Categories

Branded Content

Original content created to support the marketing strategy of a brand by engaging, entertaining, or informing a target audience. This content aims to enhance brand positioning or promote products and services. Eligible creative content includes any material that is not perceived as traditional advertising. This encompasses TV programming, films, documentaries, online videos, games, print media, articles, both online and offline media, branded entertainment, social content, and other types of content, regardless of the format.

Rebrand/New Product Launch

This category celebrates campaigns for companies or brands updating their positioning, undergoing rebranding, or launching a new product. Rebrands of in-house agencies, internal rebrands, or internal product launches are not eligible. Only customer-facing rebrands and product launches will be considered.

Social Media

Best use of social media to achieve marketing objectives.

NEW!
Best Use of AI

Entries in this category must demonstrate effective use of AI tools and technologies to either support creative concepting, execution of the work, or both. Entrants will be required to explain what AI tools were used to support the work, and how they were essential in creating the resulting marketing asset, campaign, or project.

Experiential
(in-person and virtual)

Efforts that engaged with a target audience either live/in-person or via a virtual/on-demand experience. All types of interactive engagement are a fit for this category: exhibitions, trade shows, sales meetings, webinars, samplings, product demos, etc.

Integrated Campaign

Campaigns that used three or more different marketing channels to engage a target audience with a single consistent theme or message. The submission should demonstrate how to the integrated strategy employed various types of media for optimal impact.

Internal Communications

Communication efforts that engage and inform employees about company vision, goals, values, work culture, and DEIB initiatives. All creative formats are eligible: video, print, email, websites, newsletters, magazines, direct mail, etc.

This category celebrates campaigns for companies or brands updating their positioning, undergoing rebranding, or launching a new product. Rebrands of in-house agencies, internal rebrands, or internal product launches are not eligible. Only customer-facing rebrands and product launches will be considered.

Social Media

Best use of social media to achieve marketing objectives.

Socially Responsible

This category includes creative content addressing current social issues. Eligible entries focus on making a positive societal impact through social causes, charities, or corporate responsibility programs. All creative formats are acceptable.

Best Collaborative Effort

Top marketing is reflective of an effective collaboration. This award puts the spotlight on the best collaborative efforts involving in-house teams and their external agencies.

The in-house agency must be responsible for at least 50% of the work to qualify.

This specialty honor will go to the team that not only exemplifies excellence in the areas of creativity, strategy, and effectiveness, but represents what it means to be the “best in-house agency."

Fostering the right team dynamic is key to producing work that makes an impact. This award will ask teams to share details on their culture, business impact, and notable accomplishments achieved over the past year.

All in-house agencies - any size, from anywhere around the globe – are welcome to enter.

Only the highest scoring submissions within their main In-House Excellence Award category(s) in the program's main round of judging will be contenders for the In-House Agency of the Year honor.

This honor recognizes a leading individual in an in-house agency who consistently demonstrates excellence in creative and strategic thinking, management of multi-disciplined teams, and thought leadership in their respective industry. There are many ways to be a leader both in title and in practice. This leader champions their team internally, advocates for the benefits of in-house marketing and advertising externally and embodies the spirit of the ANA In-House Excellence Awards to encourage incredible creativity and innovation.

You may nominate your colleague or yourself. It is not required that the individual’s in-house agency produce award-worthy work in another category of the 2025 ANA In-House Excellence Awards to be considered for this award.

Significant Results

Entries in this category will need to demonstrate the effectiveness of the work and its positive contribution to building a brand and growth of the business. Providing facts and figures (sales, market share, etc.), your submission should explain why the effort was successful based on effectiveness of the creative execution and its measurable objectives.

NOTE: We understand there may be concerns with sharing actual figures in the entry. Data reflecting the effectiveness of the work can be provided as indices or percentages.

The In-House GEM Award

Spotlighting the industry's change makers and influencers committed to the authentic, accurate portrayals of women and girls in their marketing efforts.

Gender inequality is the one inequality that is truly global in scope. Yet, we know that marketing and media can create powerful change by addressing how women and girls are portrayed in advertising and marketing content.

The ANA's SeeHer Initiative, which has the mission of driving the accurate portrayal of women and girls in media, advertising, marketing and entertainment, has created a unique opportunity for all In-House Excellence Award applicants: The ANA In-House GEM^® Award.

The ANA In-House GEM Award will honor the top creative and powerful work that exemplifies the best-in-class accurate and authentic portrayal of women and/or girls in campaigns produced by in-house marketing agencies.