{"id":868582,"date":"2025-08-28T21:12:23","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T02:12:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/28\/warner-bros-discovery-critical-mass-and-instacart-are-finalists-for-this-years-digiday-awards\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T21:12:23","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T02:12:23","slug":"warner-bros-discovery-critical-mass-and-instacart-are-finalists-for-this-years-digiday-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/28\/warner-bros-discovery-critical-mass-and-instacart-are-finalists-for-this-years-digiday-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"Warner Bros. Discovery, Critical Mass and Instacart are finalists for this year\u2019s Digiday Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This year, brands, retailers and publishers have further embraced innovation and emerging technology to foster unique, adaptive and highly relevant consumer interactions. This is clear among the finalists for the 2025 Digiday Awards, who also tapped into cultural trends and the zeitgeist to remain top-of-mind with audiences, with creative being tied directly to measurable results and business impact.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, in the Best Use of Influencer Marketing category, Warner Bros. Discovery\u2019s Courageous Studios is nominated for a Google Pixel campaign centered around the third season of HBO\u2019s \u201cThe White Lotus.\u201d Pop culture podcaster Evan Ross Katz and cast member Nicholas Duvernay traveled through Thailand with only the Google Pixel and Gemini to guide them, turning real-time exploration into a dynamic content series that paired seamlessly with the show\u2019s weekly episodes. The results positioned Google Pixel with Gemini at the heart of cultural conversation, driving more than 104 million impressions, 1.3 million views and engagement from fans, brands and talent alike.<\/p>\n<div id=\"piano-meter-offer\">\n<p>And Critical Mass is among the finalists in the Best Use of AI category. The agency reimagined how Starburst connects with consumers by developing a custom AI pipeline for its \u201cDifferent Every Time\u201d campaign. Instead of relying on new product launches, the brand tapped into Gen Z\u2019s appetite for creativity, individuality and constant discovery by generating modular, ever-changing content tailored to different audiences and contexts. In just seven months, Starburst Gummies saw a 150% increase in dollar growth and a 65% rise in unit sales, while the overall portfolio achieved an 8% lift among Gen Z.<\/p>\n<p>Among the nominees in the Technology Executive of the Year category is Instacart\u2019s Ali Miller. As general manager of advertising at Instacart, Miller has transformed Instacart Ads into a unified, omnichannel retail media ecosystem that delivers measurable performance for more than 7,000 brands. Since joining in 2021, she expanded the platform from a single ad format to a full-funnel offering that spans on-site, in-store and off-platform media. In the last year alone, she launched new formats and introduced advanced self-serve tools. She also deepened partnerships with Google, Meta, NBCUniversal, YouTube and Pinterest, while scaling Carrot Ads to power retail media for major brands and retailers.<\/p>\n<p>Altogether, the work the judges nominated in 2025 demonstrates how marketers are delivering tailored and personal brand experiences that drive growth and performance.<\/p>\n<p>See the complete list of finalists below.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Agency Executive of the Year<\/strong><br \/>Mike Treff, CEO of Code and Theory<br \/>Lauren Kushner, CEO of Kettle<br \/>Lee Newman, GSD&#038;M<br \/>Oli Walsh, CEO of Invisible Dynamics<br \/>Phil Case, President of Max Connect Digital<br \/>Monica Tailor, McCann Content Studios<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best AI Tool \u2013 NEW<\/strong><br \/>Adjust Growth Copilot: Your AI-Powered App Growth Partner<br \/>Keen Finds Additional Revenue for Seasonal Brand<br \/>NBCUniversal &#038; Huge \u2013 OLI<br \/>Digital Culture Group\u2019s AI-Powered Audience Resonance Index\u2122<br \/>Pillar &#038; Sprinklr AI Drive $1M+ for Regulated Brands<br \/>Flight Control Copilot: Agentic AI + Omnichannel Advertising<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Audio Campaign<\/strong><br \/>Sling TV\u2019s Smart Audio Strategy for Subscriber Growth<br \/>Hennessy x iHeartMedia: Club520 Podcast &#038; Arena Tour<br \/>Wondery Means Business<br \/>Pfizer\u2019s Science Will Win Podcast \u2013 Season 4<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Branding Campaign B2B<\/strong><br \/>Amazon Ads &#038; Anomaly NY \u2013 Media Envy<br \/>T. Rowe Price Relaunches Brand with The Power of Curiosity<br \/>IFS &#038; Deviceful: Building a brand by creating a category<br \/>From Cocktails to Mocktails, Data-driven with a Twist by NCS<br \/>Palo Alto Networks \u2013 Product Launch of This is Precision AI\u2122<br \/>\u201cThe Big Deal\u201d presented by Front Office Sports x Nuveen<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Branding Campaign B2C<\/strong><br \/>Crunchyroll Brand Evolution<br \/>Moose Toys &#038; Gamefam: #1 Multigame Toy Campaign on Roblox<br \/>Healthy Paws, a Chubb Company \u2013 Protected. Like Family.<br \/>Mindgruve for First Horizon Bank \u2013 The Best of Big and Small<br \/>Tambourine\u2019s \u201cLifetime of Islands\u201d Campaign for The Bahamas<br \/>Pluto TV \u201cFeel the Free\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Collaboration<\/strong><br \/>Critical Mass, M&#038;M\u2019S &#038; Kate Spade New York: Statement Candy<br \/>Netflix &#038; Saylor \u2013 Bridgerton x Maxbone Collaboration<br \/>DIRECTV Bird Ballparks<br \/>State Farm x ESPN Full Court Press, ft. Caitlin Clark<br \/>Google Pixel x HBO MAX The White Lotus<br \/>Publicis &#038; Shondaland Make Flonase Talk Of The Ton<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Cookieless Identification Technology \u2013 NEW<\/strong><br \/>Experian Sets New Standard for How Buy &#038; Sell Sides Use ID<br \/>Yahoo ConnectID Reveals True Campaign Impact<br \/>Ogury One, the Next Era of Privacy-Driven Advertising<br \/>Spectrum Reach &#038; Matter Brothers Case Study<br \/>Intent IQ: Empowering Buy-Side &#038; Sell-Side Simultaneously<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Creative<\/strong><br \/>Sea-Doo \u2013 Find your water<br \/>Digiday Best Creative \u2013 State Farm\u00ae Batman vs. Bateman<br \/>Benefits of Hilton Grand Vacations: Room For Everyone<br \/>Palo Alto Networks \u2013 Product Launch of This is Precision AI\u2122<br \/>Launch of Wells Fargo SEO Content Strategy<br \/>BBC StoryWorks x HONOR \u2013 Honor the Challenger<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Data Management Platform \u2013 NEW<\/strong><br \/>Freestar + Audigent Unlock Publisher Value with DMP<br \/>Nexxen Discovery: Redefining Data Intelligence<br \/>Revry &#038; IndiCue \u2013 Launch of PrismRiot Multicultural DMP<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best E-Commerce Strategy<\/strong><br \/>Carhartt x January Digital: Record Holiday Performance<br \/>A Cut Above: Peak Commerce Strategy 2025<br \/>theSkimm\u2019s Holiday Unwrapped 2024<br \/>Kevel x MC Sonae: Powering Game-Changing E-Commerce Media<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Event<\/strong><br \/>Project Healthy Minds World Mental Heath Day Festival &#038; Gala<br \/>FIFA &#038; Gamefam Inspire Fandom with #1 Soccer Event on Roblox<br \/>H&#038;M Hosts Surprise Charli xcx Concert in Times Square<br \/>Deloitte\u2019s 2024 Climate Week: The Art of Sustainability<br \/>The Green Media Summit<br \/>Boardroom Talks Live with Bose<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Experiential Campaign<\/strong><br \/>Resy Rallies Diner Support During Slow Winter Months<br \/>H&#038;M Hosts Global Event Series Celebrating Music and Fashion<br \/>The Dash Pad from Tripadvisor and DoorDash<br \/>Jack in the Box x Deadpool Launch Mini Chimi Bang Bangs<br \/>Paramount+\u2019s The Lodge 2024<br \/>Avalanche9000 Marketing Campaign<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Gaming\/Esports Campaign<\/strong><br \/>Pixels to Pies. Genshin Impact &#038; McDonald\u2019s Feed Fandom.<br \/>How OMEN Reclaimed Gamer Mindshare Across Amazon\u2019s Ecosystem<br \/>Paramount &#038; Gamefam: First Playable Story on Roblox<br \/>Scopely &#038; Omelet \u2013 Friendship Pays in MONOPOLY GO!<br \/>Quest for the Impossible \u2013 Lenovo Legion, Intel, &#038; Portal A<br \/>Ally \u2013 Tee Time Speedrun<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best In-Game Advertising Strategy<\/strong><br \/>Sony Pictures &#038; ShowHeroes \u2013 Venom In-Game Launch in Brazil<br \/>Sky City by Umi Games for Sky Broadband<br \/>Hearts &#038; Science x Warner Bros: Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Multi-Platform Campaign<\/strong><br \/>SCS, Contobox &#038; Mothers\u00ae \u2013 The Bugs Are Back!<br \/>UCB and FCB Health New York, Worth Fighting For<br \/>Peacock &#038; Cosmo: Debut of the new series Apples Never Fall<br \/>Remezcla \u2013 El B\u00e9isbol Es Otra Cosa MLB Campaign<br \/>Made to Make You Think from BBC Studios<br \/>Hearts &#038; Science x Warner Bros \u2013 Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Partnership<\/strong><br \/>Pixels to Pies. Genshin Impact &#038; McDonald\u2019s Feed Fandom.<br \/>RAG\u00da x Hot Ones: A Spicy Partnership<br \/>Sports Illustrated x Dove: Sports reIllustrated<br \/>JBL Power Partnerships with SXSW and Rolling Stone<br \/>Crayola Create x TheSoul: Reimagining Creativity<br \/>Moose Toys &#038; Gamefam: #1 Multigame Toy Campaign on Roblox<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best PR Campaign<\/strong><br \/>JBC &#038; theSkimm: A 24-Hour Reproductive Rights Lifeline<br \/>The Home Depot \u2013 Getting InFront of the Right Audience<br \/>Juan Soto Joins Team CELSIUS<br \/>From Cocktails to Mocktails, Data-driven with a Twist by NCS<br \/>John Deere \u2013 The Search for Chief Tractor Officer<br \/>PEPPA PIG \u201cPIG Changes\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Product Launch Campaign<\/strong><br \/>Adobe Photoshop Mobile Launch<br \/>twelvenote\/Lippe Taylor \u2013 7UP Shirley Temple LTO Launch<br \/>Compass Media and Commonal \u2013 Launch of Compass TV<br \/>Hearts &#038; Science x LOVESAC \u2013 PillowSac Accent Chair Launch<br \/>Lexus &#038; Team One \u2013 Live Up to Life\u2019s \u201cWhat If\u2019s\u201d \u2013 Lexus GX<br \/>Palo Alto Networks \u2013 Product Launch of This is Precision AI\u2122<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Search Campaign<\/strong><br \/>Critical Mass &#038; BMW: Driving Discovery<br \/>Critical Mass &#038; Mini: Shifting Gears<br \/>Roto-Rooter &#038; DAC: Smarter Search, Local Impact<br \/>How LUUX Media Delivered 719% ROAS for Clinique La Prairie<br \/>SupplyHouse \u2013 Segmenting Audiences for Smarter Spend<br \/>Critical Mass &#038; First Command: Winning the Content War<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Use of AI<\/strong><br \/>270B &#038; Avocados From Mexico \u2013 Call Gronk on the Guacline<br \/>DDB, Critical Mass &#038; Starburst: Different Every Time<br \/>NBCUniversal &#038; Huge \u2013 OLI<br \/>BrandMatch: New GenAI solution by New York Times Advertising<br \/>TeqBlaze \u2013 Launch of TeqMate AI for Programmatic Ops<br \/>How Monks\u2019 AI Helped Headspace Deliver Joy and Reduce Stress<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Use of Emerging Tech \u2013 NEW<\/strong><br \/>Ally \u2013 Rocket League Code Redemption<br \/>Paramount &#038; Gamefam: First Playable Story on Roblox<br \/>Origin &#038; Visit Maine \u2013 Zero-Code, Dynamic CTV Ad Overlays<br \/>Digital Culture Group\u2019s AI-Powered Audience Resonance Index\u2122<br \/>Sol de Janeiro on Roblox<br \/>Tripadvisor\u2019s Doorway to Abu Dhabi<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Use of Influencer Marketing<\/strong><br \/>Ally \u2013 Talladega Rocket Racing Tournament<br \/>Audible \u2013 There\u2019s More To Imagine When You Listen<br \/>Pollen Goes Fashion by Cure Media &#038; Kronans Apotek<br \/>Current Global &#038; Kingsford \u2013 King of the Grill<br \/>QYOU Media &#038; Paramount Pictures: Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning<br \/>Google Pixel x HBO MAX The White Lotus<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Use of Retail Media<\/strong><br \/>Collective Measures + VTech: Full-Funnel Holiday Wins<br \/>OBB Media &#038; Dick\u2019s Sporting Goods \u2013 Speed Shopping<br \/>Hugo Boss \u2013 Hugo Boss XP<br \/>Monks &#038; Orbit \u2013 Full-Funnel Strategy that Beat the Season<br \/>Wondersauce &#038; Alta Dena \u2013 Fresh from Southern Cow-lifornia<br \/>Android In-Store Retail Media by T-Mobile<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Use of Social<\/strong><br \/>SharkNinja &#038; Blue Hour Studios \u2013 Launch of Ninja SLUSHi<br \/>Remezcla \u2013 El B\u00e9isbol Es Otra Cosa MLB Campaign<br \/>Gap x Invisible Dynamics \u201cGet Loose\u201d<br \/>Made to Make You Think from BBC Studios<br \/>The Shade Room x Harris For President: My Black Job<br \/>John Deere \u2013 The Search for Chief Tractor Officer<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Use of Video<\/strong><br \/>Georgia-Pacific \u2013 Quilted Northern\u00ae \u2013 Keep It Quilted<br \/>Digitas &#038; Sephora: Faces of Music<br \/>Fortune Brand Studio + De Beers Group: Talent Unearthed<br \/>AT&#038;T x Hearts &#038; Science x ATTN: Route to Connection<br \/>Crayola Create x TheSoul: Fostering Creativity<br \/>Hasbro\/TheSoul \u2013 TRANSFORMERS ONE: NEW ADVENTURES<\/p>\n<p><strong>Campaign of the Year \u2013 NEW<\/strong><br \/>Audible \u2013 There\u2019s More To Imagine When You Listen<br \/>Coach \u2018Unlock Your Courage\u2019 Campaign<br \/>PEPPA PIG \u201cPIG Changes\u201d<br \/>Creed x Simon Beck \u2013 Silver Mountain Water Campaign<br \/>The Shelf &#038; [yellow tail] \u2013 Launch of Real Talk Labels<br \/>billups for e.l.f Beauty\u2019s Change the Board Game \/ SMD<\/p>\n<p><strong>Founder of the Year- NEW<\/strong><br \/>Benjamin Billups, founder of billups<br \/>BoldHue Co-founder and CEO, Rachel Wilson<br \/>Crystal Foote, Digital Culture Group\u2019s AI-Powered Audience Resonance Index\u2122<br \/>Kindred Co-Founders, Tasneem Amina and Justine Palefsky<br \/>Myles Worthington \u2013 CEO and Founder of WORTHI<br \/>Ben Goodwin, Cofounder, CEO, and Formulator of OLIPOP<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leader of the Year<\/strong><br \/>Detavio Samuels, REVOLT and Offscript Worldwide<br \/>David Krupp, billups<br \/>Shachar Scott, Meta Reality Labs<br \/>Joshua Alvernia, Clue Digital<br \/>Tom Nolan, Kendra Scott<br \/>Katherine Freeley, Boehringer Ingelheim<\/p>\n<p><strong>Marketing Executive of the Year<\/strong><br \/>Red Lobster\u2019s Comeback Campaign with CMO Nichole Robillard<br \/>Shannon Ryan, President, DTC &#038; Disney Entertainment Television Marketing<br \/>Neil, VP Marketing at Kevel<br \/>Allison Stransky is CMO at Samsung Electronics America<br \/>Archit Mardia: Rebuilding Lenovo Yoga for Gen Z<br \/>Yin Woon Rani, MilkPEP<\/p>\n<p><strong>Most Committed to Sustainability<\/strong><br \/>HorizonEco: Scaling Sustainability in Media<br \/>MobileFuse: Trailblazing Corporate Climate Action<br \/>How Every Man Jack Leveraged Sustainability to Drive Purpose<br \/>The Shelf x Natura \u2013 U.S. Launch via Creator-Led Campaign<br \/>Aquent \/ All in on Earth<\/p>\n<p><strong>Most Innovative Agency<\/strong><br \/>Code and Theory<br \/>Huge \u2013 driving what\u2019s next in digital.<br \/>Tripadvisor\u2019s Wanderlab<br \/>Influencer-Moving the Industry Forward by Humanizing Brands<br \/>Deloitte Digital<br \/>Digiday Media &#038; New Engen <\/p>\n<p><strong>Most Innovative Brand<\/strong><br \/>It Pays To Corpay \u2013 Rebranding a Global Payments Leader<br \/>Seed: Innovation at the Intersection of Science and Culture<br \/>Manychat: Because Burnout isn\u2019t a Business Strategy<\/p>\n<p><strong>Most Innovative Publisher<\/strong><br \/>Minute Media<br \/>Morning Brew Inc.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Most Innovative Technology Platform<\/strong><br \/>Wrango: The Essential Platform for Healthcare Marketing<br \/>Integral Ad Science<br \/>OpenXSelect, OpenX\u2019s Advanced Supply-Side Targeting Platform<br \/>Kargo Delivers Unforgettable CTV Experiences for Brands<br \/>Waymark \u2013 AI Video Ad Creative That Drives Revenue<br \/>DeepIntent Cortex \u2013 The Next Generation Healthcare DSP<\/p>\n<p><strong>Technology Executive of the Year \u2013 NEW<\/strong><br \/>Jarrod Martin, Global CEO of Acxiom and KINESSO<br \/>David Kostman, CEO, Teads<br \/>Instacart\u2019s GM of Advertising, Ali Miller<br \/>Crystal Foote, founder of Digital Culture Group<br \/>Dave Bottoms, architect of Upwork\u2019s AI-powered marketplace<br \/>Raina Moskowitz Ushers in New Era of Innovation at TKWW<\/p>\n<p><em>Interested in entering the Digiday Awards? <a href=\"https:\/\/digiday.com\/awards\/digiday-awards\/?utm_source=finalistannouncement24#interest\">Sign up<\/a> to receive deadline reminders, entry tips, category recommendations and more<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/digiday.com\/media\/warner-bros-discovery-critical-mass-and-instacart-are-finalists-for-this-years-digiday-awards\/?utm_campaign=digidaydis&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_source=general-rss\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Digiday Awards<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This year, brands, retailers and publishers have further embraced innovation and emerging technology to foster unique, adaptive and highly relevant consumer interactions. This is clear among the finalists for the 2025 Digiday Awards, who also tapped into cultural trends and the zeitgeist to remain top-of-mind with audiences, with creative being tied directly to measurable results<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":868583,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1089,46,1751],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-868582","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-discovery","8":"category-technology","9":"category-warner"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/868582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=868582"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/868582\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/868583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=868582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=868582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=868582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}