June 27, 2023
Strong Increase Across Corporate Influencer, Financial Services and Rising Star Categories
London, Tuesday 27th June: The World Media Group has announced the shortlist for the 2023 World Media Awards (WMAs), which showcase the best in international content-driven, cross-border advertising. The awards drove strong international interest across APAC, EMEA and the Americas attracting entries from Belgium, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Ireland, Singapore, Turkey, UK and the USA, UAE to highlight a few.
This year, entries increased by 100% in the Corporate Influencer category and 63% in the Financial Services category compared to last year. Entries for the Rising Star category – introduced last year to recognise talented individuals who are making a significant impact to the creativity and effectiveness of content-led advertising strategies early on in their careers – have more than doubled.
The shortlist, which includes a wide variety of renowned brands, was decided by an international team of 39 heavyweight jurors from leading advertisers, agencies and publishers. The jury’s make up reflects the vital importance of collaboration between all three parties when creating effective content-driven marketing campaigns. This year’s Co-chairs are Jerry Daykin, Head of Global Media, Beam Suntory and Natasha Byrne, Managing Partner, UM. You can see the full list of judges here.
“I was delighted to see so many high-quality entries which were insight-led and data-driven across all categories, but it was particularly interesting to see such an increase in strong campaigns from the Financial Services sector, perhaps a reflection of the need for financial institutions to set themselves apart from the competition in the current economic climate,” said Natasha Byrne, Managing Partner, UM.
“The number of strong candidates competing for this year’s Rising Star award blew me away,” said Jerry Daykin, Head of Global Media, Beam Suntory. “Shortlisting this impressive list of entries was tough, but it gives me confidence that brands are in safe hands for years to come. This next generation of savvy marketers are already showing such innovation with their contributions to international, content-led, advertising, it’s truly inspiring.”
World Media Awards Event: The final category winners will be announced during an exclusive live ceremony at the Ham Yard Hotel in London on Thursday 7th September 2023 The winner of this year’s prestigious Grand Prix Award will also be announced on the night, joining brands such as Johnnie Walker, London & Partners, Malaria No More, Shell, Sonos and Tata Motors, who have taken home the prize in previous years.
Winners’ Perks: The Awards are unique in that all winners not only walk away with a trophy and kudos on the night, but will also see their work celebrated in an exclusive worldwide advertising campaign valued at €750k+ which will run across the World Media Group’s leading international media brands comprising The Atlantic, BBC News, Insider, The Economist, Forbes, Fortune, National Geographic, Reuters, Politico Europe, The New York Times, The Smithsonian, TIME, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.
The 2023 shortlist is as follows:
Automotive
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
| Audi – Audi Future | 4ward | Sustainability | TIME |
| Volkswagen – The Force Is Strong, United! | PHD Germany |
| Volkswagen Group – MMP: Multi Brand Activation | Omnicom Group |
| Volkswagen ID. Buzz – Feeling The Force Of A Perfect Partnership | PHD and Scholz&Friends |
Corporate Influencer
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
| Brand Scotland – Scotland: More Than You Thought | BBC StoryWorks |
| Haleon– The Health Inclusivity Index | Economist Impact |
| Iberdrola – The Power Playbook: How Leaders Use Renewables | The Trust at The Wall Street Journal | Barron’s Group |
| Iberdrola – Building A Green Energy Major | Headland Consultancy |
| Maersk –Discover New Paths | Havas Business |
Financial Services
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
| Invest Europe– A Different Angle: Funding people, With Purpose | Invest Europe |
| iShares by BlackRock– Index More | Mindshare |
| PGIM – OutFront | Reuters |
| Visa – Protecting Gamers Protects Visa | Starcom Worldwide |
| Visa – Visa: The Right Way To Right Attention | Starcom Worldwide |
Luxury & Lifestyle
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
| adidas– Ozworld | EssenceMediacom |
| Birkenstock – Birkenstock & The New York Times Advertising “Ugly for a Reason” | The New York Times Advertising |
| Boucheron– Media Beyond Gender | iProspect Global |
Media & Entertainment
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
| Bumble – Brand Anthem | Havas Media Group London |
| PlayStation– # GameTok | EssenceMediacom |
| Reuters – Reuters NEXT | Thomson Reuters |
Technology & Telecoms
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
| Dell – Dell x VMware x CIO: Be Ready For The Future | Foundry, an IDG, Inc. company |
| Deutsche Telekom AG – #WhatWeValue: Embracing Volunteerism With Gen Z | Mindshare GmbH |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 – Samsung Galaxy: Flipping Perceptions With StemDrop | Starcom Worldwide |
Travel & Tourism
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
| Abu Dhabi Tourism – Abu Dhabi Unwrapped: A Sonic Travel Guide | BBC StoryWorks |
| Cymru Wales (Welsh Government) – Wales To The World | Orchard Media and Events |
| Let’s Do London 2022 – Let’s Do London | Wavemaker Global |
| Travel Manitoba– Canada’s Heart Is Calling | Travel Manitoba |
Specialist Categories:
Brand & Media Owner Partnership
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
| Birkenstock – Birkenstock & The New York Times Advertising “Ugly for a Reason” | The New York Times Advertising |
| DP World – Trade In Transition | Economist Impact |
| Kyndryl – Profiles Of Progress | Economist Impact |
| Target – Remezcla + Target | Remezcla |
Rising Star
| Name | Company |
| Tilman Henschke | Crossmedia |
| Teodora Tepavicharova | Condé Nast |
| Sakshi Bhambhani | OMD EMEA |
| Rosie Duckworth | UM |
| Obinna Iwuji | Wavemaker |
Social Good
| Brand / Campaign | Entered by |
| Deutsche Telekom AG – #WhatWeValue: Embracing Volunteerism With GenZ | Mindshare GmbH |
| Haleon– The Health Inclusivity Index | Economist Impact |
| Leaps by Bayer–Crossing The Line | BBC StoryWorks |
| Samsung – Putting Samsung Live Recommerce At The Heart Of World Environment Day | Starcom Worldwide |
For full details of shortlisted entries go to https://world-media-group.com/awards/2023-shortlist/
#ENDS#.
Media contact:
Charlotte Panther T: 07834 431206 or E: Charlotte@world-media-group.com
About The World Media Group
The World Media Group is a strategic alliance of leading international media organisations that connects brands with highly engaged, influential audiences in the context of trusted and renowned journalism. Its members include The Atlantic, BBC News, The Economist, Forbes, Fortune, Insider, National Geographic, Politico Europe, Reuters, The New York Times Company, The Smithsonian, TIME, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, and partners Brand Metrics, Dianomi and Smartology. To find out more about the World Media Group, please visit www.world-media-group.com.