Organization: Smithsonian Institution Location: Washington, DC Title of Entry: “Smithsonian Superhero Campaign” Category:  2c. Digital Marketing | Marketing, Digital |  Digital Marketing Campaign

The stereotypical superhero typically wears an elaborate costume, has superhuman physical abilities, and fights to protect humankind. But, what about everyday superheroes that fight for mankind by preserving culture?

Smithsonian created a superhero-themed campaign to highlight the institution’s important work. The nine-day campaign utilized email and interactive design to take recipients through an experience that allows them to build their own superhero squad.

The site uses comic-style graphics to guide users through choosing their own super hero squad. After choosing a loyal sidekick, a secret lair and an inspiring cause, users are presented with their three-person Smithsonian squad. Each squad member has their own video and bio to explain their work at the institution.

The campaign’s interactive capabilities and superhero theme showcases each Smithsonian expert’s invaluable knowledge and the need to fight for institutions that protect culture.

To view Smithsonian’s full campaign, visit here.

Organization: BBDO Dublin Location: Dublin, Ireland Title of Entry: “RSA Consequences” Category:  203. Video Production | Creativity (Video Production) |  360°

Drunk driving is a dangerous decision in any city, state, or country. Irleand’s Road Safety Authority (RSA) collaborated with BBDO Dublin, a creative agency, educate Irish citizens about dangers of drunk driving by using virtual reality (VR).

BBDO created a nightmarish experience that takes viewers through drunk driving storylines that lead to tangible consequences. Using Oculus Rift, viewers are transported to different scenarios that lead to the devastating decision to drive intoxicated. Participants are immersed in a new world that starts with the first drink and ends in car accidents, injuries and jail time.

To view BBDO and RSA’s full experience, visit here.

The final AVA Awards deadline has been postponed to January 24. Enter today. 

Organization: Palm Beach Atlantic University Location: West Palm Beach, FL Title of Entry: “Alter Falter” Category:  193. Video Production | Long Form Video | Student Production

Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Cinema Arts program encourages students to write, produce, shoot, edit, direct and act in their own short films. These films capture each of the student filmmaker’s unique personalities through the storyline, direction, and cinematography.

One of Palm Beach Atlantic’s outstanding entries for this year’s competition tells the story of every commitment-phobe’s nightmare. “Alter Falter” revolves around a young man who is left at the altar by his bride-to-be for his best friend. The story follows the ex-groom as he goes through the typical post-break-up pains: running into your ex, getting back into dating, becoming a priest (… not so typical) and eventually moving on. The stellar production quality and storytelling present an insightful and humorous outlook on a typically depressing event.

Altar Falter from PBA Films on Vimeo.

Organization: Content Creatures Location: Dorking, United Kingdom Title of Entry: “Wyelands Bank Brand Commercial” Category: 140. Video Production | Commercials | Financial Institution

Content Creatures, a London based branded content agency and animation studio, prides itself of putting the “emotion into motion.” The agency recently worked with Wyelands Bank to create a commercial highlighting the bank’s services.

Content Creatures created an animated commercial to spread the word that a trustworthy bank is integral to later successes. Instead of using a text-heavy format highlighting Wyelands Bank’s key facts and figures, the agency told the story of different interlocking businesses through animation. The commercial takes the more mundane aspects of banking, such as commercial loans, and presents them in a more personal light. Content Creatures‘ talent for storytelling conveyed the intimate nature of banking, and how banking shapes our futures.

WYELANDS-BRAND-FILM-MASTER from Content Creatures on Vimeo.

The deadline for the 2019 AVA Awards is today. Don’t forget to enter.

Organization: Stash Location: New York, NY Title of Entry: “Stash – Retire Like A Baddie” Category: 5c. Digital Marketing | Marketing, Digital | Integrated Marketing

What’s the best way to reach millennials?  Through their favorite influencer, of course.

Market research shows that 60 percent of millennials have no savings. Stash, a financial services platform, recognized millennials aren’t considering their financial futures and set out to spread the message that saving for retirement isn’t boring.

So, Stash featured Baddie Winkle, the Internet’s coolest grandma, in a series about living your best life in retirement. With 3.8 million Instagram followers and her signature larger-than-life style, she was the perfect person to amplify the message of a long life is a fun life when you prepare for retirement.

Stash and Baddie’s collaboration made a major splash, generating 7.3 million impressions, 2.2 million engagements and 23,000 new Stash accounts. The campaign’s overwhelming success shows the importance of who delivers a message to an audience.

The 2019 AVA Digital Awards deadline is December 13. Enter ASAP.

Organization: Chambers Location: Clareville, Australia Title of Entry: “Star of Hope” Category: 211. Video Production | Creativity (Video Production) | Videography

If you live in the middle of the Australian Outback, what the options for your children’s education? If they go away to school, how do you keep in touch?

A broadband service has just the answer. Told through the eyes of Zara, one of four siblings, the story of the family centers on their rural cattle ranch. The cinematography frames the words and emotions of a charming preteen and her family. The cinematography is so exceptional that the message would be easily delivered even without narration.

Golden hour photography, drone shots, and captured intimate moments all blend together to deliver the audience to the Star of Hope Ranch where a broadband service preserves a way of life while expanding horizons.

To view Chambers’ full video, visit here.

Star of Hope – nbn from Brand Expression on Vimeo.

The deadline for the 2019 AVA Awards is December 13. Enter today.

Organization: WP BrandStudio and Optum Location: New York, NY Title of Entry: “Working to End the Epidemic” Category: 6c. Digital Marketing | Marketing, Digital | Interactive Brand Experience

Each year the AVA judges choose a handful of stand-out entrants to feature on the AMCP blog. To start this year’s AVA spotlight series, the judges chose an entry that utilizes interactivity to educate viewers about a significant topic.

Washington Post’s branded content team, WP BrandStudio, collaborated with Optum to create an insightful online experience that dives deep into the opioid epidemic. The interactive content guides viewers through content divided into an introduction, four chapters and a conclusion.

Each chapter of the content delves into a key factor of the opioid crisis using interactive audio, video and graphics. The experience begins by explaining how opioids affect the human body, then continues onto how the crisis affect law enforcement, medical personnel and patients in recovery. The experience finishes with forward-looking insights from Optum.

To view WP BrandStudio’s full experience with Optum, visit here.

The 2018 AVA Digital Awards are in full swing and accepting entries. Send in your best digital work today.