MUMBAI: This year the Abby Award has added new verticals as well as sub-categories to become truly the complete Communications Award that it has always wanted to be.

Last year Abby Awards added Branded Content and Entertainment as a new vertical with 8 sub-categories. This category attracts those projects which involve natural integration into original content by a brand. Typically here entrants can show how a brand has independently or in association with a content producer or broadcaster/publisher has created or co-created entertaining and engaging content for their audience. This can cover original content or programming for a brand by natural integration of a brand into existing formats by partnering with a publisher or media partner.

Branded content integration goes beyond television and includes web, radio, print, music, user generated video, social, blogs, experiential events etc.

This year more sub-categories have been added to bring this vertical on par with international festivals.

Who can enter?

Creative agencies who may have partnered with content producers or publishers, media agencies ,content producers who have produced the content, broadcasters who may have pioneered the concept, publishers who have worked closely with creative or media companies or even clients who may have led the initiative.

What kind of work can be entered?

The intelligent extension of a brand’s theme or position into the content, projects that enhance a brand’s position by integrating with content in different media or events, use of innovation in the integration.

What is the material to be entered?

A presentation board which is at the end of Entry Form and a 2 min audio visual that explains and gives excerpts of the entry has to be entered on DVD along with a presentation board for evaluation by the jury.