Ford, Amazon Prime Video and Pokémon are among the 2026 Digiday Content Marketing Awards finalists

In the Most Impactful Campaign category, Amazon Prime Video is a finalist for its strategy to build anticipation for the final season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” Prime Video and Little Dot Studios transformed YouTube into a communal viewing destination, releasing full episodes from the first two seasons as scheduled “Watch Party” events, leveraging live chat, community posts and cross-platform promotion. The strategy generated record-breaking results for the channel, driving a 164% increase in organic watch time and attracting 73,000 new subscribers. The campaign also delivered 28 million views, the majority from non-subscribers, while generating more than 67,000 clicks back to Prime Video.

Pokémon is among the nominees in the Best Multi-Channel Strategy category. The franchise teamed with Little Dot Studios to expand its YouTube ecosystem by launching two dedicated channels. Pokémon TV was created as a home for animated content, including the original Ash and Pikachu series, while Play! Pokémon focused on championship competition and livestream events. Both channels were supported by consistent publishing schedules, localized metadata and multilingual content, helping audiences discover content tailored to their interests without overwhelming the main brand channel. Pokémon TV generated nearly 293 million views in its first year, while Play! Pokémon reached its first-year viewership target three months ahead of schedule. The channel expansion strengthened discoverability, improved audience segmentation and expanded Pokémon’s global digital reach.

See the complete list of finalists below. 

Best Agency/Client Collaboration
Dr. Seuss Enterprises & Little Dot Studios
SCREENSHOT Media and Little Moons Chocolate Fudge UK Launch
Equitable & CCWSJ – Getting Gen X from Good to Great
Esports Foundation & The Story Mob
Base Beauty & KAYALI: A Breakthrough Built by Storytellers
Critical Mass & First Command – Mission: Scalable SEO
Kentucky Bourbon Trail® x Lewis – 2025 World Bourbon Toast™

Best Brand/Creator Collaboration
The Great American Golf Adventure presented by GMC
The Lenovo Launch Ambassadors Program
Viral Nation x AWS – EMEA GenAI Influencer Program
Later & Walmart – Elevating Fashion via Creator Marketing
OneFifty Consultancy & Harvester – Elburritomonster
A Partnership For Fans, By Fans: Yung Gravy Goes Audible

Best Brand/Influencer Collaboration
Adolescent Content

Best Branded Content Series – B2B
Nasdaq – The Winning Formula with Joel Kolani and Poppy Shen
Dell Technologies x NVIDIA & CCWSJ – The Time Is Now for AI
How Complex Made Google Pixel the Device of Culture
WP Creative Group x AWS: Agents of Agility

Best Branded Content Series – B2C
Latitude 26 Media – Tour Detour Series
Rhodes Pet Science & This January – “The BONKERS Effect”
AllGear Digital x HOKA: Pace Setters
Livewire & NFL – NFL Race to the End Zone Powered by Verizon
Lincoln Financial- The Action Plan
The Telegraph and EE: Making tech a human story

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
Tacos & Tequila: LA’s Tastiest Real Estate Blog
Insider Studios and The House of Suntory – Hibiki
TIAA & Custom Content from WSJ – Annuities Unwrapped
For The Love of Travel – Princess Cruises x People Inc.

Best Branded Podcast
History Hit & Ubisoft – ‘Echoes of History’ Podcast
BBC StoryWorks x Deloitte | Resilient Edge Podcast
Shaping Modern Marketing with The Next Marketing with HJ
Carling x Platform Media – Could It Be Magic?
GR8 Tech – Bet It Drives Show
The Telegraph and EE: Making tech a human story

Best Community Building Campaign
AllGear Digital x White Claw: Hometown Hype 2025
Adolescent Content
OLIPOP – Summer PR Boxes
My Code and vitaminwater: Neighborhue
Monster Hunter Webcomic Contest – WEBTOON
Audible Declares ‘We’re Nerds, Too’ with Reddit Success

Best Content Marketing Platform
Intuit Mailchimp – Building an all-in-one platform
Knotch: Content Intelligence That Drives Outcomes

Best Content Optimization Strategy – NEW
The Shelf x Messi – Creator-Led Platinum Launch
VML and Conagra – Taking website’s top-ranking content to go
Knotch and Realtor.com: 300% ROI with Content Intelligence
Critical Mass & Johnson & Johnson: Engineering Healthcare
Critical Mass & First Command – Mission: Scalable SEO
Razorfish – Dove Cracks AI Search Visibility with AIO Pilot

Best Event
Cheil USA – Samsung x Google Gemini Museum Tour
Adobe- Adobe MAX London with Tom Felton
Sheetz x All American Rejects
Ally House
Kentucky Bourbon Trail® x Lewis – 2025 World Bourbon Toast™

Best Experiential Marketing Campaign
Cheil USA – Samsung x Google Gemini Museum Tour
OLIPOP – OLIPOP Orange Cream Drive Thru
Culmia Escape: The Key to Your Destiny
H&M x Dazed Studio: Notes On Being
Delta Air Lines x InStyle – A Celebration of Style and Sport
UGG, Infillion, Jellyfish, + YAH – Unbox That Iconic Feeling

Best In-House Content/Brand Studio
Boll & Branch- In House Creative & Production Studio
BDG Studios Wins Digiday’s Best In-House Content Studio
Outside Brandworks
CNN Create Brand Studio
Expedia Group Advertising – E Studio
Calm and Mars celebrate wellbeing benefits of pets’ work

Best Multi-Channel Strategy
Little Dot Studios and Pokémon
PONANT Explorations x T+L: Discover the World’s Hidden Gems
Dentsu Creative and Waitrose – The 30 Plants Campaign
The Art of the Stay – Hilton Luxury Brands x People Inc.
Lexus x Food & Wine: A Three-Course Culinary Journey
WP Creative Group x Ad Council: “The Number One”

Best Product Launch Campaign
Betches Media & Dunkin’ — The Latte Is Mine
Assembly and Lenovo: Lenovo Aura Edition x Dazed
Adobe – Premiere on iPhone Launch
TELETIES – Launch of Disney | TELETIES Collection
Digitas & Panera Bread – Croissant Clutch on the Red Carpet

Best Use of AI in Content Production – NEW
The Unfinished Film – Adobe
Linguana x Bass Fishing Productions AI-Powered Global Growth
BCM + VISIT FLORIDA : Winning in the Age of AI Search

Best Use of AI in Personalization – NEW
MSQ Partners – Shell V-Power Feel Closer Campaign
Cheil USA – Samsung x Google Gemini Museum Tour
RepTwin: 24*7 Virtual Rep for Personalized HCP Messaging
Boomtown Unboxed: Personalised aftermovies for every visitor
AMA and Sky Sports on NOW – ICC T20 AI Audio
Equitable Personalized Campaigns

Best Use of AI-generated Content
Assembly and Lenovo: Lenovo Aura Edition x Dazed
Sheetz Holidaze Sub Crashgiving
First Media and Pinter – Scaling Creative with AI
MSQ Partners – Shell V-Power Feel Closer Campaign
DADÁ Wines Universe – 1stAveMachine
Simple Wish

Best Use of Creator Marketing
eBay re-imagines Black Friday with the eBay Live Superstore
Linqia & Instacart: Summer of 1999
Haier Fry-Time: TEAM LEWIS x Haier Air Fryer Launch
Chili’s x Influencer: The Creator-Led Cheese Pull Effect
Creators are the Channel: QYOU x HULU
A Partnership For Fans, By Fans: Yung Gravy Goes Audible

Best Use of Data
CineClub Wrapped: Your Movie Year in Motion
Interstate Batteries x January Digital: Data-Powered Growth
Destination Canada – Canadian Tourism Data Collective
How Unisys created real results by building an intent engine
Urban Sports Club x TEAM LEWIS: The Wellbeing Compass
Six Offers. One Data Engine.

Best Use of Long-Form Video
HexClad’s Open to Close Docuseries
Expedia E Studio & The Jamaica Tourist Board – Eats & Beats
Expedia EStudio & Saudi Tourism Authority – Beyond The Frame
Questus – Suzuki KingQuad Customer Testimonial Campaign
Mazda UK & OneFifty Consultancy: The Canvas of your life
Lincoln Financial- The Action Plan

Best Use of Native Advertising/Sponsored Content
The Shade Room Investigates x Weapons
Livewire & NFL – NFL Race to the End Zone Powered by Verizon
PONANT Explorations x T+L: Discover the World’s Hidden Gems
The Art of the Stay – Hilton Luxury Brands x People Inc.
Lexus x Food & Wine: A Three-Course Culinary Journey
For The Love of Travel – Princess Cruises x People Inc.

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

Best Use of Short-Form Video
Travel Redefined: Tourism for People and Planet
Linqia & International Delight: Building Brand with Creators
MSQ Partners – Shell V-Power Feel Closer Campaign
Love at First Scent — People Inc. x Dove
Digitas and Panera Bread – Chris Picks Two
The Samsung Wallet Puppets

Best Use of Social
Going Bananas: USAFacts Promotes Data Clarity
Sheetz Holidaze Sub Crashgiving
HL x Bacardi: Whispers From The Feed
How Uncovered created KFC’s Brainrot Brandworld
HBO Max and Razorfish – The Re-Rebrand
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts – Drive to Europe

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

Brand Publication of the Year
The Business of Creativity Newsletter
Visit Austin | Austin Insider Guide 2025/2026

Content Marketing Partner of the Year
Expedia E Studio
Matador Network
Pace: Content Marketing that Moves People
The Telegraph’s Partnerships Team
Unilever + Krazy Coupon Lady: A Content to Commerce Engine

Most Impactful Campaign
Amazon Prime Video – The Summer I Turned Pretty
HexClad’s “Unidentified Frying Object” Super Bowl Campaign
Citi Mastercard Fly Days Campaign with Trip.com (SG)
Ally | Graduate Financially
WP Creative Group x Ad Council: “The Number One”
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts – Drive to Europe

Most Innovative Marketing Team
Collectively: Reinventing Creator Marketing in the AI Era
Contentstack
Kentucky Bourbon Trail® x Lewis – 2025 World Bourbon Toast™
NBCUniversal Advertising & Partnerships – Building BravoCon
Nexxen U Team Bridges the Cross-Channel Knowledge Gap

Most Innovative Use of Content
Financial Times x Google: Journey into AI
VML & US Navy: Created A Career Quiz That Converts