Where Marketing’s Best Ideas Compete
Celebrating case studies that inspire, innovate, and deliver results.
Marketing doesn’t stand still—and neither do The Internationalist’s Awards. Each year, we showcase the ideas that break barriers, prove new possibilities, and set global standards for results. From digital breakthroughs to media reinvention, from AI innovation to purpose-driven impact, these four case study awards spotlight the work that moves our industry forward—and inspires marketers everywhere.
Media Innovation Awards
Innovation changes everything.
The ideas that inspire action, shift perspectives, and deliver results are the ones the world remembers.
That’s why the 18th Annual Internationalist Awards for Innovation in Media honor case studies that prove what’s possible in today’s fast-moving marketing world. Winning here isn’t about fitting into a category—it’s about demonstrating breakthrough thinking, measurable results, and relevance that transcends borders.
QUALIFYING PERIOD: Cases may be submitted for initiatives appearing in any market between October 2024 and the Awards deadline.
LEARN MORE | SUBMIT ENTRIES | PAST WINNERS
KEY DATES:
- Late November 2025- Call for Entries Opens.
- December 31, 2025- Early Discount Ends.
- January 23, 2026- Deadline for Entries. EXTENSIONS AVAILABLE through February.
- Mid-March 2026- Finalists will be announced.
- Virtual Awards Show to follow. Winners will also be interviewed for the Trendsetters or People Behind the Brands podcast and video series.
ENTRY FEES: USD $495 for a single entry. USD $445 each per multiple entry.
AI for Better Marketing
Which winning brands are using AI to achieve improved marketing success?
Artificial Intelligence has shifted from promise to practice—reshaping how brands connect with people, anticipate needs, and spark growth.
Success in an AI-driven marketing world is about more than technology.
QUALIFYING PERIOD: Cases may be submitted for initiatives appearing in any market in 2025—up to the Awards deadline of May 2026.
LEARN MORE | SUBMIT ENTRIES | PAST WINNERS
KEY DATES:
- March 30, 2026 – Call for Entries Opens
- May 8, 2026- Deadline for Entries.
- Mid-June 2026- Finalists alerted. Winners announced at Cannes Ad Festival.
- Virtual Awards Show to follow.
ENTRY FEES: USD $495 for a single entry. USD $445 each per multiple entry.
Marketing Makes a World of Difference
Today’s transparent social media environment has dramatically shifted the rules of “doing good business,” marketers worldwide are evolving to address new challenges and opportunities.
From advocating sustainability to ensuring jobs, from food security to climate concerns, and from social change to inclusivity, we are surrounded by important considerations. And marketing is essential to connecting these issues with customers’ passions and values.
QUALIFYING PERIOD: Cases may be submitted for initiatives appearing in any market from Spring 2025 to the July 2026 awards deadline.
LEARN MORE | SUBMIT ENTRIES | PAST WINNERS
KEY DATES:
- June 1, 2026 – Call for Entries Opens
- July 31, 2026- Deadline for Entries.
- Early September 2026- Finalists will be announced.
- Virtual Awards Show to follow.
ENTRY FEES: USD $495 for a single entry. USD $445 each per multiple entry.
Digital Solutions Awards
Are you setting the standard for digital marketing?
Digital ad spend is now over 73% of global ad revenue—but only a few brands earn admiration for innovation rather than intrusion.
These awards were established to recognize outstanding efforts— initiatives that seamlessly integrate creativity, technology, and strategy to address genuine challenges, meaningfully engage audiences, and redefine what marketing success means in the digital age.
QUALIFYING PERIOD: Initiatives appearing in any market between June 2025 and the Awards Deadline.
LEARN MORE | SUBMIT ENTRIES | PAST WINNERS
KEY DATES:
- September 14, 2026- Deadline for Entries.
- Late October 2026- Finalists will be announced.
- Mid-November 2026- Winners Announced.
- Virtual Awards Show to follow. Winners will also be interviewed for the Trendsetters or People Behind the Brands podcast and video series.
ENTRY FEES: USD $495 for a single entry. USD $445 each per multiple entry.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONALIST AWARDS
The Internationalist Awards celebrate the power of marketing and media to shape business today—amid the forces of technology disruption, purpose-driven priorities, and evolving business models. We honor the world’s most inspiring case studies—those that combine bold strategy, breakthrough ideas, and measurable results.
Unlike many competitions that silo work by category, The Internationalist Awards level the playing field. Every entry competes equally, judged by its ability to deliver real impact. The highest-scoring cases rise to the top—showcasing not only worldwide best practices, but also the ingenuity and ambition driving marketing forward.
JUDGING
Judging is anonymous, rigorous, and global through online forms and by client-side marketers who are part of The Internationalist community or ANA members.
This year’s awards will also feature an additional AI Judge, given our success with using an Artificial Intelligence “persona“ for the first time in the 2024 Digital Awards. The AI Judge was created with the help of Global AI Marketing Solutions Company XPLAIN. The Internationalist will continue to consider AI data-driven scoring and how it compares to our client-side marketer judges’ human experience, insights, and emotional responses.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONALIST:
About The Internationalist
For more than 23 years, The Internationalist has helped marketers around the world make sense of change — not by chasing headlines, but by interpreting what actually matters.
Founded by Deborah Malone, The Internationalist is an independent global marketing platform built on a simple belief: in an industry overflowing with information, marketers need judgment, context, and evidence, not just more content.
Unlike traditional marketing media, The Internationalist does not rely on advertising, sponsored content, or paywalls. Much of our editorial work — including Signals, Trendsetters interviews, and The EDIT — is freely available, supporting open dialogue and informed decision-making across the marketing community.
Our platform brings together four interconnected capabilities:
Insights
Proprietary research, surveys, indices, and evaluators that surface patterns shaping marketing, media, technology, and purpose. These insights ground our work in evidence and enable longitudinal understanding — from GenMore+ and the evolving 50+ economy to Marketing Makes a World of Difference and how brands translate values into practice.
Signals
Editorial interpretation that extracts meaning from data, behavior, and cultural shifts. Signals are designed to help marketers recognize what’s emerging before it becomes obvious — and to understand why it matters now.
People & Practice
Through Trendsetters profiles, Internationalists of the Year, and case-study-driven awards programs, we learn from real leaders and real work. We focus not on rhetoric, but on how marketing decisions show up in execution, partnerships, and outcomes.
Connection & Convening
Select initiatives and events — including leadership sessions and the Innovators Summit — that bring senior marketers, agencies, and partners together for informed, peer-level dialogue.
Why Awards Matter at The Internationalist
Awards at The Internationalist are not standalone promotions. They are a core part of how we learn.
Our awards programs are designed to:
- Surface real examples of innovation, effectiveness, and responsibility
- Identify emerging patterns across markets and categories
- Contribute evidence to our broader Insights and Signals work
Entries are evaluated by experienced global juries and examined as case studies — helping the industry understand not just who won, but why the work matters.
Participation in awards, research, publishing, and events is always optional and clearly distinguished from editorial coverage. This separation allows us to remain independent while offering marketers meaningful ways to engage more deeply when it adds value.
Our Purpose
The Internationalist exists to help marketers navigate complexity with confidence — connecting people, ideas, and evidence to illuminate what’s changing, what’s enduring, and what deserves attention next.
That perspective is what makes our awards credible — and why they are trusted as part of a broader interpretive platform, not just a moment of recognition.