HARTFORD, Conn., Nov. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Web Marketing Association announces the Call for Entries for the 11th 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, 2013.

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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, 2013 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

Interactive agencies that win multiple awards will also be in the running for Top Agency Award. In a change from prior years, each entrant will be awarded points based on the level of award for each award received. A Best of Show will be worth 5 points, Best of Industry 3 points and each Outstanding award 1 point. The agency with the most points will be awarded the Top Agency Award.

In the 10^th annual IAC Awards, Saatchi & Saatchi LA was recognized with the 2012 Top Agency Award, winning 17 IAC Awards. Their awards include 7 Best of Industry awards and 10 Outstanding awards.

In an effort to recognize those organizations that demonstrate exceptional development skills across multiple entries, agencies that win more the 6 awards will also be recognized with an Outstanding Advertising Developer award from the Web Marketing Association. In 2012, ten agencies won this honor.  

Judging for the IAC Awards will take place in February, 2013, and winners will be notified by e-mail in March, 2013. 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 Arc Worldwide, BGT Partners, Brunner Digital, Campbell-Ewald, CNN News Group, Deep Interactive Asia, Digitas, EuroRSCG 4D, Google, IBM Interactive, imc2, JWT, LeapFrog Interactive, Mass Transmit, McCann Worldgroup, Razorfish, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Tectis GmbH, TMP Worldwide, Universal McCann Interactive and Wunderman / Y&R.

The 2013 Internet Advertising Competition Awards are sponsored by Burst Media, BGT Partners, PR Newswire, ExactTarget, EContent Magazine, ad:tech conferences, Internet World UK, Search Engine Strategies, Webmaster Radio and Website Magazine.

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 annual award programs, the WebAward Competition, MobileWebAwards 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