ADCN Awards

Advertising

Activations & PR

A01: Activations & Brand PR
Late Bird Fee: €456,00

Campaigns that generate buzz and media coverage through creative events, stunts, or PR initiatives. Best use of experiential marketing and earned media to build brand awareness and engagement.

Advertising

Culture

A02: Culture
Late Bird Fee: €228,00

Work that taps into or shapes (local) cultural trends, movements, or conversations. Entries should demonstrate how the brand connected with audiences through culturally relevant content or experiences.

Advertising

Digital

A03: Digital
Late Bird Fee: €456,00

Creative ideas delivered through digital platforms like websites, apps, social media, and other digital platforms. Showcases innovative use of digital technology to engage audiences and deliver brand messages. Entries should showcase innovation in the use of technology or digital media.

Advertising

Direct

A04: Direct
Late Bird Fee: €456,00

Campaigns designed to provoke a direct response from the audience. Includes mail, email, or personalized digital communications aimed at driving a specific action.

Advertising

Entertainment

A05: Entertainment
Late Bird Fee: €456,00

Branded content that entertains while communicating a message. This can include web series, music videos, documentaries, or branded films, with the focus on storytelling and audience engagement.

Advertising

Experiential

A06: Experiential
Late Bird Fee: €456,00

Immersive experiences that allow people to interact with a brand physically or digitally. Includes live events, pop-ups, installations, or digital experiences where audience participation is key.

Advertising

Film

A07: Film
Late Bird Fee: €456,00

Commercials for TV, cinema, online, and other video platforms. The focus is on storytelling through moving images and the creative use of storytelling, production quality, and effectiveness in conveying the brand message.

Advertising

Influencer & Brand Partnerships

A08: Influencer & Brand Partnerships
Late Bird Fee: €456,00

Collaborations between brands and influencers or other companies to create content that reaches specific audiences. Entries should demonstrate how these partnerships build brand awareness, engagement or trust.

Advertising

Integrated

A09: Integrated
Late Bird Fee: €456,00

Campaigns that combine multiple types of media—digital, print, TV, and more—to deliver a unified message. Successful entries should show how each channel works together for a larger creative idea.

Advertising

Media

A10: Media
Late Bird Fee: €456,00

Best use of media to maximize impact. Includes creative and innovative use of traditional (TV, radio, print) or non-traditional media (guerrilla marketing, product placement) to reach the audience.

Advertising

Outdoor

A11: Outdoor
Late Bird Fee: €456,00

Work that appears in public spaces, such as billboards, bus shelters, or transit ads. It can also include non-traditional placements, like projections or large-scale installations in outdoor environments.

Advertising

Podcasting

A12: Podcasting
Late Bird Fee: €456,00

Branded or sponsored podcasts that engage listeners through storytelling, interviews, or discussions. Entries should highlight originality and creativity in format, production, and audience engagement. *Entries in the category ‘Podcasting’ may be self initiated but must be commercially paid-for, sponsored or brand funded.

Advertising

Print & Editorial

A13: Print & Editorial
Late Bird Fee: €456,00

Creative work in printed media, such as newspapers, magazines, posters, or brochures. Entries can also include editorial content that tells a story or communicates a message effectively in print.

Advertising

Radio

A14: Radio
Late Bird Fee: €456,00

Creative audio work broadcast via radio or digital platforms. Entries may include jingles, ads, or long-form content that uses sound to communicate a brand message or story.

Advertising

Strategy

A16: Strategy
Late Bird Fee: €456,00

Campaigns that showcases the idea behind the creative idea. This includes the thinking and research that connects brand goals with audience insights and drives a successful creative execution.

Craft

Animation & Motion Design

C01: Animation & Motion Design
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

Work that uses animation or motion graphics to bring ideas to life. Includes 2D or 3D animation, stop-motion, and digital motion design for any type of media or platform.

Craft

Art Direction

C02: Art Direction
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

Overall visual style and creative direction of a project. Recognizes cohesive and impactful visual storytelling across various media, focusing on how all design elements come together.

Craft

Audio Editing & Sound Design

C03: Audio Editing & Sound Design
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

The creative use of sound to enhance storytelling or create mood. Includes mixing, sound effects, or ambient audio, in any type of media like radio, podcasts, film, or digital content.

Craft

Cinematography

C04: Cinematography
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

The art of capturing visuals through the lens. Entries should demonstrate creative camera work, lighting, and framing that enhances the storytelling of films, videos, or commercials.

Craft

Colour Grading

C05: Colour Grading
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

The process of enhancing or altering color in video or film to create a specific look or mood. Entries should showcase how grading contributes to the visual style of the final piece.

*Uploading a visual breakdown of the before- and after work is mandatory.

Craft

Copy

C06: Copy
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

Creative writing that delivers a message, whether through headlines, taglines, scripts, or body text. This category focuses on how words are used to persuade, inform, or entertain across any medium.

Craft

Editing

C07: Editing
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

The craft of piecing together visual or audio elements to tell a cohesive story. Includes film or video editing that shapes narrative, pace, and emotional impact.

Craft

Film Direction

C08: Film Direction
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

The creative vision and leadership behind a film or video production. Recognizes directors who bring scripts to life with distinctive style and storytelling.

Craft

Illustration & Typography

C09: Illustration & Typography
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

Hand-drawn or digital illustrations and creative use of typography to communicate a message. Includes custom lettering, font design, or illustrations used in print, digital, or other media.

Craft

Music

C10: Music
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

Original music composition or soundtracks created specifically for a campaign. This category highlights how music contributes to the mood, tone, storytelling of a project and how it enhances the overall impact of a piece.

Craft

Photography

C11: Photography
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

Creative use of photography to capture powerful imagery for ads, editorials, or other media. This can include portrait, product, or environmental photography.

Craft

Production Design

C12: Production Design
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

The creation of physical sets, props, and environments for film, video, or experiential work. Entries should show how production design enhances the visual narrative or mood of the project.

Craft

Synthography (NEW)

C13: Synthography (NEW)
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

Creative use of AI-generated imagery or graphics in a campaign. This category highlights how AI technology is used to create innovative visuals for any platform or media type.

Craft

Visual Effects

C14: Visual Effects
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

The digital or practical effects that enhance visuals in films, videos, or animations. Includes CGI, green screen, and other post-production techniques used to create imaginative or realistic effects. *Uploading a visual breakdown of the before- and after work is mandatory.

Design

Branding

D01: Branding
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

The creation of a brand’s identity, including its logo, visual elements, and overall look and feel. This category highlights how design communicates a brand’s personality across any media or touchpoints.

Design

Digital Design

D02: Digital Design
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

Creative design for digital platforms such as websites, apps, or interactive experiences. Entries should focus on how visuals, layout, and interactivity create engaging user experiences.

Design

Graphic

D03: Graphic
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

The use of graphic elements, like typography, shapes, and colors, to communicate a message or create visual impact. This can include posters, brochures, books or online visuals for any type of media.

Design

Packaging & Product

D04: Packaging & Product
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

Creative design of packaging and physical products which stands out on the shelf. This includes innovative, sustainable, or visually appealing designs for physical products.

Design

Sonic Branding

D06: Sonic Branding
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

The use of sound to represent a brand’s identity. This can include jingles, sound logos, or branded audio elements that are recognizable and connect emotionally with the audience.

Design

Spatial

D07: Spatial
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

Design of physical spaces, including (retail) environments, pop-ups, or installations. Entries should demonstrate how space is used creatively to deliver a (brand) experience or message.

Design

UI/UX & Gaming

D08: UI/UX & Gaming
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) design for websites, apps, or games. This category focuses on intuitive design that enhances how users interact with a platform or game.

Design

Website

D09: Website
Late Bird Fee: €408,00

Creative and functional website design that delivers a seamless user experience. Entries should focus on both aesthetic appeal and usability, whether for desktop, mobile, or responsive platforms.

Impact

N1: Impact
Late Bird Fee: €204,00

Work that makes a meaningful difference, either socially, environmentally, or culturally. This category recognizes creative projects that have a positive, lasting influence on communities or the world.

Innovation

N2: Innovation
Late Bird Fee: €204,00

Groundbreaking ideas that push creative boundaries. This category highlights original solutions, new technologies, or unique approaches that reimagine what’s possible in advertising and design.

Passion Project

N3: Passion Project
Late Bird Fee: €204,00

Personal creative projects driven by individual passion, not tied to commercial work, and made on a budget lower than €15.000,-. The project was started on your own initiative (without a client or brief). Entries should showcase originality, dedication, and creative vision in any medium, including art, design, or film.

Student

N4: Student
Late Bird Fee: €0,00

Welcome Finalists from Fontys Eindhoven & Tilburg and Hogeschool Utrecht! Please use this platform to officially submit your entries. If you have any questions, know where to find us. Good luck and see you on the 21st!

Talent

N5: Talent
Late Bird Fee: €30,00

Recognizing emerging creative talent, this category is for standout work by individuals or teams at the beginning of their careers. Entries can be commercial, commissioned or personal projects in any medium, with a focus on fresh, innovative ideas.

The Talent categories are open to students and recent graduates under 30 years, with a maximum of 3 years professional experience in the creative industry.

Young Directors

N6: Young Directors
Late Bird Fee: €30,00

Celebrates up-and-coming film directors. Recognizes fresh voices and innovative approaches in commercial and branded film content. Entries should showcase storytelling and directorial skill.

The Young Director category is open to students and recent graduates, under 30 years, with a maximum of 3 years professional experience in the creative industry.

Disciplines & Categories

Advertising

Craft

Design

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