industry categories

Campaigns entered into these categories will be considered for a Gold, Silver or Bronze ARF David Ogilvy Award. Campaigns can be entered into a maximum of two award categories. If you don’t see your category represented here or are not sure which category to submit to, reach out to davidogilvyawards@thearf.org.

automotive Cars, trucks, motorcycles, gasoline, motor oil, servicing and parts	business-to-business Products and services that are exchanged or targeted from one business to another
fashion, beauty & home Clothing, eyewear, hosiery, shoes, jewelry, perfumes, cosmetics, furniture, paints, home appliances, cleaning supplies	financial services & insurance Credit cards, loans, mutual funds, banking, additional financial services
food & beverage Fresh, packaged, and frozen foods (fruits, vegetables, coffee/tea, meats, cheeses, cereals, canned goods, snacks, etc.), soda, water, juice, beer, wine, spirits	electronics, tech & telecommunications Telephone, internet, and cellular companies, services and/or platforms, phones, tablets, social media, apps, video games, websites, VR/AR devices, sound systems, voice-enabled tech, wearable tech
government, public service & non-profit Municipal or state development, lotteries, utilities, public service messages, political messages	health & personal care Consumer healthcare/OTC products, first aid, skin and hair products, soap, deodorant
multicultural Products and services targeting multicultural audiences/consumers	pharmaceuticals Drugs and medical devices prescribed by a licensed professional
professional services Real estate companies, law firms and legal services, clinics, delivery services (UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL)	retail & restaurants Brick and mortar and/or online stores selling apparel, specialty products, general merchandise and/or services + restaurants including, fast food, casual dining, white tablecloth, coffee shops, and juice bars (any restaurant establishment may enter)
sports, media & entertainment Sporting events, teams and merchandise, films, music, TV shows, news programs, theater, museums, network, cable, and streaming platform branding	travel Airlines, transit, hotels, rental services (i.e., Airbnb, HomeAway)

---

spotlight categories

In addition to the industry vertical categories, Spotlight Categories honor the latest trends in the industry, including increasing awareness of social issues, consumer experiences, and data-driven campaigns. The awards follow the same criteria as the industry verticals, however only Gold and Silver distinctions are awarded in these categories.

best brand transformation

Most brands follow a standard lifecycle trajectory: high growth, maturity, level-off or decline. Exceptional campaigns break that model and reverse flat or declining sales. The Best Brand Transformation Award honors a campaign that used insights to reverse a downward trend or to chart a new course that reinvented the brand image, created new cultural relevance, or drove growth in an unexpected direction.

best consumer experience

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” (Maya Angelou). Brands are banking on this wisdom and investing more of their marketing budgets into immersive experiences that create meaningful connections with consumers. The Best Consumer Experience Award honors a campaign that compellingly featured the power of experience. A winning campaign could represent either a blended project – showing a mix of brand and consumer experience work – only solely consumer experience work.

best new or emerging brand

Communicating the merits of a new or emerging brand can be daunting, whether differentiating from an existing category or establishing a foothold in a new category. The Best New or Emerging Brand Award honors a campaign that used insights to break out among a cluttered industry category or established themselves as a stand-alone brand.

data innovation

An abundance of data is meaningless if it does not power captivating creative campaigns. Data can create connected experiences vs. discrete touchpoints and help creative teams deliver passions and interests that align to targeted audiences. The Data Innovation Award honors a campaign that utilized innovative techniques to gather new and/or mine existing data, resulting in an actionable insight.

social responsibility

Changing attitudes and behavior is not just for “selling” products—it can lead to healthier lives, educate, or improve entire communities and lend a helping hand to make the world a better place. The Social Responsibility Award honors a campaign that used consumer insights to motivate messages of positive change or brought awareness to global or environmental needs. This award recognizes both branded efforts with a social or brand efficacy message (“brand purpose” campaigns) and/or work on behalf of non-profit or charitable organizations and institutions.

SEEHER AWARD

In 2021, this award was added to ARF David Ogilvy Awards lineup, to honor a campaign that showcases realistic representation in advertising, especially accurate portrayals of women and girls. When selecting a winner, the jury considers the effectiveness of the ad with and without the presence of a woman/women as well as a deep look into fair representation across the board – culturally, physically, ethnically, and socially. The SeeHer Award is presented by the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) and The Female Quotient (The FQ).

---

grand ogilvy award

This award will be bestowed to the most outstanding campaign selected from all Gold Award winners.

IMPORTANT: The number of levels (Gold, Silver, or Bronze) awarded in each category is at the sole discretion of the jury. This ensures that each campaign is reviewed based on its own merit and not by competing with campaigns in the same category. Recognition in any category may not be awarded at the discretion of the jury.