The WARC Awards for Middle East & Africa

The WARC Awards for Effectiveness are back, bigger and better than ever. Enter once for a chance to win in your region and globally. Bronze, Silver and Gold winners will be announced for the Middle East & Africa region, then all regional Gold winners will automatically progress to compete with each other for the Global Grands Prix, announced during Cannes Lions week. Entries are now closed for 2024.

Show included locations

Afghanistan • Algeria • Angola • Bahrain • Benin • Botswana • British Virgin Isles • Burkina Faso • Burundi • Cameroon • Cape Verde • Central African Republic • Chad • Comoros • Congo • Côte D'Ivoire • Democratic Republic of the Congo • Djibouti • Egypt • Equatorial Guinea • Eritrea • Eswatini • Ethiopia • Gabon • Gambia • Ghana • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Iran • Iraq • Jordan • Kenya • Kuwait • Lebanon • Lesotho • Liberia • Libya • Madagascar • Malawi • Mali • Mauritania • Mauritius • Morocco • Mozambique • Namibia • The Netherlands Antilles • Niger • Nigeria • Oman • Qatar • Rwanda • São Tomé And Príncipe • Saudi Arabia • Senegal • Seychelles • Sierra Leone • Somalia • South Africa • South Sudan • Sudan • Tanzania • Togo • Tunisia • Uganda • United Arab Emirates • West Bank & Gaza • Western Sahara • Yemen • Zambia • Zimbabwe

Entry fees:

Early-bird (until 12 December)
WARC members: €416.25
Non-members: €555

Standard rate (from 13 December until 6 February)
WARC members: €832.50
Non-members: €1110

How the new Awards structure works

Stage 1

Enter in your region and compete for Bronze, Silver and Gold

Stage 2

All regional gold winners are elevated to the global championship

Stage 3

Global Grands Prix are awarded, celebrating the most effective campaigns in the world

Key dates for 2024 Entry

24 October

Open for entries

12 December

Early-bird deadline

12 February

Extended deadline

14 May

Shortlists announced

20 May

Regional winners announced

June

Grand Prix awards at Cannes

Awards categories

This category recognises marketing initiatives that have successfully embraced a brand purpose and achieved commercial success as well as benefit for the wider community. Entries should demonstrate clear evidence of how a brand purpose has both achieved societal impact and met commercial goals.

Please note: campaigns for charities or non-profits will not be accepted in this category.

This category recognises effective campaigns from one business targeting another.

This category recognises entries that can show how sophisticated communications architecture and cross-channel planning have helped to boost campaign effectiveness.

This category recognises pioneering media practices, including the leveraging of emerging platforms, innovative uses of existing media, and efforts to invest in a conscious approach to media.

This category recognises strategies and instances of brands entering or impacting on culture that can demonstrate a business outcome.

This category recognises new ways of engaging with consumers and innovative experiences created to connect and immerse on the path to commercial success. Work entered in this category should push the boundaries of interaction, engagement and loyalty. Customer experience can encompass a physical or a digital experience, or a combination of both.

This category recognises short-term campaigns (with a duration of up to and including six months) that led directly to a sales increase. The judges will seek robust proof that the campaign directly drove sales.

This category recognises campaigns that have invested in building a brand over time (12 months or more). The judges will look for long-term creative commitments in both budget and campaign duration, as well as compelling evidence that brand investments have made a demonstrable impact on the business.

Please note: the campaign can extend outside the eligibility period providing some elements of the work fall within it.

This category recognises collaborations with third parties, including native advertising, sponsorships and influencer marketing, that have helped brands meet business goals.

This category recognises how brands have used omnichannel strategies to optimise the customer journey across the funnel. The judges will reward activity that has driven businesses forward through a successful orchestration of e-commerce, social commerce and physical channels.

This category recognises strategic thinking that has helped clients solve business or societal problems and provided a base for future growth. Work entered in this category should clearly show the link between innovative strategy and the effectiveness of the resulting marketing activity.

This category recognises the role of data in an effective communications strategy. This can include, but is not limited to, behavioural data, first-party consumer data, partner data, sales information and measurement data.