EssenceMediacom tops Festival of Media Global Awards 2024 shortlist

EssenceMediacom, GroupM’s newest and largest agency, is the most shortlisted network at this year’s Festival of Media Global Awards, with 58 entries singled out as world-class.

Included in the total are seven nominations for 1982 Sprite, a campaign from China that turned a classic meme into reality with fine-wine-style executions, including a the first-ever live auction on Douyin (TikTok) and tastings of ‘vintage’ 1982 Sprite in shopping malls. The work also won two Golds and a Silver at the Festival of Media Asia Awards earlier this week.

The network’s work on Coca Cola’s Sprite brand was also recognised for three other campaigns: Heat Happens, which included bespoke executions across the globe, and Joke in a Bottle out of India, both of which were singled out in three categories, and The Coolest Music to Beat the Summer Heat in China, which was nominated in the Best Music Marketing Category.

The Coca Cola brand was also nominated for multiple awards with two campaigns in China – Coke Gives China’s Icons a Refreshing Break and Taste the Future – as well the Social Kitchen campaign in Thailand, combining to make a total of eight shortlists.

Among the other EssenceMediacom campaigns to score multiple shortlists are The Official Sponsor of Fans’ Hearts for Bayer’s Aspirin brand in the US, which was nominated five times, and Sky Broadband’s No Room for Abuse from the UK, which was shortlisted four times.

Ebay was another highly nominated brand, singled out for a total of eight shortlist places for work in both the UK and the US. The work included campaigns with the original supermodel Twiggy – which attracted a total of five shortlists – and its partnerships with Vogue and the Met Gala.

Other brands shortlisted for work included NBCU, KFC, Mars, EE, Paddy Power, TUI, UN Women, Google and Indeed. Six different markets contributed the network’s success.

“These shortlists demonstrate the power of our ideas to deliver breakthrough performances. Across a range of brands, we haven’t just built a single amazing campaign but a series of market-leading ideas that deliver breakthroughs across the New Communication Economy. We simply have a plethora of great ideas that, combined with data and tech, fuel great marketing solutions,” said Nick Lawson, EssenceMediacom’s Global CEO.

Update table here

Category

Campaign

Brand

Country

• Best Use of Out of Home | Barbie: Painting Australia PINK, Barbie, Australia

• NEW: Best Campaign for a Holiday or Celebration, KFC: Xmas Media in July, KFC, Australia

• Best Distribution and Amplification of Content | Launching a paper, to make driving safer, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Australia

• Best Use of Print and Publishing | Launching a paper, to make driving safer, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Australia

• Best Communications Strategy | 1982 Sprite, Sprite, China

• Best Engagement Strategy | 1982 Sprite, Sprite, China

• Best Integrated Campaign |1982 Sprite, Sprite, China

• Best Use of Online | 1982 Sprite, Sprite, China

• Best Use of Social Media | 1982 Sprite, Sprite, China

• Best Viral Campaign | 1982 Sprite, Sprite, China

• The Creative Use of Media Award | 1982 Sprite, Sprite, China

• Best Communications Strategy | Coke Gives China's Icons a Refreshing Break, Coca-Cola, China

• Best Use of Talent | Coke Gives China's Icons a Refreshing Break, Coca-Cola, China

• Best Viral Campaign | Coke Gives China's Icons a Refreshing Break, Coca-Cola, China

• Best Use of Audio | Cuixiangmi’s Journey from West to East,Cuixiangmi, China

• Best Engagement Strategy | Jump into the Rainbow, Skittles, China

• Best Use of Online | Snickers: The world's first Ultraman-themed Gaokao experience, Snickers, China

• NEW: Best Campaign for an Awareness or Observance Day | Week or Month, Snickers: The world's first Ultraman-themed Gaokao experience, Snickers, China

• Best Local Execution of a Global Brand | Taste the Future with Coca-Cola Creations Y3000, Coca-Cola, China

• Best Use of Technology | Taste the Future with Coca-Cola Creations Y3000, Coca-Cola, China

• NEW: Best Music Marketing Campaign | The Coolest Music to Beat the Summer Heat!, Sprite, China

• Best Branded Content | Joke in a Bottle, Sprite, India

• Best Campaign for a Local Brand | Joke in a Bottle, Sprite, India

• Best Use of Mobile | Joke in a Bottle, Sprite, India

• Best Distribution and Amplification of Content, Coke Recipe for Magic - Coke Kitchen, Coca-Cola, Thailand

• Best ecommerce Campaign | Coke Recipe for Magic - Coke Kitchen, Coca-Cola, Thailand

• Best Use of Real- Time Marketing | Coke Recipe for Magic - Coke Kitchen, Coca-Cola, Thailand

• Best Branded Content, eBay Twiggy: Full Circle | eBay, United Kingdom

• Best Local Execution of a Global Brand | eBay Twiggy: Full Circle, eBay, United Kingdom

• The Creative Use of Media Award, eBay Twiggy: Full Circle, eBay, United Kingdom

• Best Campaign led by Cause | EE: Stay Connected at Night, EE, United Kingdom

• Best Use of Audio | Google Hum to Search, Google, United Kingdom

• Best Use of Sport | Paddy Power and the PDC World Darts championships, Paddy Power, United Kingdom

• Best Event or Experiential Campaign | Sky Broadband No Room for Abuse, Sky, United Kingdom

• Best Use of eSports or Gaming | Sky Broadband No Room for Abuse, Sky, United Kingdom

• Collaboration Award | Sky, Broadband No Room For Abuse, Sky, United Kingdom

• The Bravery Award | Sky Broadband No Room for Abuse, Sky, United Kingdom

• Best Distribution and Amplification of Content | Sprite - Heat Happens, Sprite, United Kingdom

• Best Use of Data Award | Sprite - Heat Happens, Sprite, United Kingdom

• Best Use of Real- Time Marketing | Sprite - Heat Happens, Sprite, United Kingdom

• Best Branded Content | TUI World Cook, TUI, United Kingdom

• Best Campaign led by Cause | UN Women: Turning Hard News into Hard Donations, United Nations, United Kingdom

• Best Use of Print and Publishing | UN Women: Turning Hard News into Hard Donations, United Nations, United Kingdom

• The Creative Use of Media Award | Adoptable Playlist, Pedigree, USA

• Best Engagement Strategy | Aspirin The Official Sponsor of Fans' Hearts, Bayer Aspirin, USA

• Best Integrated Campaign | Aspirin The Official Sponsor of Fans' Hearts, Bayer Aspirin, USA

• Best Response Campaign | Aspirin The Official Sponsor of Fans' Hearts, Bayer Aspirin, USA

• Best Use of Sport | Aspirin The Official Sponsor of Fans' Hearts, Bayer Aspirin, USA

• NEW: Best Campaign for an Awareness or Observance Day | Week or Month, Aspirin The Official Sponsor of Fans' Hearts, Bayer Aspirin, USA

• Best Campaign led by Cause | Changing the Game for Women's Sports, Ally, USA

• Best Integrated Campaign | eBay in Vogue Fashion Campaign, eBay, USA

• Collaboration Award | eBay in Vogue Fashion Campaign, eBay, USA

• NEW: Best Music Marketing Campaign | Google Pixel RePresents, Google, USA

• Best Use of Audio | Job Jukebox, Indeed, USA

• NEW: Best Music Marketing Campaign | Job Jukebox, Indeed, USA

• Best Use of Real-Time Marketing | Met Gala Debut, eBay, USA

• Best Use of Print and Publishing | Twiggy Full Circle, eBay, USA

• Best Use of Talent | Twiggy Full Circle, eBay, USA