Mattress company Casper, digital agency Huge and women’s lifestyle media company Refinery29 took home top honors at the 2016 Digiday Awards tonight, celebrating the best creative marketing and advertising being done today by brands, agencies, publishers and platforms.
Casper won Most Innovative Brand for a whimsical marketing strategy and uses of tech that went beyond just selling mattresses. The company’s Web-only, direct-to-consumer business model is a complete departure from how mattresses have been sold traditionally: in a department store, at a huge markup. This year, the brand launched the chatbot Insomnobot 3000, which sent texts to sleepless people, and “Late Night Snap Hacks,” snaps that users posted to their own Snapchat accounts to trick followers into thinking they’re out on the town, instead of home on bed.
“We’re super-honored to be here,” said Taryn Laeben, chief experience officer at Casper. “We are in incredible company and we’re absolutely flattered.” When asked how the company stays innovative, Laeben’s answer was simple: “We’re a debate culture.”
Huge took home Most Innovative Agency for the second time. (The first was in 2012 for its work in developing the HBO GO app.) The agency has experimented with Pokémon Go in its Atlanta café, launched a print magazine called Magenta for tech and design aficionados and tackled its own challenges around internal growth. What started as a 10-person agency in Brooklyn to a shop has now become a 1,400-person operation in offices around the world.
Refinery29 is this year’s Most Innovative Publisher. In the past year, the media company has been at the forefront of adopting distributed platforms including Snapchat and Facebook Live; expanded its operations into Europe and branched out into new editorial areas in an authentic way. In an era where some publishers seek to scale their audiences at any cost, Refinery29 has been laser-focused on its audience of millennial women by providing them with useful, entertaining content. This focus has paid off, literally: In April 2015, it received a $50 million investment from agency holding company WPP.
Ad position: web_incontent_pos1
Best Branding Consumer Campaign
GE and Thrillist – “The Science of Hot”
Best Branding B2B Campaign
HPE Matter – “The Idea Economy”
Best Direct Response Campaign
UM London – “Getting Smart with Real-Time Data” for The Economist
Ad position: web_incontent_pos2
Best Product Launch
The Engine Group – “All Dressed” Ruffles chips
Best Use of Mobile
TVGla – PetMOJI
Best Use of Social
PMG & R/GA’s Hustle for Beats by Dre – “Straight Outta Somewhere”
Best Social Good Campaign
Georgia Center for Child Advocacy & Moxie – #WeStandTogether Lip Sync Challenge
Best Creative
R/GA for Samsung – AntiDiaRy
Best Brand Platform
NPR – NPR Player & Sponsorship Products
Best Publishing Platform
Reuters TV
Best in Show
R/GA for Samsung – AntiDiaRy
More in Awards
The NFL, Nickelodeon, Food Network and Harvard Business Review are Digiday Media Awards finalists
Integration of emerging technology, audience engagement, unique content formats, branding and cross-promotion emerged as significant themes among this year’s Digiday Media Awards shortlist. With publishers and brands looking to reinforce their positions as industry leaders, they are also emphasizing quantifiable metrics and real-world impact to highlight the success of their initiatives. In the Best Use […]
PepsiCo, Innovid and Paramount+ are 2024 Digiday Video and TV Awards winners
This year’s Digiday Video and TV Awards winners found success with emotional stories and meaningful experiences that foster connections and drive brand affinity. This storytelling extended to social video campaigns, emerging technologies and offerings to reach wider audiences with compelling content. For instance, in the Best Ad Tech Innovation category, PepsiCo won for using enhanced […]
Ring, Party City, 22squared, GSD&M, Pizza Hut, Carhartt, January Digital and Movers + Shakers are 2024 Digiday Media Buying and Planning Awards winners
This year’s Digiday Media Buying and Planning Awards winners found success with data-driven, personalized and inclusive campaigns across the dynamic media landscape. Agencies and brands are increasingly leveraging emerging technologies and influencer partnerships to amplify brand messaging, engage target audiences and drive impactful results. In the new Best Use of AI category, home security leader […]
Ad position: web_bfu