Digiday Media honored the leaders and innovators in television and digital media marketing on March 25, 2021. Their selection included some new faces as well as household names like Comedy Central.
Digiday Media was created by CEO, Nick Friese, in 2008, and since then, has operated with the mission of chronicling the movement of critical industries from analog systems to digital ones. They focus on media, marketing, fashion, beauty, and retail. They are based in New York, but also have offices in the UK and Japan.
The company uses award programs to recognize "overall excellence and breakthrough achievement in media and marketing," as they state on their Facebook page. The awards this year were critical since they happened at a time of so much upheaval. In their guide to the awards, the company stated that it was a "transformative year."
"We are humbled by this honor as it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team of TheSoul Publishing," they said.
Although there were two honorees for Video Executive of the Year, the winner was Louise King of the UK content studio, Distillery. Versatile and juggling many responsibilities, King is Executive Producer of the studio, heads another platform called Mother of All Media, and led a two-week media campaign that raised about $24 million for COVID aid like clean water, soap, food, medical supplies, and information during the pandemic.
Among many ads, SCC ThinkAgain took LiftMaster to a whole new level with "Oh yeah," and had Digiday executives calling it "a triumph." LiftMaster makes it smarter than smart garage door openers with controls that can appear on a user's phone. Schafer Condon Carter (SCC) and ThinkAgain combined the scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off in which Bueller talks his friend into lending him his father's prized car with LiftMaster's technology to create a nostalgic ad that won the Best Ad category. Cameron Frye even puts in a guest appearance. This advertisement can be found on YouTube under "Oh Yeah," LiftMaster.
Comedy Central won Best Social Media Video Campaign with their video "Vote Naked and Thirst Trap the Vote." It was created to encourage voting. Well, it did so with a hilarious segment that revealed the good of using humor to make important points. The camera follows a couple discussing their life in the wonderful nudist colony and their devotion to their community. They walk, talk, watch television, garden, and even bend over to pick things up all while naked. Most importantly, they vote. This clever spot emphasized how much voting mattered in 2020, and continues to matter in every election. This advertisement can be found on YouTube by searching under its title, "Vote Naked and Thirst Trap the Vote."
Other winners were:
Best Digital Video Platform, In The Know
Best Streaming Service, tubi
Best Video Ad, spirable_hq
Best Snapchat Discover Publisher, 60secdocs
Best Use of TikTok, Lippe Taylor
Best Use of Instagram, xxartists and YouTube for "This or That."
Best brand film -single HP and Redglass Pictures - " Dear Future Me"
Best Brand Film -series EA and m/SIX 'FIFA2020 Changes the Game'
Best Live Moment - Barkley and Planet Fitness "United We Move"
Best Multi-platform Video Campaign Freeform #StaytheFFHome Do's and Don't's
Best Video Ad Tech Innovation - Spirable and Aldi
Best TV Ad Tech Innovation - Gamut Media
Best Streaming TV Service - Circle TV
Best Connected Platform - Vizio -- Smartcast
Best Use of YouTube- The Wild and Major League Baseball "Bases Covered"
Best Snapchat Show - Insider - " Beauty Insider"
Best Facebook Watch Show - South China Morning Post - "Eat China" Season 2
Best New TV/Streaming Ad Sales Program or Product - Digital Remedy - Flip
Best Digital Video Monetization Program - Reward Style and LiketoKnow.It
Best Publisher Pivot to TV - Jukin Media - Weather Spy and People are Awesome
Best Video Publisher for Brands - Minute Media - Voltax Video
Best TV Distribution and Programming Strategy - NBC News Custom Production Unit
Best Production Pivot - Hulu - "Hulu has Live Sports Again"