ADWEEK Reveals 2025 Experiential Awards Shortlist

ADWEEK has unveiled the shortlist for our 7th annual Experiential Awards, honoring the top work in physical experience marketing in 2025.

As consumers continue to crave experiences that blend the digital and physical, experiential activations offer a meeting point where brands and audiences can connect and engage across both.

This year’s honorees embody the bold ideas driving the future of experiential marketing. From immersive pop-ups to large-scale events, these campaigns redefine what it means to connect in an era where experience is everything.

Congratulations to all the shortlist honorees whose work is shaping the next chapter of experiential excellence.

Winners will be revealed in the December issue of ADWEEK in print and online on Dec. 9. 

Best Activation in Support of Sustainability

• GMR Marketing – McCain – Farms of the Future Experience
• The Shelf – Natura – From Rainforest to Recognition: How Natura’s Sustainability Story Sparked Global Growth

Best Cause-Related Experiential Activation

• Creative Artists Agency – La Roche-Posay – Rally Against the Sun: La Roche-Posay’s Mission to Keep Tennis Fans Sun-Safe
• DCX Growth Accelerator – Newman’s Own Inc. – Generosity Index
• Infinity Marketing Team – State Farm – State Farm Gamerhood: Neo City
• Salt XC  – Visa – Field the Future
• We Are Social – Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) – RMHC 50th Anniversary Gala

Best Community-Focused Experiential Activation

• Civic – Audible – Dungeon Crawler Carl at San Diego Comic-Con
• Indeed – Indeed – Opportunity Studio
• Salt XC – Visa – Field the Future
• Tamsen Fadal Media  – Tamsen Fadal Media – The World’s Hottest Menopause Party
• Trailblaze – ILGM – ILGM Home Grow Tour

Best Consumer Activation

• Happy Place – Nike – Yachty x Nike Scavenger Hunt
• McCann XBC – Mastercard – From Fan To Featured
• NVE Experience Agency – NBC – Live From New York: The SNL50 Experience

Best Event for Professional Development

• Elite Media – Teachers College Community School – The Schoolys
• FGPG – eBay – eBay Open 25: eBay’s Biggest Seller Event of the Year
• Lede – Boardroom – Boardroom Members Club
• Salt XC – Shopify – Shopify Summit
• Wavemaker – Adobe, Inc. – Adobe Express Truck at the Upfronts

Best Event in Support of Diversity and Inclusion

• ASTOUND Group – Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation – Cricket to Conquer Cancer 2025
• DCX Growth Accelerator – Ben & Jerry’s – The Little Banned Book Library
• Indeed – Indeed – Opportunity Studio
• MoonLab Productions – Uber IDEA – Uber at Grace Hopper Celebration

Best International Experiential Activation

• Amplify – Yahoo – Motel Yahoo @ Cannes
• Fever – Paramount+ – Dexter: The Experience
• MAS – Qiddiya – Qiddiya UBAR at Tokyo Game Show
• Salt Productions – Amazon Ads – A’Maison: The House of Amazon at Cannes Lions
• Zulu Alpha Kilo – Destination BC – Wäsche of the Wild

Best Networking Event

• Winner will be revealed in December

Best Sports-Related Experiential Activation

• 160over90 – Jameson Irish Whiskey – Touchdown in Dublin
• Goodby Silverstein & Partners – Comcast Business – Game the Green
• Netflix – LIVE on Netflix – The Beyoncé Bowl
• NVE Experience Agency – Captain Morgan – Captain Morgan: Rum Street
• Salt XC – McCain – Most Valuable Potato

Best Use of Celebrity in an Experiential Activation

• 160over90 – Absolut – House of Cosmo
• Infinity Marketing Team – State Farm – Jake’s Jingle Quest
• Netflix – LIVE on Netflix – The Beyoncé Bowl
• MKG – Outer Banks – Poguelandia: An Outer Banks Experience
• McCann XBC – Mastercard – From Fan To Featured

Best Use of Data Insights in an Experiential Activation

• DCX Growth Accelerator – Newman’s Own Inc. – Good Tastes Better
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing – IBM – Calling the Shots
• Jack Morton – Supercell – Clash of Clans Bathroom Battlestation
• Pinterest – Pinterest – Pinterest Manifestival
• Zulu Alpha Kilo – Art Gallery of Ontario – Art Rate Monitor

Best Use of Delivery and Merchandise

• Mssng Peces — Milk-Bone and Jif | The Museum
• WINK — Corona | The Golden Paris Takeover

Best Use of Drive-Up Experience

• Deeplocal — Taco Bell | Taco Bell Live Más Drive-Thru Cam
• TMA — Netflix & Wendy’s | Wednesday’s: The Meal of Misfortune Comes to LA
• Zulu Alpha Kilo — Destination BC | Wäsche of the Wild

Best Use of Experiential Activation to Launch a Brand/Product

• Amplify – EA SPORTS – EAFC Clubhouse
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing – Salesforce – Dreamforce 2024
• Mssng Peces – KFC – Nugget Dispensary
• OS Studios – Activision – Call Of Duty NEXT 2024
• MAS – Qiddya – Leveling Up Reality: Qiddiya’s Global Gaming Takeover

Best Use of Influencers in an Experiential Activation

• Infinity Marketing Team – State Farm – State Farm Gamerhood: Neo City
• Good Culture – Good Culture – Culture Counter
• Mssng Peces – Made By Google – After Party
• GMR Marketing – Nissan – Nissan 4 the Win Weekend

Best Use of Mobile in an Experiential Activation

• 160over90 – Jameson Irish Whiskey – Touchdown in Dublin
• AGENC – Kosas – Kosas DreamBeam at Coachella 2025
• Food Truck Promotions – Victoria’s Secret – Celebrating Bombshell’s 15th Anniversary
• HUNTER – Tripadvisor – A Doorway to Abu Dhabi
• VML – Wendy’s – Frosty Fix

Best Use of Music/Audio in an Experiential Activation

• HARMAN – JBL – JBL’s Power Partnerships at SXSW Grab Gen Z Attention
• Lede – Boardroom x Bose – Boardroom Talks LIVE with Bose
• McCann XBC – Mastercard – From Fan To Featured
• VML – Tennessee Department of Tourist Development – Sound Sites

Best Use of Out-of-Home Media in an Experiential Activation

• DIVE – Skittles – Skittles “Ink the Rainbow” with TikTok Out of Phone
• VML – KitKat – Phone Break
• Scribd Inc.- Everand – Read Every Which Way
• LFG Communications – Warner Music – How The Talking Heads took over NYC, again
• Wavemaker – Adobe, Inc. – Adobe Express

Best Use of Partnership in an Experiential Activation

• 160over90 – Marriott Bonvoy – Marriott Bonvoy at the 2025 Men’s and Women’s Final Four
• Jack Morton – Meta – Meta Reels Cinema
• McCann XBC – Mastercard – From Fan To Featured
• Mssng Peces – Milk-Bone and Jif – The Museum
• Netflix – LIVE on Netflix – The Beyoncé Bowl

Best Use of Social Media in an Experiential Activation

• DIVE – Skittles – Skittles “Ink the Rainbow” with TikTok Out of Phone
• GMR Marketing – Xfinity – Café de ConneXion: The Fastest Connection to Paris
• McCann XBC – Mastercard – From Fan To Featured
• Mssng Peces – Made By Google – After Party

Best Use of Video in an Experiential Activation

• Jack Morton – Meta – Meta Reels Cinema
• Salt XC – Visa – Field the Future
• OS Studios – Activision – Call Of Duty NEXT 2024
• Mssng Peces – Accenture Song – First AI-ID Kit “Meet Your Digital Maker”
• GMR Marketing – Xfinity – Café de ConneXion: The Fastest Connection to Paris

Best Use of Virtual Event Technology

• Winner will be revealed in December

Experiential Activation by a Media Brand

• Amplify – Yahoo – Motel Yahoo @ Cannes
• Droga5  – HBO – Obey the Order
• Pinterest – Pinterest – Pinterest Manifestival
• Pinterest – Pinterest – Remix Yourself on Pinterest

Experiential Activation by a Packaged Goods Brand

• adam&eve DDB – IAMS – IAMS Presents: Waylon
• goodwipes – goodwipes – Porta Palace
• Salt XC – McCain – McCain “Happy Frydays”
• Trigger(House – Cheez-It – Cheez-In Diner by Weber Shandwick 
• VML – Ziploc – Preserved Promos

Experiential Activation by a Spirits or Alcoholic Beverage Brand

• 160over90 – Absolut – House of Cosmo
• Brand New: A Collective – Diageo North America, Inc. – Crown Royal Station at Super Bowl LIX 
• City Eventions – Maker’s Mark, Suntory Global Spirits – Maker’s Mark Winter Wheat Wonderland
• NVE Experience Agency – Captain Morgan – Captain Morgan: Rum Street

Experiential Activation by a Travel Brand

• Delta Air Lines – Delta Air Lines – Delta Launches Centennial Year through Immersive 360° Experiential Activation at CES 2025
• FGPG – OCVIBE Sports & Entertainment – Countdown to a New Downtown
• HUNTER – Tripadvisor – Morocco Through the Lens
• Miles Partnership – The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism – Immersive Sports Activations Bring the USVI to New Markets
• R&R Partners – Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) – Las Vegas x AFC Bournemouth: “Chip Shot Roulette” Fan Activation

Experiential Activation by an Entertainment Brand

• Creative Riff – ABC – Abbott Elementary Presents A.V.A. Fest
• GDX Studios – Supercell/Brawl Stars – Brawl Stars Starr Park at SDCC 2025
• MKG – HBO MAX – The White Lotus Experience
• NVE Experience Agency – NBC – Live From New York: The SNL50 Experience

Experiential Activation by Auto Brand

• GMR Marketing – Nissan – Nissan Formula E: Supercharged Experience
• Narrative XPR – Audi – Audi Haus
• NVE Experience Agency – Waymo – Waymo CES 2025: The Future is Now
• R&CPMK – Genesis House – The Forest Within
• VML – Ford – SupportBelt

Experiential Activation by Retail Brand

• Giant Spoon – Walmart – The Shoutout
• Happy Place – Converse – Converse x le fleur Pop-Up
• MKG – BÉIS – BÉIS x Stagecoach 2025
• Pink Sparrow – Gymshark – Gymshark NYC Holiday Pop-Up
• Wasserman – Target – Target x kate spade new york 2024 Spring Collection Launch

Experiential Activation by Technology Brand

• Creative Artists Agency – T-Mobile – Post’s Travelin’ Tailgate: Club Magenta Hits the Road
• Goodby Silverstein & Partners – Comcast Business – Game the Green
• Mssng Peces – Accenture Song – First AI-ID Kit “Meet Your Digital Maker”
• Seen Presents – TikTok LIVE – TikTok LIVE Fest 2024
• VML – Aritium – PainVisible

Experiential Activation Less than $1 Million

• All Terrain Collective – Premier Lacrosse League + Whirlpool – The First Lacrosse Field on Water
• Elite Media – Teachers College Community School – The Schoolys
• Matrix MKTG – Backwoods – Backwoods Takeover: Two Activations, One Unforgettable Experience
• PlutoTV – Pluto TV – Popcorn Challenge
• Wingstop – Wingstop – Bar Tender 

Experiential Activation Over $1 Million

• Netflix – LIVE on Netflix – The Beyoncé Bowl
• OS Studios – Activision – Call Of Duty NEXT 2024
• The Blaze Strategy – HBO Max – Roland-Garros Pickleball Activation: Le Petit Court by Max
• The Hanging House Experiential Events LLC – Nissan Middle East FZE – Global Launch of Nissan Nismo 2025
• WINK – Corona – The Golden Paris Takeover

Experiential Agency of the Year

• Amplify 
• Left Field Labs
• MKG
• Momentum Worldwide
• Salt XC 

Experiential Brand of the Year

• DoorDash
• NYLON
• Pinterest 
• Prologis 

Experiential Executive of the Year

• AMC Networks – Miguel Enrique Rodriguez, EVP of Production & Operations
• Disney Entertainment Television – Laura Lovas, Head of Brand Partnerships & Experiential
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing – Fiona Bruder, Global CEO
• Giant Spoon – Monica Herman, VP, Executive Creative Director