Eligibility & Guidelines
Eligibility
All entries must have been conceived and created by individuals working in the Canadian media/advertising/communications industries.
Entries must have run in full or in part between July 30, 2023 and July 30, 2024.
Entries may not contain work that was submitted to a previous MIAs competition. Elements from a prior year entry are permissible solely within a case as context for the evolution of the program; you must clearly acknowledge the older plan framework as such (marked as BACKGROUND ONLY) and clearly highlight significant updates to the media approach and strategy to differentiate this entry from the past work.
The Media Innovation Awards reserves the right to move submissions into categories deemed suitable, however entries submitted in incorrect categories, or that are ineligible, or any entries that are removed at the request of the entrant after payment has been finalized, will not be refunded.
If entries do not comply with the entry guidelines, they will be disqualified at the discretion of the judging committee. The Media Innovation Awards are not responsible for any entrant submission error. All decisions by the judging committee regarding eligibility and awards are final.
Credits
Full credits must be listed for each entry. (Note: Credits as entered will be used for the awards book and trophies/certificates. Be sure to confirm before submitting). For submissions with shared credit, please ensure you have discussed how credits will be allocated with your partners before entering.
International Work
Any work primarily conceived and created by people working in the Canadian advertising and/or media industry for clients outside of Canada, or that is executed outside of Canada, is eligible.
Non-English Language Entries
The Media Innovation Awards accept Non-English language entries, but to ensure they are given full and fair consideration by the entire jury each Non-English entry must be accompanied by an English-language translation. Agencies submitting Non-English language entries are urged to follow the practice common with major international awards programs and produce versions of commercials and ads that have been dubbed and re-typeset in English.
Industry Recognition
Gold winners will be presented with a Media Innovation Awards trophy. Silver and Bronze winners will receive certificates. The MIAs are covered by Media In Canada, and the winning cases are archived online in the Media Innovation Awards case gallery on the Media In Canada site.
How to Enter
1. Review eligibility requirements at the top of this page, to see if your entry qualifies.
2. Click the "Enter Now" button, found on the homepage or at the bottom of this page, and fill out the entry form.
3. Click "Save" and you will be taken to the Entry Dashboard where you may review your entries, add additional entries, and upload any supporting files to your individual entries.
4. You must finalize and pay for any/all entries before the final deadline or your entries will be considered incomplete and ineligible, and will NOT be submitted to the Media Innovation Awards.
5. Once an entry is paid for, it is officially considered entered into the competition. However, you will still be able to sign into your account and review/edit/upload files to your entry until the final entry deadline.
6. After the final entry deadline, your entry will no longer be open for review/editing, and all paid entries will be submitted for judging.
Preparing Your Entry
We recommend that you begin preparing your entry well in advance of the deadline. We are accepting entries online and although this system has been developed to be user-friendly, starting your online entry submission early will allow any questions you have to be resolved in advance of the deadline.
Your online entry will include the following components:
1. Campaign Name: If you are entering a campaign more than once, be consistent with the campaign name. This will appear on any awards, media or presentation materials.
2. Entry Submission Form: Containing basic information about your entry and your company.
3. Program Credits: This includes the list of names you would like to see credited for your campaign. These names will be shown in the event of any wins. Please consult with your partners regarding shared credit PRIOR TO submitting your entry. Cases are evaluated anonymously, so DO NOT include the program credits within the case document.
4. Submission Materials: A case document is mandatory for each entry to the Media Innovation Awards. Entrants may also choose to provide a case video or other supplementary materials to the jury, but a case document is always required. For details regarding what to include in a case document, please see the guidelines below. DO NOT include the agency name or credits in the case document or video.
5. Artwork: All entries require examples of the work, and some sort of visual representation. May include images, video, audio or PDF files that you will be able to upload to the website. Please see “Specifications” under the Entry Info menu tab for details regarding how to format your submission materials. DO NOT include the agency name or logo in any artwork.
6. Hi-Res Promotional Image: To be submitted in the artwork area. This image will be used for publication if your entry should win. Please select the image that is most representative of your entry or campaign. We do not contact any winners before the Media Innovation Awards gala, therefore all entries must provide a Hi-Res Promotional Image.
7. Category Selection: It is the entrant's responsibility to select the correct category and to ensure that their entries meet the eligibility requirements. The Media Innovation Awards jury reserves the right to move submissions into categories deemed suitable, however entries submitted in incorrect categories or that are ineligible, or any entries that are removed at the request of the entrant after payment has been finalized, will not be refunded.
Case Summary Documents
D&I Jury Prize
The MIAs will reward a Gold M jury prize to a media plan that took an active stance in supporting and representing the values of diversity and inclusion through media choices, publisher and channel alignment, or involvement with, or commitment to, under-represented communities. While preparing your case summary, please highlight any relevant elements that the jury should be aware of, such as allotting a % of media investment to minority-owned media companies, or any other media plan aspects of support towards diversity, equality and inclusion.
Preparing Case Documents
Entrants are required to present a logical case that flows from business objectives to results by completing the four sections, identified below.
Information must be specific to the category entered, and highlight why the entry presents unique or interesting elements according to the category requirements. Do not submit the same summary for multiple category entries.
A case document is mandatory for each entry to the Media Innovation Awards. Entrants may also choose to provide a case video or other supplementary materials to the jury, but a case document is always required.
The recommended length for a case document is 500-750 words. Absolutely NO agency name or logo of the entrant can appear in any part of the submission.
Please declare if - and how - AI was used in the process of developing, creating, or executing your entry. If AI was employed, please add a brief overview of how it was used. Please also flag if AI was used to help craft/produce your case study or write your submission, and if so, please confirm that no third-party copyrights have been breached. Entries must meet Canadian advertising regulations & standards. Entries assessed as offensive to viewers will be disqualified.
Please use the following guidelines as a structure for your submissions. Remember - the easier a case is to read, the better. Be clear and concise to ensure the jury has the best possible understanding of your work as they vote on its performance.
1. Insights & Ideas (30%)
Introduce your case to the judges by setting up the business challenges and objectives. Then outline how you arrived at the insight that informed your planning direction, and the big idea that made your media program relevant to your consumer.
2. Media Execution (20%)
Explain your choice of medium (or media) and detail how you overcame any potential limitations. How did one medium play or build off of another? Were there hurdles in terms of coordinating and working with creative teams or media partners to execute the program seamlessly? Were there any challenges to solve in terms of generating useful metrics?
3. Innovation (20%)
List any "firsts," i.e. anything breakthrough or unprecedented, in regards to your media program, including uses of technology or advertising formats. In a case of being first out the gate, the jury must also be impressed by the way in which the breakthrough was executed (awards will not be given to "first for first's sake" or "tech for tech's sakes" entries). "Firsts" can also include a new way of using a traditional medium or existing technology, or new way of approaching media within a certain vertical or industry.
4. Results (30%)
Explain how your case delivered against your stated business objectives by providing results. Please reveal as much as possible to the jury to clearly quantify how your media program contributed to the overall success of a brand's marketing campaign. In addition to metrics and KPIs, results should provide any helpful context pertaining to ROI. Such as: Was the impact achieved with less investment than prior programs for the brand? Has the program created a platform for the brand that will require less resources going forward?
**Should you wish that any information included in your case document remain confidential (i.e., only read by the jury panel), please indicate 'Results Confidential' at the conclusion of this section. Otherwise, if your entry is awarded at the gala, the results stated in the case may be made public.
Limited Budget Categories: Costs to be Included
To provide a fair comparison across the category, entrants into specific budget categories are asked to include the following costs in their budget overview:
- All media buy costs
- All costs associated with earned media, including PR budget
- All production and execution costs pertaining to the entry (if part of a larger program, such as the use of previously produced video, these costs must be included)
- Influencer/celebrity/talent costs (or the relevant portion of any long-term endorsement deal)
- All relevant sponsorship costs - this includes a pro-rated portion of any long-term rights deals (if you have NHL rights, a % of the annual fee must be apportioned)
Rights Clearance
By submitting video, digital or print content, or any forms of entertainment, advertising or promotional materials (hereinafter "Content") as part of an entry or entries (hereinafter "the Entry") to the Media Innovation Awards competition, the entrant company grants permission to Brunico Communications Ltd. (hereinafter "Brunico") to: show, play and/or publicly exhibit the Entry or submitted Content at the awards show; to telecast such awards show; to exhibit and communicate the Entry and submitted Content to the public by telecommunication; to include the Entry and submitted Content in screenings of the award winners' reels on websites operated by Brunico, its affiliates and independent third parties; and to exhibit the Entry and submitted Content in any educational or informational setting; and to charge admission therefore where applicable. The entrant company acknowledges and agrees that Brunico may use the Entry and submitted Content, or any reproduction of the Entry and submitted Content in whole or in part, in telecasts, webcasts, exhibits, books, pamphlets, and other publications or in television broadcasts featuring award entries and for which Brunico may receive compensation. The entrant company holds all necessary rights and/or licences for such aforesaid uses by Brunico of the Entry and submitted Content, including all music and other works contained within the Entry and submitted Content. The entrant shall be responsible and shall hold Brunico, its assignees and licensees harmless for talent and/or other residuel fees or claims arising by or due to the uses of the Entry and submitted Content by Brunico as referenced herein. The entrant company submitting the Entry and Content certifies and confirms that it has the full authority to grant the rights to Brunico for the uses referenced herein, on its behalf and on behalf of any client for whom the Content and/or Entry was produced, unless Brunico is otherwise advised in writing at the time the entrant submits the Entry and Content to Brunico.