The Best Online Advertising of 2012 to Be Named by Internet Advertising Competition Awards

SIMSBURY, Conn., Nov. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Web Marketing Association announces the Call for Entries for the 10th annual Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) Awards. The IAC Awards are the first and only industry-based advertising award competition dedicated exclusively to online advertising. This international award program will evaluate all forms of online advertising, including email, page-based ads, online newsletters, mobile apps, Websites, video and social media in 86 industry categories. The Competition Web site is located at www.iacaward.org and the deadline for entry is January 31, 2012.

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"Now, more than ever, it is critical for online marketers to be able to justify advertising expertise come budget time," said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association.  "The IAC Awards can provide third party confirmation that clients are getting the best creative for their ad dollars.  Winning awards is a great way to demonstrate your creative potential.  We created the IAC Awards to highlight the best in this unique advertising medium by industry, and also to help advertising professionals validate their efforts to clients and senior management."

The Internet Advertising Competition Awards are open to all organizations and individuals (advertising and interactive agencies, corporate marketing departments, small business owners, etc.) involved in the process of developing Internet advertising. Entries may be submitted online at http://www.iacaward.org. The deadline for entry is January 31, 2012 and will be judged on creativity, innovation, impact, design, copywriting, and use of the medium.

Awards will be presented within each of the industry categories and advertising formats including:

Best Social Media Campaign

Best Online ad (including banner, pop-up or interstitial)

Best Rich media online ad

Best Email message

Best Online newsletter

Best Website (including best landing pages and best microsites)

Best Online video

Best Mobile applications

Best Integrated ad campaign

Best Ads the client did not choose

Best of show award for each format will be selected from among the industry winners. Ads eligible for entry in the competition must have run during the period from January 1, 2011 through January 31, 2012, except for "Ads the Client did not pick, which do not need to have run. 

Agencies that win more the 6 awards will also be recognized with an Outstanding Advertising Developer award from the Web Marketing Association.

Judging for the IAC Awards will take place in February, 2012, and winners will be notified by e-mail in March, 2012. Judges will consist of a select group of Internet advertising professionals with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web advertising. Past competition judges have included top executives from leading corporations, institutions and media organizations such as Ogilvy Interactive, Saatchi & Saatchi, Blattner Brunner, Comedy Central, Sun Microsystems, National Cable & Telecom Association, Refinery, Euro RSCG, EPB Interactive, New York Post Interactive, The Cincinnati Enquirer, J. Walter Thompson, Xerox, Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Modem Media, and Answerthink.

The 2012 Internet Advertising Competition Awards are sponsored by Burst Media, BGT Partners, PR Newswire, ExactTarget, EContent Magazine, ad:tech conferences, Internet World UK, MycroBurst, Search Engine Strategies, We Build Pages, Webmaster Radio and Website Magazine.

2011 Best of Show Awards were awarded in each of the online medium categories. Last year's winners are:

CDMG Inc for Coffey Anderson - Email campaign (Best of Show Email message campaign)

Doremus for Cisco'ed (Best of Show Ads the client did not pick)

Saatchi & Saatchi LA for Toyota Sponsafier (Best of Show Interactive application)

HBO for Eastbound & Down S2 - Kenny Powers Home Run Fiesta (Best of Show Mobile application)

Critical Mass & TBWA\Chiat\Day for the new car (Best of Show Online campaign)

Akron General Medical Center and Hitchcock Fleming & Associates Inc. for Our ER Wait Times banner (Best of Show Rich media Online ad)

Organic, Inc. for U By Kotex* (Best of Show Integrated ad campaign)

BlueRush Digital Media Corp. for Manulife Solutions (Best of Show Online Newsletter campaign)

GEICO Insurance and CDG Interactive for GEICO Gecko Wheel of Wisdom iAD (Best of Show Online ad)

Organic, Inc. for Help Me Choose (Best of Show Online Video)

Definition 6 for Coca-Cola Happiness Machine (Best of Show Social Media campaign)

e-Dialog, Inc. for e-Dialog 2010 Holiday Card (Best of Show Email message)

Rockfish for America's Health Rankings (Best of Show Website)

Madden Media and Kentucky Department of Travel for Kentucky Cooperative Rich Media Online Campaign (Best of Show Rich media Online campaign)

Biggs|Gilmore of Kalamazoo, MI was recognized for the third year in a row with the 2011 Top Agency Award, winning 23 IAC Awards. Their awards include 11 Best of Industry awards and 12 Outstanding awards.

A dozen additional organizations were recognized as Outstanding Advertising Developers in the 2011 IAC Awards for winning 6 or more awards. They are:

AGENCY (number of awards)

Biggs|Gilmore (22)

Saatchi & Saatchi LA (19)

BlueRush (14)

VML (14)

IQ (10)

BGT Partners (9)

Carlson Marketing (9)

TMP Worldwide (9)

Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Online (8)

Y&R New York (7)

HBO  (6)

Organic, Inc. (6)

TBWA/Tequila  (6)

A complete list of past winners can be found at the IAC Award Website.

About the Web Marketing Association

The Web Marketing Association is an organization working to create a high standard of excellence for Web site development and marketing on the Internet. Staffed by volunteers, it is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, PR and design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of online advertising, Internet marketing and promotion used to attract visitors to Web sites. The Web Marketing Association's two annual award programs, the WebAward Competition and the Internet Advertising Competition Awards, have been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world since 1997.

SOURCE Web Marketing Association