories will be considered for a Gold, Silver or Bronze ARF David Ogilvy Award. Campaigns can be entered into a maximum of two award categories. If you don’t see your category represented here or are not sure which category to enter your campaign, reach out to davidogilvyawards@thearf.org.
Clothing, eyewear, shoes, jewelry, accessories + perfumes, cosmetics + furniture, paints, home appliances, cleaning supplies
Credit cards, loans, mutual funds, banking, additional financial services
Municipal or state development, lotteries, utilities, public service messages, political messages
Fresh, packaged, and frozen foods (fruits, vegetables, coffee/tea, meats, cheeses, cereals, canned goods, snacks, etc.), soda, water, juice, beer, wine, spirits
Telephone, internet, and cellular companies, services and/or platforms, phones, tablets, social media, apps, video games, websites, VR/AR devices, sound systems, voice-enabled tech, wearable tech
Health insurance companies, mental, dental, and medical care services + gyms, spas, health-related retreats + consumer healthcare/OTC products, first aid, skin and hair products, soap, deodorant )
Airlines, transit, hotels, rental services (i.e., Airbnb, VRBO)
In addition to the industry vertical categories, Spotlight Categories honor the latest trends in the industry,including increasing awareness of social issues, consumer experiences, fandom community building, and cultural relevancy. The awards follow the same criteria as the industry verticals, however only Gold and Silver distinctions are awarded in these categories.
BEST BRAND TRANSFORMATION
The Best Brand Transformation Award recognizes a campaign that leveraged insightful strategies to reverse a declining trend or redefined the brand’s trajectory. This Award celebrates efforts that reinvented a brand’s image, created new relevance, or sparked unexpected growth.
BEST CONSUMER EXPERIENCE
Brands are investing more of their marketing budgets into immersive experiences (IRL and in digital) that create meaningful connections with consumers. The Best Consumer Experience Award honors a campaign that compellingly utilized the power of experience.
BEST NEW OR EMERGING BRAND
Communicating the merits of a new or emerging brand can be daunting, whether differentiating from an existing category or establishing a foothold in a new category. The Best New or Emerging Brand Award honors a campaign that used research-backed insights to break out among a cluttered industry category or established themselves as a stand-alone brand.
(NEW) CULTURAL FLUENCY
The Cultural Fluency Award recognizes campaigns that effectively leverage cultural insights to connect with diverse audiences. This award celebrates the ability to identify and understand the cultural nuances of various segments, including but not limited to, race, gender expression/identity, sexual orientation, generation, and lifestyle. It also honors brands that successfully adapt campaigns for international markets, ensuring relevance and resonance across different cultures and regions. The award cuts across categories, highlighting the importance of cultural fluency in today’s global and diverse landscape.
(NEW) COMMUNITY & FANDOM
The Community & Fandom Award honors campaigns that effectively build and harness the power of online communities and fanbases. This award recognizes efforts that go beyond user-generated content, focusing on community building, leveraging influencers, and fostering meaningful social connections. It celebrates campaigns that utilize social channels and consumer-generated content to drive not only increased engagement but also tangible business outcomes, such as sales growth, brand loyalty, and expanded reach.
(NEW) BEST USE OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGY
The Best Use of Emerging Technology Award honors campaigns that leverage innovative and new technology, enabling consumer engagement with a brand in a new and relevant way. This award recognizes both groundbreaking uses of technology in consumer research (such as advanced data aggregation, AI-enhanced surveys, or unique methodologies) and its integration into impactful campaigns. The jury will look for campaigns that push the boundaries of technology, all aimed at delivering deeper insights and more meaningful consumer connections.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Changing attitudes and behavior is not just for “selling” products—it can lead to healthier lives, educate, or improve entire communities and lend a helping hand to make the world a better place. The Social Responsibility Award honors a campaign that used consumer insights to motivate messages of positive change or brought awareness to global, moral or sustainability issues. This award recognizes both branded efforts with a social message. and/or work on behalf of non-profit or charitable organizations and institutions.
IMPORTANT: The number of levels (Gold, Silver, or Bronze) awarded in each category is at the sole discretion of the jury. This ensures that each campaign is reviewed based on its own merit and not by competing with campaigns in the same category. Recognition in any category may not be awarded at the discretion of the jury.
TIP
Want to see what a winning campaign looks like in each category? Examples can be found on the sample cases page with complementary access to best-in-class winning case studies.
Looking to sponsor the ARF David Ogilvy Awards or Creative Measurement Event? Reach out to sponsorship@thearf.org.
Any additional questions? Reach out to davidogilvyawards@thearf.org.
March 13 – Entry Period Opens
June 4 – Entry Period Closes
June-July – Jury Review
August – Finalists Announced
October 16 – Creative Effectiveness Conference and Awards Dinner & Reception
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