CURIOUS FELIS

Recognising brands and campaigns that are built around a powerful human, cultural, behavioural, or market insight that fundamentally shaped both the strategy and the creative execution.

This category rewards work where the insight is not simply supporting the campaign, but acts as the central strategic engine behind the idea. 

Entries should clearly explain:

• What the core insight was
• Why this insight was meaningful or relevant for the audience
• How the insight changed the strategic direction of the work
• How the creative execution directly emerged from the insight
• What measurable business, brand, or behavioural impact the insight-driven strategy created

Strong entries will demonstrate a clear and inseparable connection between the insight, the strategy, and the final execution.

Recognising brands that successfully launched or established a new brand, product, service, or business model by creating a distinctive identity, clear positioning, and a meaningful connection with their audience.

This category rewards the strategic and creative foundations of brand creation and long-term brand building.

Entries should clearly explain:

• The market context and competitive challenge
• The strategic positioning of the brand
• What differentiated the brand from competitors
• How the identity, messaging, and communication system were developed
• How the work built awareness, recognition, consideration, preference, or emotional connection with audiences

Strong entries should demonstrate how strategic clarity and creative consistency helped establish the brand in the minds of consumers.

Recognising brands that successfully integrated a meaningful purpose into their business and communication strategy, creating value both for society and for the brand itself.

This category rewards work where purpose is embedded into the brand’s actions, positioning, and long-term strategy rather than being treated as a short-term communication theme.

NGOs are not eligible to compete in this category.

Entries should clearly explain:

• The purpose the brand is committed to
• Why this purpose is credible and relevant to the brand’s product or service offering
• What actions the brand took beyond communication alone
• How the initiative created behavioural, perceptual, cultural, or social impact
• How the work contributed to brand value, trust, reputation, or audience connection 

Strong entries should demonstrate authenticity, consistency, and evidence that the purpose created meaningful impact beyond commercial outcomes alone.

Recognising brands and campaigns that challenged category conventions, disrupted expected behaviours, or redefined how a market communicates and competes.

This category rewards strategic bravery, unconventional thinking, and ideas that pushed the category beyond established norms.

Entries should clearly explain:

• What the existing market convention or industry norm was
• Why challenging that convention was strategically important
• What new perspective, behaviour, or communication approach was introduced
• How audiences, competitors, or the category responded
• What measurable impact or differentiation the disruption created

Strong entries should demonstrate that the unconventional approach solved a meaningful business or communication challenge, rather than simply being different for the sake of attention.

Recognising brands that successfully refreshed, modernised, or redefined their image in order to regain relevance, shift perception, or reconnect with audiences.

This category rewards strategic and creative transformation that meaningfully changes how the brand is perceived.

Entries should clearly explain:

• Why the brand required revitalisation
• What perception, relevance, or audience challenge existed
• What strategic or creative shift was introduced
• How the refreshed image was expressed across communication or experience
• What measurable change occurred in audience perception, engagement, or brand relevance

Entries should include supporting materials showing both the previous and the revitalised brand communications in order to clearly demonstrate the transformation.

Recognising long-running creative strategies that have maintained effectiveness, relevance, and recognisability over time.

This category rewards campaigns that successfully balance consistency with evolution, sustaining audience connection across multiple years.

Entries should clearly explain:

• The original strategic and creative idea
• Which campaign elements remained consistent over time
• How the work evolved while preserving its core identity
• How the campaign maintained relevance despite changing trends or market conditions
• What evidence demonstrates sustained business, brand, or cultural impact over multiple years

At least one key campaign element—such as a slogan, celebrity, jingle, sonic asset, or tone of voice—must have remained consistent throughout the campaign period.

To be eligible, the original campaign or campaign series must have launched on or before 1 July 2023.

Recognising brands and campaigns that successfully operate with a global perspective, balancing universal relevance with local cultural understanding.

This category rewards ideas that travel effectively across markets while remaining culturally meaningful and contextually appropriate.

Entries should clearly explain:

• The international challenge or opportunity addressed by the work
• How the idea was adapted across markets, regions, or cultures
• How global consistency and local relevance were balanced
• What role cultural understanding played in the strategy
• What international business, audience, or brand impact was achieved

Strong entries should demonstrate both scalability and cultural sensitivity.

Recognising brands that brought creativity, strategic innovation, and stronger emotional or intellectual engagement into B2B communication.

This category rewards work that elevates business-to-business marketing beyond purely functional messaging.

Entries should clearly explain:

• The business challenge and decision-making environment
• The strategic understanding of the target audience
• How the work differentiated the brand within the B2B landscape
• How creativity or innovation improved engagement or communication effectiveness
• What measurable commercial, relationship, or brand impact was achieved

Strong entries should demonstrate that creativity played a meaningful role in solving a genuine business challenge.

Recognising brands and campaigns that successfully created, nurtured, or mobilised communities around a shared passion, identity, belief, or experience.

This category rewards sustained participation, audience ownership, and meaningful long-term engagement.

Entries should clearly explain:

• What community was built, activated, or strengthened
• Why audiences chose to participate
• How the brand encouraged belonging, interaction, or advocacy
• What role the audience played within the ecosystem or experience
• How the community contributed to measurable brand, business, or cultural outcomes

Strong entries should demonstrate genuine audience participation rather than passive reach or short-term engagement.

Recognising campaigns that achieved exceptional impact despite limited financial resources, proving that strategic thinking and creativity can outperform scale.

The total media budget for the campaign must not exceed €350,000.

Entries should clearly explain:

• The scale of the challenge relative to the available resources
• How budget limitations shaped the strategic or creative approach
• What efficiencies, partnerships, or unconventional solutions were used
• How resources were prioritised to maximise impact
• What measurable results were achieved despite financial constraints

Strong entries should demonstrate exceptional effectiveness relative to the campaign budget.

Recognising brands and campaigns that identified emerging behaviours, technologies, aesthetics, or cultural shifts early and transformed them into influential marketing strategies.

This category rewards cultural awareness, timing, and the ability to shape conversations rather than simply follow them.

Entries should clearly explain:

• What emerging trend, behaviour, or shift was identified
• Why the trend was strategically or culturally important
• How the brand acted ahead of competitors or the category
• How the work influenced audiences, conversations, or behaviours
• What measurable business, cultural, or engagement impact was created

Strong entries should demonstrate leadership and relevance rather than reactive participation.

Recognising campaigns that actively involved audiences in the brand experience through participation, interaction, co-creation, or immersive engagement.

This category rewards work that transforms audiences from passive viewers into active participants.

Entries should clearly explain:

• How audiences were invited to participate
• Why the experience motivated interaction or involvement
• What role participation played within the overall strategy
• How engagement strengthened the audience relationship with the brand
• What measurable impact the participation created

Strong entries should demonstrate that engagement was central to the idea rather than an additional layer added afterwards.

Recognising brands that used product, service, platform, or technological innovation to unlock measurable business growth.

This category rewards meaningful innovation that creates measurable customer, commercial, or operational value.

Entries should clearly explain:

• What innovation was introduced
• What challenge or opportunity the innovation addressed
• Why existing solutions were insufficient
• How the innovation improved the customer or business experience
• What measurable growth or business impact resulted from the innovation

This category evaluates direct and tangible innovation rather than innovative communication approaches alone.

Recognising brands, agencies, or teams that used innovative research methods, analytical models, or reframed research questions to uncover fresh and strategically valuable insights.

This category rewards curiosity, intellectual rigour, and the strategic value created through research.

Entries should clearly explain:

• What research or insight challenge existed
• Why traditional research approaches were insufficient
• What methodology, model, or questioning approach was introduced
• What new insight was uncovered through the process
• How the findings directly shaped the communication or marketing strategy

Strong entries should demonstrate a clear relationship between the research innovation and the strategic outcome.

Recognising brands and campaigns that effectively integrated technology into marketing strategy in ways that enhanced relevance, performance, experience, or effectiveness.

This category rewards the strategic application of technology rather than technology adopted purely for novelty.

Entries should clearly explain:

• What technology, platform, system, or tool was used
• Why technology played a necessary strategic role
• How technology improved the audience or brand experience
• How marketing and technology worked together to solve the challenge
• What measurable outcomes or efficiencies were generated

Strong entries should demonstrate that technology meaningfully strengthened the strategy, execution, or effectiveness of the work.