NFL, Verizon, NBCUniversal and Adobe are among the 2026 Digiday Content Marketing Awards Winners

This year’s Digiday Content Marketing Awards winners demonstrate how brands are shifting toward more authentic, community-driven approaches to content. By partnering with creators, experts and complementary brands, organizations are building trust while reaching audiences through more relevant storytelling. The winning work also highlights the rise of interactive experiences that move beyond traditional campaigns, creating opportunities for audiences to participate, engage and form deeper connections with brands.

NFL “Race to the End Zone,” powered by Verizon, created a new model for sports storytelling by combining NFL culture with gaming communities, earning the pair the Best Use of Native Advertising/Sponsored Content award. The cross-platform series paired players with creators to produce YouTube-native content that reached younger audiences through authentic interactions and branded integrations. Across 21 episodes, the program generated 173 million views, more than 242 million minutes of watch time and attracted hundreds of thousands of new NFL viewers weekly, demonstrating the potential of creator-led content to expand fan engagement.

Most Innovative Marketing Team winner NBCUniversal transformed BravoCon from a fan event into a multi-platform marketing engine that connected content, community, commerce and brand partnerships. The team expanded the event’s reach through live experiences, Peacock programming, social storytelling and shoppable integrations, creating new opportunities for sponsors to engage Bravo’s audience. In 2025, BravoCon delivered more than 400 million cross-platform engagements, reached more than 3 million Peacock accounts and demonstrated how fandom-driven marketing can generate measurable business impact.

Adobe earned two awards this year, the first is Best Event for transforming Adobe MAX London from a one-day conference into a month-long social conversation. The brand built a social-first content strategy that combined Y2K-inspired creative, creator collaborations and product storytelling to extend the event’s reach globally. Hosted by actor Tom Felton, the campaign featured creator interviews and real-world workflows that highlighted Adobe innovations. With more than 460 pieces of content, 230 influencers and hundreds of millions of interactions, the effort demonstrated how events can evolve into ongoing digital experiences built for modern audiences.

The next award Adobe secured is Best Use of AI in Content Production, a new category this year, for “The Unfinished Film,” which reframed generative AI as a collaborative creative tool by releasing an incomplete film and inviting creators to complete it using Adobe Firefly. Through creator-led tutorials, social participation and a live activation at Adobe MAX, the campaign encouraged experimentation and positioned AI as an extension of human creativity. The initiative generated 44.5 million interactions, exceeded engagement goals and drove gains in brand familiarity, favorability and consideration, demonstrating how community-driven approaches can shift perceptions of emerging technology.

Explore all the winners of this year’s Digiday Content Marketing Awards below.

Best Agency/Client Collaboration
SCREENSHOT Media and Little Moons Chocolate Fudge UK Launch

Best Brand/Creator Collaboration
The Great American Golf Adventure presented by GMC

Best Brand/Influencer Collaboration
Adolescent Content

Best Branded Content Series – B2B
Nasdaq – The Winning Formula with Joel Kolani and Poppy Shen

Best Branded Content Series – B2C
Rhodes Pet Science & This January – “The BONKERS Effect”

Best Branded Content Site – B2B
STAT Brand Studio and Regeneron — Driven by Discovery

Best Branded Content Site – B2C
Ford x Google Maps x Outside – TransAmerica Trail

Best Branded Podcast
History Hit & Ubisoft – ‘Echoes of History’ Podcast

Best Community Building Campaign
Adolescent Content x IPSY – I Play Beauty

Best Content Marketing Platform
Intuit Mailchimp – Building an all-in-one platform

Best Content Optimization Strategy – NEW
The Shelf x Messi – Creator-Led Platinum Launch

Best Event
Adobe- Adobe MAX London with Tom Felton

Best Experiential Marketing Campaign
H&M x Dazed Studio: Notes On Being

Best In-House Content/Brand Studio
Expedia Group Advertising – E Studio

Best Multi-Channel Strategy
Dentsu Creative and Waitrose – The 30 Plants Campaign

Best Product Launch Campaign
Digitas & Panera Bread – Croissant Clutch on the Red Carpet

Best Use of AI in Content Production – NEW
The Unfinished Film – Adobe

Best Use of AI in Personalization – NEW
Cheil USA – Samsung x Google Gemini Museum Tour

Best Use of AI-generated Content
Assembly and Lenovo: Lenovo Aura Edition x Dazed

Best Use of Creator Marketing
Creators are the Channel: QYOU x HULU

Best Use of Data
Destination Canada – Canadian Tourism Data Collective

Best Use of Long-Form Video
Expedia EStudio & Saudi Tourism Authority – Beyond The Frame

Best Use of Native Advertising/Sponsored Content
Livewire & NFL – NFL Race to the End Zone Powered by Verizon

Best Use of Shoppable Content
Assembly and Lenovo: Lenovo Aura Edition x Dazed

Best Use of Short-Form Video
Shell V-Power Feel Closer Campaign

Best Use of Social
HBO Max and Razorfish – The Re-Rebrand

Best Use of TikTok
Linqia and Noodles & Company Hack TikTok Hack Culture

Brand Publication of the Year
The Business of Creativity Newsletter

Content Marketing Partner of the Year
Expedia E Studio

Most Impactful Campaign
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts – Drive to Europe

Most Innovative Marketing Team
NBCUniversal Advertising & Partnerships – Building BravoCon

Most Innovative Use of Content
VML & US Navy: Created A Career Quiz That Converts

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