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WEBBY AWARDS LAUNCH 12TH ANNUAL CALL FOR ENTRIES WITH 8 NEW
INTERACTIVE ADVERTISING AND MOBILE CATEGORIES
Expanded Categories Reflect Growth in Interactive Advertising and Mobile Content
New York, NY (September 18, 2007) – Giving advertising and mobile industry executives a chance to share the stage with the likes of David Bowie, Al Gore, and Prince, The Webby Awards today kicked off its 12th annual call for entries with eight new categories honoring interactive advertising and mobile content.
Hailed as the “OSCARS® of the Internet” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile content.
In a sign of how the Internet has increasingly become the centerpiece, rather than an afterthought, of advertising campaigns, The Webby Awards, in a first for the industry, unveiled an Integrated Campaign category that will recognize advertising that seamlessly integrates additional media such as print and broadcast with online-focused campaigns.
“In industry after industry -automotive, consumer electronics, pharmaceuticals, apparel – consumers are now making their purchasing decisions online,” said David-Michel Davies, Executive Director of The Webby Awards. “This new award will honor not just the online experience, but the print, radio, outdoor, and broadcast components that work in tandem to bring consumers online, where the decisions are actually made.”
Other new advertising categories unveiled this year include Mobile Advertising, Online Commercials, and Online Guerilla Marketing. Honoring content designed for mobile devices, the new mobile awards include Entertainment, Gaming, News, Social Networking, and Sports. To enter, visit www.webbyawards.com. The early entry deadline is October 26, 2007.
The first-ever Webby Awards honoring achievement in interactive advertising and the mobile Web were handed out in June 2007, with several agencies scoring multiple Webbys, including Tribal DDB (6), Farfar (4), and R/GA (4).
This year, with The Webbys judged by a panel of more than 100 advertising leaders, including Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s Alex Bogusky, R/GA’s Bob Greenberg, TribalDDB’s Matt Freeman, AKQA’s Rei Inamoto, and Ogilvy & Mather’s Annie Wong, the award has quickly become the most prestigious prize in the interactive advertising industry.
The Webbys’ expansion comes on the heels of its most successful awards season ever. The 11th Annual Webby Awards received a record 8,000 entries from over 60 countries. The year was capped with a star-studded June gala attended by an eclectic group of Internet luminaries including David Bowie, eBay CEO Meg Whitman, Beastie Boys, and YouTube co-founders Steve Chen and Chad Hurley.
Nominees in the 12th Annual Webby Awards will be announced in April 2008 and winners will be celebrated at a star-studded New York ceremony in June 2008.
About The Webby Awards:
Hailed as the “OSCARS® of the Internet” by the New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Web sites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile. Established in 1996, the 11th Annual Webby Awards received a record 8,000 entries from all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide. The Webby Awards is presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: Adobe; The Creative Group; Getty Images; Level3; dotMobi;The Barbarian Group; CondéNast|CondéNet; Adweek; Fortune; Reuters; Variety; Wired; IDG: Brightcove; PricewaterhouseCoopers; 2advanced.Net; KobeMail and Museum of the Moving Image.
OSCAR® is a federally registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Webby Awards and the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences are in no way affiliated with or sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences or OSCAR®.
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