Call for Entries: Code Awards 2017 - Recognizing Creativity in Digital Experiences

Nice to meet you. I'm Sera Nakata, handling PR for D2C Inc., part of the Dentsu Group. At D2C Inc., we host the annual "Code Awards," an advertising prize for digital marketing. Since the 2017 submission period begins March 22nd, this time I'll introduce the appeal of the "Code Awards," this year's intriguing judges, and how to apply.

An Advertising Award for Digital Advertising & Marketing

The CODE Awards, launched in 2014, are an advertising award for digital advertising and marketing. "CODE" stands for Creativity of Digital Experiences, named after the source code that shapes the digital world. While there are many advertising awards globally, this award uniquely focuses on evaluating the "experiences" brought about by digital technology.

Unlike comprehensive advertising awards like Cannes or ACC, the Code Awards do not have separate categories. There is only one entry requirement: the initiative must be a marketing communication strategy utilizing "digital." Anything goes, as long as the use of "digital" is the key point—be it campaign sites, online videos, events using digital, or product development. Nowadays, it's harder to find a campaign that doesn't use digital, so in that sense, the broad scope of eligibility is one of its attractions.

Judging is conducted based on criteria such as "Innovation," "Technical Capability," "Results," "Planning Ability," and "Media Utilization," with awards prepared for each category. From jaw-dropping initiatives incorporating cutting-edge technology to unique campaigns that achieved significant results with simple ideas—the judges select award-winning works from their respective perspectives, striving to shine a light on as diverse a range of projects as possible.

Past award-winning entries can be found here

2014 ( http://www.codeaward.jp/awards/2014/ )
2015 ( http://www.codeaward.jp/awards/2015/ )
2016 ( http://www.codeaward.jp/awards/2016/ )

This year's jury president is Naoki Ito of PARTY.

This year's Chief Judge is Naoki Ito, Creative Director at PARTY. A panel of eight judges, active at the forefront of various fields including marketing, planning, creative, and technology, will conduct a rigorous judging process. Newly joining the judging panel this year are Seiichi Saito from Rhizomatiks, Mitsuru Honma from ABeam Consulting, and Kinya Tagawa from Takuram.

Eligible entries are "digital marketing communication initiatives utilizing products or services provided by companies, brands, municipalities, etc., implemented/launched between April 1, 2016, and March 31, 2017, in Japan or overseas." Submissions can be made via the official website starting Wednesday, March 22. Please see here for the application guidelines. A PDF version is also available for download. Please note the submission deadline is Monday, May 8 at 9:59 AM!

Capturing the "now" of digital marketing and paving the way for the "future."

Last year's winners included projects that succeeded by creating high-quality products from a communication perspective, transcending traditional advertising boundaries, as well as projects featuring simple yet powerful ideas that captured user insights (see the 2016 Jury Interview for details ).　The evolution of technologies like VR, AR, IoT, and drones is expanding the possibilities of digital experiences infinitely. This year, we are actively seeking entries from overseas, particularly Asia, so we expect to gather even more diverse and unique works. Under the theme "Capturing the 'Now' of Digital Marketing and Pioneering the 'Future'," we hope the Code Awards will become the award that paves the way for the future of digital creativity.