Kepler, Samsung Ads and Kraft Heinz are among the 2026 Digiday Media Buying and Planning Awards winners
This year’s Digiday Media Buying and Planning Awards winners reflect a media landscape increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, data-driven decision making and integrated audience strategies. Across categories, organizations used AI to identify and engage high-value audiences, while adapting campaigns in real time to improve performance. Successful programs also embraced omnichannel planning, coordinating activity across platforms to maximize reach and effectiveness. Strategic partnerships with publishers, platforms and creators played a central role, helping brands extend their influence through trusted voices and targeted collaborations. Together, the winners demonstrated how technology, data and partnerships are reshaping modern media strategy.
Kepler spent 2025 expanding beyond its roots as a media agency, positioning itself as an intelligence-led growth consultancy built around artificial intelligence, earning the Most Innovative Media Agency award. Central to that effort was Kip, its proprietary platform that combines audience data, media buying, creative production and measurement in one system. The agency introduced Kip AIR to help brands understand their visibility in generative AI environments such as ChatGPT and Gemini, while deepening partnerships with Amazon and Google. The strategy helped Kepler win new business across multiple sectors while maintaining strong client retention and long-term relationships.
Samsung Ads and media agency Havas partnered with Domino’s to launch the first European campaign using GameBreaks, an interactive CTV format designed to make ad breaks part of the entertainment. Viewers used their TV remotes to answer pizza-themed trivia before seeing a message promoting Domino’s Ultimate Gunpowder Chicken pizza. Running on Samsung TV Plus, the campaign turned passive viewing into active participation and tested whether interactive television could deliver stronger engagement and brand impact than traditional CTV advertising. The initiative exceeded industry benchmarks, helped establish a new model for audience interaction on streaming television and secured Samsung Ads the award for Best Connected/Streaming TV Campaign.
Heinz Away From Home — a division of Kraft Heinz — turned consumer brand loyalty into a recruitment tool for independent restaurants through its Heinz Verified program, landing it the award for B2B Media Campaign of the Year. Created to help operators stand out in a crowded market, the initiative identified restaurants serving Heinz products and promoted them through a national B2C2B media strategy. Heinz combined trade media, digital lead generation, creator partnerships and an integration with Uber Eats to connect restaurant enrollment with consumer demand. Active across six major markets, the campaign generated more than 300 million impressions and demonstrated how consumer influence can drive measurable growth in the B2B foodservice sector.
Explore all the winners of this year’s Digiday Media Buying and Planning Awards below.
B2B Media Campaign of the Year
- Kraft Heinz & Salt XC – Heinz Verified
Best Agency Partnership
- Fossil Q4 Campaign: Assembly x ReachTV x Digital Culture Group
Best AI Platform – NEW
- Cognitiv’s DLAP Brings Intelligence to Advertising
Best Connected/Streaming TV Campaign
- Samsung Ads x Havas x Domino’s: Launch of Gamebreaks for CTV
Best Creative
- Steph Curry Shoots the Moon
Best Creative Use of AI – NEW
- Southeast Toyota & 22squared – The Truck Like You Truck Tool
Best CSR Initiative
- MobileFuse
Best E-Commerce Strategy
- Podean & WaterWipes: Full-Funnel Approach to Scaling Growth
Best Emerging Technology Campaign
- Old Navy & Gamefam: Building Brand Love on Roblox
Best First-to-Market Strategy
- First-to-Market Strategy – StreetTalk Conversation Creative
Best Influencer Partnership
- Henry Rose & Good Moose – Crystal Nicole Partnership
Best Omnichannel Campaign
- Old Navy & Gamefam: Building Brand Love on Roblox
Best Out-of-Home Campaign
- Steph Curry Shoots the Moon
Best Retail Media Strategy
- Mindshare & Dove – Born to Run
Best Social Commerce Strategy
- Taylor Farms Social Commerce Launch with TikTok & Instacart
Best Use of AI in Planning – NEW
- Ljubljana Airport FLY 2.0: AI-Optimized Media Planning
Best Use of AI in Search – NEW
- Joybird x Go Fish AI Search
Best Use of Audio – NEW
- Mindshare & Booking.com – Booking.Yeehaw
Best Use of Data
- First Horizon Bank x Mindgruve Brand Media Study
Best Use of Media Mix Modeling
- Croud x Nespresso: Turning MMM Into a Media Decision Engine
Best Use of Technology
- Mindshare & Vaseline – Vaseline Verified
CEO of the Year – NEW
- David Krupp – billups
Media Campaign of the Year
- DUDE Wipes & Powers of Reasoning – The Big Dump
Media Plan of the Year
- Salt XC & JusRol – Reimagining The Holiday Playbook
Most Innovative Independent Media Agency
- billups
Most Innovative Media Agency
- Kepler – Putting the Future in Focus
Strategy Executive of the Year
- NBCUniversal – Gina Reduto, EVP of Strategy
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