We've certainly picked a busy time to create Warc's first awards blog.
There are some big final deadlines for submissions coming up this week, as the 2010 awards season gets into gear. First up, this year's Global Effie Awards will be closed for entries on January 27th. Judging for the prizes takes place in London, New York, Singapore and Mexico over February-March, with winners announced on June 8th. Entry criteria are pretty specific: eligible campaigns, based around a single brand idea, must have been launched in four or more nations in two or more global regions. In 2009, a silver prize (the highest awarded) went to the Stop Talking, Start Doing campaign from IBM and Ogilvy & Mather.
The final deadline for participating in this year's ADFEST Advertising Awards, which take place in Bangkok over March 18th-20th, is also coming up later this week (January 31st). These awards are open to 2009 campaigns agencies in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia and New Zealand. Sooner still is the January 26th final deadline for the US-based REGGIE Awards. Finalists for these prizes are announced on February 22nd, with the gongs themselves to be handed out in Chicago on March 24th, at the close of organiser PMA's Annual Integrated Marketing Conference.
Agencies also have until January 29th to submit their entries in the three media planning categories - Best Use of Online Media, Best Use of Social Media and Best Integrated Media Plan - of the Webby awards, to be held in New York on June 14th. In New Zealand, the CAANZ Media Awards, focusing on domestic campaign delivery, began accepting submissions last Monday (January 18th), with the deadline falling on March 8th. Meanwhile, the same organisation's CAANZ Axis Awards, focusing on creative, closes for entries on February 2nd.
The Festival of Media Awards has announced that its deadline for submissions would be extended to February 5th. The gongs are handed out at the climax of the Festival of Media in Valencia, Spain, on April 20th; Bernhard Glock, the former global head of media for P&G, is to chair the jury for these awards, although the winner of one category, the People's Award, will be decided by online vote.
Meanwhile, the Cannes Lions, one of the industry's most venerable honours, is to begin receiving online entries from January 28th. Only ads launched between March 1st 2009 and April 30th 2010 will be eligible, and marketers should be aware deadlines vary from category to category: Film, Press, Outdoor Lions, Film Craft Lions must be in by March 5th, Direct, Media, Radio, Promo & Activation, Design, PR Lions by March 12th and Cyber, Titanium and Integrated Lions by March 19th. It was announced last week that the Titanium and Integrated Jury would be headed by Bob Scarpelli, chairman and chief creative officer at DDB Worldwide.
I'm putting together a calendar of major awards deadlines for this blog. So if you're involved with a competition and want to keep us informed, you think we've missed something out, or you're having trouble finding more about a scheme, email Joe.Clift@warc.com.
