The Drum Network's marketing leaders tell us their dream award categories and their imaginary winners (though not every category they want to win).
Summer marks one of the marketing world's busiest awards seasons. The Drum Marketing Awards will start next month in APAC, Europe, and the Americas, and Cannes Lions will be held soon.
Award categories evolve over time (Cannes Lions announced a new humor award last year; The Drum's own list of gongs evolves every year) – but they can evolve fast enough. We asked eight leading marketers which categories they will introduce and who will win this year.
Jonathan Izzard, Director of Strategy, Wonder (part of the Amplify family): AI-inspired initialism with the least toe-curling – Winner: “AI v KI” by Lunchables
“In a panicked race to capitalize on the growing public interest in AI, this award recognizes brands that have successfully coined the terminology associated with AI. do not have Objectively terrifying. Amidst the maelstrom of hype, marketers can't seem to resist the urge to deliver brand-centric renditions based on ubiquitous initialisms. Whether it's “Introducing his EI to AI” or “From Artificial Intelligence to Practical Intuition”, these are generally painful and pointless. My winner of this award in 2024 will be his Launchables with its “AI v KI” campaign (“KI” stands for “Kid Imagination”). The brand taps into children's limitless creativity by prompting both the child and her AI to “imagine mozzarella sticks or pretzel twists as something fanciful.” provided. The best designs were presented online and the winning designer became the brand's 'Imagination Chief'. It's cute, relevant, and optimistic. ”
Maddy Franklin, Senior Art Director, M&C Saatchi Sports & Entertainment North America: Making the most of Gen Z slang in a non-offensive way – Winner: Lyft’s Social Campaign
“So many ads try to get us excited with words that sound like sales pitches. If you think your DTC product is great, you're a Delulu. Your new money management app will make you feel… It doesn't catch or pass the check. That's a disconnect for me with the Gen Z consumer. When I say easy Gen Z terms to get attention, I'm the one who wants to go out the window. When done correctly, it makes a difference. So let's get people excited with real TOV and give the least offensive ad a W. IYKYK. Lyft has mastered the quick translation of trends and terminology. The brand uses slang on a direct and intimate level so as not to alienate its customers. (I'm still sticking with “Skibidi”), it's important to keep ideas that feature slang short and sweet. ”
Scarlett Santi-Brooks, Senior Creative, PrettyGreen: Best Pun – Winner: “Bottlecelli” by Lidl
“Cannes may have announced the introduction of a 'humor' category this year, but let's take it a step further with the best films. pun award. It's common knowledge that puns are not the basis of good ideas. But with a pun, he takes two unrelated ideas, combines them, and creates something new in one expression. Indeed, this is the essence of creativity. And when it works, it's fun, memorable, and often funny. I'd go so far as to say that puns can make or break an idea, or they can strengthen a concept. So pun-driven ideas take on a stage of their own, like his 25-foot mural of Botticelli's Venus made from more than 30,000 bottle caps to commemorate the retailer's plastic recovery pilot. Let's praise the glory. ”
Dan Slokosh, Creative Director, AgencyUK: Highest engagement on LinkedIn, lowest on RLSG (actual shit given) – Winner: BA billboard and (fake) EasyJet applause.
“It's becoming increasingly important, with the most minimalist (yet recognizable) applications of distinctive brand assets being mocked up on billboards and presented to hordes of admiring LinkedIn followers. Achingly casual. It has a caption. The number of likes is 4 digits. The comment section was flooded with enthusiastic praise. This is the boldest application of brand awareness since the beginning of time. wonderful. That's all the creative aspirations they can generate…yet in the real world no one can care about loneliness. To them, it's just a nicely cropped photo of an airplane with a big headline on an orange background. Congratulations to BA and his easyJet. ”
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Keir Humphries, Sales Director, Hallam: A B2B technology brand with a truly unique proposition – [no entrants]
The deadline to win awards for B2B technology brands that aren't “harnessing the power of AI to unlock the potential of data, triple GTM, and reduce costs by 74%” is long overdue. But sadly, due to all the hype, there aren't enough applicants for this award to make it onto the shortest shortlist. ”
Claire Roberts, Head of Marketing, Clickon: Promoting the Best Competitive Brand – Winner: PepsiCo’s “Tastes OK”
“How about a fun new award category that celebrates clever and memorable ads that creatively throw friendly shots at competitors while cleverly promoting their brand?”
Candy Green, Creative Director, The Fifth: Above-the-line advertising from viral posts – Winners: Paramount+, Hey Arnold, Patrick Stewart
“What happens on social doesn’t necessarily have to stay on social, especially when a brand truly connects with the cultural behaviors of its audience. We recognize works that respond to real-world social behavior and culture. My winner? The latest edition of Paramount+ and Droga5's Mountain of Entertainment campaign for this year's Super Bowl. The ad capitalizes on the viral social trend of Creed's song “Higher” and depicts Sir Patrick Stewart throwing his Hey Arnold football-shaped head to climb Mount Paramount. The song regained fame following the viralization of his TikTok, where creator @MaceAhWindu used the song in a content showing another creator throwing a large piece of ice. ”
Simon Billington, Executive Vice President and Global Executive Creative Director, Team Lewis: Making the most of plagiarism – [redacted]
“This award, which stands for “Great artists copy, great artists steal,'' celebrates innovative creativity that goes beyond mere imitation. celebrates those who have created distinctly different innovations. It emphasizes the essence of creativity: it is not the act of creating from scratch, but the skillful reassembly and reinterpretation of existing ideas. The goal is to create something that has an unprecedented impact. The question is, will anyone have the courage to step in?”
