Observed Signal · Jun 2, 2026 · Awards Announcement · Source: Digiday · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Finalists Named for 2026 Digiday Media Buying Awards
Digiday published the finalists for the 2026 Media Buying and Planning Awards on June 2, 2026. Notable nominees include Uber Advertising for a full-funnel holiday campaign for Diageo, the NFL and CBS/Paramount+ for the “Count on Sundays” 360-degree media plan, and WPP Media and Mazda for the docuseries “First to the Finish.” The article lists finalists across multiple categories (Media Campaign, Media Plan, Omnichannel, Connected TV, Retail Media, AI planning/search categories and more) and highlights campaign tactics and outcomes such as multi-channel activations, experiential events, streaming and OOH placements, and measured performance metrics (e.g., a 15% uplift in NFL opening weekend viewership; 16 million minutes watched for Mazda’s docuseries). The list illustrates industry trends toward omnichannel, audience-driven personalization, and integration of commerce and experiential activations.
Industry awards highlight notable campaigns, vendors and creative/technical trends across media planning and buying but do not represent platform policy changes or major infrastructure shifts.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Digiday published the finalists for the 2026 Media Buying and Planning Awards on 2026-06-02.
- Uber Advertising was nominated in Media Campaign of the Year for a Diageo holiday campaign that used Journey Ads, homepage takeovers, post-checkout placements, experiential activations and commerce-driven tactics.
- NFL and CBS/Paramount+ were finalists for Media Plan of the Year with the “Count on Sundays” 360-degree campaign, which spanned TV, streaming, social, digital, stadium media and dynamic OOH and helped CBS secure its highest NFL opening weekend ratings in 27 years (viewership up 15%).
- WPP Media and Mazda were nominated for Best Omnichannel Campaign for the docuseries “First to the Finish,” which recorded 16 million minutes watched, nearly 587,000 full-series viewers and 1.68 billion earned impressions.
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Digiday Announces 2026 Media Buying & Planning Finalists
Digiday published the list of finalists for the 2026 Digiday Media Buying and Planning Awards on June 2, 2026. Finalists span agencies, brands, publishers and technology vendors across categories including Media Campaign of the Year, Media Plan of the Year and Best Omnichannel Campaign. Highlighted nominations include Uber Advertising’s full‑funnel holiday campaign for Diageo; the NFL and CBS/Paramount+ for the “Count on Sundays” 360 campaign; and WPP Media & Mazda for the docuseries “First to the Finish,” which reported 16 million minutes watched and nearly 587,000 full-series viewers. The awards also feature new AI-related categories (Best AI Platform; Best Creative Use of AI; Best Use of AI in Planning/Search) and recognize campaigns using omnichannel, CTV, DOOH and data-driven tactics.
Adweek Names 2026 Media Plan of the Year Winners
Adweek published its 2026 Media Plan of the Year awards, recognizing media agencies and brand-side planners across 22 categories for campaigns that shifted cultural conversations and delivered measurable results. Winners highlighted creative, cross-channel executions — from Kleenex partnering with PHD UK and artist Mr Doodle to drive sales, to Humana and Spark Foundry building an AI-driven system in the Microsoft Bing ecosystem to boost Medicare enrollments. Campaigns included experiential activations (Oscar Mayer’s Wienie 500), social-first debunking (Unilever’s Vaseline Verified), streamer-driven public safety (Havas Play France and Sapeurs‑Pompiers de France), and inclusive cause marketing (GMF with Havas Play France). The feature lists performance metrics and outcomes for featured campaigns and agencies, illustrating diverse tactics across OOH, streaming, AI, social, experiential, and insight-led work.
Digiday Announces 2026 Media Buying & Planning Winners
Digiday published the winners of its 2026 Media Buying and Planning Awards, highlighting campaigns and companies that used AI, data-driven planning and omnichannel strategies. Kepler won Most Innovative Media Agency for its AI-led consultancy work and its proprietary Kip platform (including a Kip AIR capability to measure visibility in generative-AI environments). Samsung Ads and Havas won Best Connected/Streaming TV Campaign for Domino’s GameBreaks interactive CTV format on Samsung TV Plus. Heinz Away From Home (Kraft Heinz) won B2B Media Campaign of the Year for its Heinz Verified program, which used trade media, digital lead generation, creator partnerships and an Uber Eats integration and generated more than 300 million impressions. The awards list includes several new AI categories and a broad set of winners across planning, creative, omnichannel and emerging-technology campaigns.
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