WINNERS ANNOUNCED! Unparalleled Inspiration!
The 17th Annual Internationalist Awards for INNOVATION IN MEDIA
The most effective campaigns solve real problems, maintain authentic connections with their audiences, and deliver tangible results.
Not only did this year represent a record number of entries in The Internationalist Awards for Innovation in Media, but we are also recognizing more high-quality work than ever before in our seventeen-year history of honoring innovative case studies from around the globe!
From breakthrough AI integrations by Starcom Taiwan and PHD Germany to unconventional perspectives on sports offered by Havas at the Paris Olympics and across Latin America; from MEDIAPLUS’ purposeful concepts to novel approaches for engaging younger audiences by Mindshare; from thought-provoking initiatives in the UK and brand growth in Germany to pioneering gaming strategies in the Middle East; and exceptional solutions originating from the Philippines, the Czech Republic, Canada, Austria, Netherlands, China, Australia, Spain and Portugal, these case studies deliver unparalleled inspiration.
Given that the Internationalist Awards for Innovation in Media are based on a point-scoring system and case study entries compete equally across all classifications, there is no preset number of winners for any award designation.
SEE LIST OF ALL WINNERS
GRAND PRIX WINNERS
This year, six brands achieved the high honor of being named Grand Prix winners, given the record number of points they accrued from all judges. This year’s Grand Prix winners all drove extraordinary sales or market share through innovative approaches to branding.
- ALDI – Only Christmas Feels Like This; Submitted by PHD Germany
- Kaufland – TurboKaddy; Submitted by OMD Prague, Czech Republic
- Pop-Tarts (Kellanova) – Unfrosted: Not Brought to You by Pop-Tarts; Submitted by Starcom USA
- Puma – Turning Sports into Cinema – See the Game Like We Do; Submitted by Havas Media Argentina
- Schäferei Stücke – Rainbow Wool; Submitted by MEDIAPLUS Germany
- Volkswagen – Sans Emission; Submitted by Touché! Canada
ALDI’s “Only Christmas Feels Like This” campaign reimagined festive marketing by blending emotional storytelling with affordability and innovation.
Addressing financial concerns and a crowded ad landscape, ALDI used nostalgia and immersive tactics—like AR activations and an affordable Christmas market—to rekindle the joy of the season.
The campaign stood out with experiential media, social responsibility, and strong results, including a 7% market share increase and a #2 holiday ad ranking in Germany. It offers a scalable blueprint for brands aiming to connect emotionally while supporting communities.
To shake its “store for seniors” image and appeal to young people in Czechia, Kaufland partnered with the top esports team SINNERS to launch a bold, gaming-themed campaign. Instead of traditional ads, they created fun, viral content like videos of SINNERS cooking and wearing Kaufland-branded merch.
The centerpiece was the “TURBOKADDY” — a tricked-out, meme-worthy reinvention of a granny shopping cart loaded with tech and luxury design. The bag went viral, sold out, and raised money for charity. The campaign reached 1 million gamers, boosted engagement, and doubled young people’s intent to shop at Kaufland.
Facing declining relevance, Pop-Tarts hijacked the cultural buzz around Jerry Seinfeld’s unauthorized Netflix film Unfrosted with a fictional feud, launching the Unfrosted: Not Brought to You by Pop-Tarts campaign. Embracing absurdity over convention, they created a digital short, a fake red carpet crash, memes, and social media stunts to tie the movie to Pop-Tarts consumption. The bold, anti-partnership earned 297M+ impressions, made Unfrosted Netflix’s #1 movie opening weekend, drove incremental sales +57.6% vs. the prior year, and sparked viral fan engagement—all without official sponsorship.
Turning Sports into Cinema: See the Game Like We Do repositioned Puma in Argentina’s sportswear market by transforming sports into a cinematic experience.
Aiming to challenge Nike and Adidas, Puma immersed itself in cultural moments rather than traditional ads, sponsoring top football tournaments and becoming the first sports brand to advertise on premium platforms like HBO Max and Mercado Play.
A three-act narrative (Tension, Performance, Victory) engaged young sports fans emotionally. The campaign drove +26% sales growth, lifted brand awareness, and proved that immersive storytelling and cultural integration can disrupt even established markets.
Rainbow Wool (Schäferei Stücke) turned the overlooked issue of gay rams facing slaughter into a global movement for LGBTQ+ rights, animal welfare, and sustainable fashion.
German farmer Michael Stücke and queer icon Bill Kaulitz launched the world’s first “gay wool” line, using creative storytelling and low-budget activations to spark engagement.
The campaign generated 1.3B impressions, €20M in earned media, and pre-sold thread production for 5 years—proving how local purpose can drive global impact.
Volkswagen’s “Sans Émission” campaign cleverly turned Quebec TV network NOOVO’s unused 2–6 AM timeslot into a four-hour comedy special starring Pier-Luc Funk and a charging EV, playing on the double meaning of “Sans Émission” (“no broadcast” and “no emissions”). Promoted like a major TV premiere with billboards, media teasers, and PR, it built buzz for the ID.4 launch. The campaign drew 63,000 live viewers, earned 2M media impressions, and significantly boosted brand metrics—awareness (+15%), familiarity (+40%), consideration (+54%), and purchase intent (+100%)—along with a 49% increase in EV market share in Quebec.
PLATINUM WINNERS
Eight case studies stood out as special Platinum winners with exceptional scores.
- Adbul Latif Jameel Motors – The Treeless Map; Submitted by SERVICEPLAN & MEDIAPLUS Middle East
- Best Buy – Best Buy: Imagine That; Submitted by Starcom USA
- Fundación Coquito – Let’s Take Care of the Coquimbanos: A Goal for Men’s Health; Submitted by Havas Play Chile
- IKEA – This is an IKEA Store; Submitted by OMD Philippines
- John Deere – John Deere’s First “Chief Tractor Officer”; Submitted by Mindshare USA
- McDonald’s – Breakfast is ready! Submitted by OMD Germany
- Rügenwalder Mühle – #WURSTPROMOTER; Submitted by MEDIAPLUS Germany
- The BBC – Betrayal is Back: The BBC’s Sinister Strategy to Hook a New Generation; Submitted by Havas Media Manchester UK
“The Treeless Map” by Abdul Latif Jameel Motors used Fortnite to highlight deforestation, removing all trees from the game to create impact. For every player who joined, a real tree was planted. Tapping into Saudi youth’s gaming culture and Vision 2030 goals, the campaign reached over 10,000 players in 24 hours and became a top-rated map, blending virtual play with real-world environmental action.
Best Buy’s “Imagine That” campaign aimed to reignite excitement for technology and reposition the brand as innovative and relevant. Launching alongside NFL Kickoff Weekend, the campaign featured a new spokeshologram named Gram and partnered with NBCU to create immersive, tech-forward integrations within Sunday Night Football. The initiative leveraged custom content, influencer collaborations, and shoppable media, resulting in record viewership, strong lifts in brand affinity, purchase intent, and uniqueness—moving Best Buy to a forward-looking tech inspiration.
Fundación Coquito’s “Let’s Take Care of the Coquimbanos” tackled the stigma surrounding testicular cancer in young men by cleverly merging football culture with health awareness. With no media budget, the campaign partnered with Coquimbo Unido football club to spread its message using humor, cultural relevance, and earned media. Players promoted self-exams through on-field banners, short messaging, and viral social content, sparking national conversation. The campaign generated over 50 million impressions, 98% positive sentiment, and reported increases in testicular self-exams.
IKEA’s “This is an IKEA store” campaign in the Philippines tackled the challenge of limited physical store presence by turning everyday spaces into interactive retail touchpoints. Targeting urban dwellers and families, IKEA placed real products in salons, gyms, clinics, and even on Grab cars and beaches—each tagged with QR codes linking to IKEA.ph. Online, they used Instagram stickers, influencers, and geo-targeted ads to create 927 pop-up “stores.” The result: a 30% jump in e-commerce transactions, 12% more website visits, and a reach of over 46 million, proving how experience accessibility fuels digital growth.
John Deere launched its first-ever TikTok campaign by creating the role of Chief Tractor Officer (CTO) to connect with 18–35-year-olds, an audience new to the brand and the platform. The campaign encouraged video submissions under #JohnDeereCTO, fostering community, entertainment, and co-creation. Rex Curtiss was selected as the CTO, producing over 50 videos that highlighted customer stories and John Deere’s impact. The result: 71.1M views, 5.46M likes, and 551K new followers. This initiative repositioned the legacy brand for a new generation while maintaining authenticity and sparking global media attention.
McDonald’s Germany launched the “Breakfast is Ready” campaign to break Germans’ morning bakery habit and promote its revamped breakfast menu. Using radio shows, social media, and the Breakfast Gold Card giveaway, it created a buzz around trying McDonald’s in the morning. Localized content and live events made it feel personal and relevant. The campaign drove a 37% boost in breakfast traffic and a 44% increase in sales, making McDonald’s a new morning favorite.
Rügenwalder Mühle’s “WURSTPROMOTER” campaign cleverly tapped into the buzz around Taylor Swift’s 2024 tour without direct endorsement, offering fans the chance to attend concerts in exchange for selling vegan sausages. Aimed at younger, plant-based, pop culture-savvy consumers, the campaign transformed a job ad into a media placement, reaching the audience via digital, print, and influencer channels. With a €150K budget, it generated €32M in earned media value, 500M+ PR impressions, and a surge in brand relevance—all while repositioning the brand as modern and culturally connected.
The BBC’s “Betrayal is Back” campaign for The Traitors Season 2 redefined immersive marketing by turning the show’s core theme—paranoia—into a real-life experience. Targeting under-35s, it disrupted daily life through eerie ads, social activations, and even surprise appearances in other BBC shows. The strategy sparked national buzz, doubling viewership from Season 1, attracting younger audiences, and generating viral cultural moments. It’s now seen as a benchmark for how entertainment marketing can blur fiction and reality to build relevance and drive engagement.
GOLD WINNERS
This is the greatest number of GOLD and SILVER winners ever acknowledged in these awards. With their inspirational and effective initiatives, the remarkable winners are the heart of moving marketing forward. The Internationalist will profile each of these cases in the coming months.
- Abdul Latif Jameel Motors – Toyota reclaims Toyota; Submitted by SERVICEPLAN & MEDIAPLUS Middle East
- AC MILAN – HER NAME IN THE GAME; Submitted by MEDIAPLUS & SERVICEPLAN Italy
- Air Canada – MUSICAL TRAVEL GUIDES; Submitted by Cossette Media Canada
- Anzen Health – 855-HOW-TO-QUIT-(OPIOIDS); Submitted by MEDIAPLUS Germany | MEDIAPLUS North America
- Audi – SlickBait with Perfect Pics – Audi’s AI Drives Clicks! Submitted by PHD Germany
- Bitburger – Bitte come to Germany; Submitted by OMD Germany
- British Heart Foundation– Streams of (Un)consciousness; Submitted by PHD UK
- Continente – From Transactions to Tributes: How Continente Turned Shopping Data into a Personalized Year-End Celebration; Submitted by Arena Media Portugal
- Doritos – Silent Doritos; Submitted by OMD UK
- Dove (Unilever) – #KeepHerConfident; Submitted by Mindshare USA
- EE – EE Game Day 2024: The UK’s Biggest Gaming Arcade – Play Anywhere, Win Everywhere! Submitted by Havas Play UK
- EE – EE x Support. It’s In Your Hands; Submitted by Havas Play UK
- Foodpanda – Feeding Success: foodpanda’s Pyramid of Growth; Submitted by Spark Foundry Taiwan
- Ford – Ford x Sydney Sweeney; Submitted by Mindshare USA
- HORNBACH – Listen to Your Hands; Submitted by MEDIAPLUS Germany
- IKEA – Start Up the Start-Up: A New Chapter for Modern Offices; Submitted by Starcom Taiwan
- Jameel Motorsport – The Playable Takeover; Submitted by SERVICEPLAN & MEDIAPLUS Middle East
- LVMH – The Billboards’ Breach: Elevating LVMH’s Brand Presence at Paris 2024; Submitted by Havas Play France
- Magnum (Unilever) – Ice Ice Maybe? With Data, Baby! Submitted by PHD Germany
- McDonald’s – Slavik Junge – On Mecces Neck; Submitted by OMD Germany x Scholz & Friends
- McDonald’s Spain – Halloween: Good Scares; Submitted by Globant Spain
- MediaMarktSaturn – The Gear-Up Express; Submitted by MEDIAPLUS Germany
- PENNY – PENNY’s TV Kitchen Takeover; Submitted by OMD Germany x AdAlliance
- PetPace – Animal Alerts; Submitted by MEDIAPLUS Germany
- Privateer – Space Trash Signs; Submitted by MEDIAPLUS Germany
- Renault – Sponsoring Jersey; Submitted by Havas Play France
- REWE – RTRDP-DCO; Submitted by OMD Germany
- Samsung – Decoding Doubt: Selling Through Uncertainty; Submitted by Starcom Taiwan
- Sheba (Mars) – Sheba Gravy Race; Submitted by EssenceMediacom USA
- Smirnoff (Diageo) – We Do We; Submitted by Touché! Canada
- SPARK! Philippines – The KITA Initiative: Making Women-Owned Businesses Seen, One Sign at a Time; Submitted by Havas Ortega, Philippines
- Starcom – The Love Atomic Habit; Submitted by Starcom Taiwan
- Telstra – Santa AI; Submitted by OMD Australia
- The British Red Cross – The Sound of Impact: How British Red Cross Used the Power of Audio to Drive Donations; Submitted by Havas Media UK
- Uber – Making Local Media ‘Uber Contextual; Submitted by PHD UK
- V&A – If you’re into it, it’s in the V&A; Submitted by PHD UK
- Volkswagen – 50 Years of Golf: Legacy Meets Gen Zee! Submitted by PHD Germany
- WELLS – Wells: The Campaign That Redefined Beauty and Well-Being; Submitted by Arena Media Portugal
- WWF Germany – Save What You See; Submitted by MEDIAPLUS Germany | Saint Elmo’s Germany
SILVER WINNERS
- ACCOR – ALL Surfin’ the Seine; Submitted by Havas Play France
- AdventHealth – Feel Whole Promise; Submitted by Parity USA
- Air Transat – Win Back Sunlight; Submitted by Sid Lee Media Canada
- ALDI – PESO’s our Game, What’s Your Claim? Submitted by PHD Germany
- BMW – Real Estate to Road: The Data-Driven BMW Journey; Submitted by Starcom Taiwan
- Booking.com – Travel the Screen; Submitted by Mindshare USA
- Burberry – Burberry x Xiaohongshu: Build Community Vibe with Luxury Experiences; Submitted by OMD China
- Burgenland Tourismus – Future Targeting for Burgenland Tourism; Submitted by Mediaplus Austria
- Frontpro – The Dogventure Score; Submitted by OMD Germany
- Hellmann’s Mayonnaise (Unilever) – Hellmann’s Mayo Cat; Submitted by Mindshare
- Hyundai – IONIQ 5 N: The Electric Thrill That Converts Petrolheads; Submitted by Havas Play Netherlands
- Knorr (Unilever) – #Mod; Submitted by PHD Germany
- McDonald’s – Feel the Warmth: How McCafé Warmed Hearts; Submitted by OMD Germany
- McDonald’s – Retrieve Haters’ Love; Submitted by Starcom Taiwan
- Red Bull – The Rave Board, The Billboard that Became a Club; Submitted by Havas Play Netherlands
- Renault – IRL x IRL: The interactive R5 Launch; Submitted by OMD Germany
- Samsung – Transforming Learners to Leaders; Submitted by Starcom Taiwan
- Takis (Grupo Bimbo) – Takis: Face the Intensity; Submitted by PHD Media Limited
- Uber Eats – Uber Gots Talent; Submitted by Touché! Canada
- Visa – Visa Live at Le Louvre; Submitted by Starcom USA
ABOUT THE AWARDS:
Now in its seventeenth year, The Internationalist Awards for Innovation in Media showcase how inspiring case studies are evaluated for their insights, strategy, and results. Judging is anonymous through online forms and by marketers who are part of The Internationalist community or ANA members. Each judge reviews approximately 15 entries per session, ensuring that case studies receive fair consideration.
Unlike many awards that recognize the best in a single category, these awards enable all entries to be judged as examples of worldwide best practices; winners are those with the highest point scores. There is no predetermined number of bronze, silver, gold, or grand prix winners; again, these designations are determined by point scores.
