Facebook Goes For The Gold: Selects Top Ads

Before a drop of Moet is spilled in Cannes, the best ads of the year have already been decided by Facebook.

According to the all-powerful platform, the top honor for 2015 goes to Leo Burnett and Procter & Gamble for the “Like a Girl” campaign they created for feminine hygiene brand Always.

Facebook bestowed its “Blue For Good” award -- which recognizes excellence in campaigns created for charitable and nonprofit organizations -- on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

Apart from the 2014 World Cup, the initiative reached more people than any event in Facebook’s history and raised more than $220 million.

Gold medal honors went to the “Love Has No Labels” campaign, which was created by R/GA for the AdCouncil, and goal was designed to open peoples’ eyes to bias and prejudice.

Droga5 and Under Armour also earned a Gold medal for helping to amend the brand’s super masculine image with their “I Will What I Want” campaign, which celebrated expectation-defying women.

Over the past year, Facebook said the continued growth of mobile and video continue to redefine the parameters of effective advertising. This year, 70% of submissions were video-based, according to the social giant.

An advertising medium, Instagram appears to have come into its own. Since last year, the Facebook-owned network saw a 35% increase in ad submissions.

For its awards, Facebook said it received over 2,700 submissions from 160 countries.

Determining the winners was Facebook’s “creative council,” including Barton F. Graf 9000 founder Gerry Graf, Wieden + Kennedy’s Colleen Decourcy, and Droga5 founder David Droga.

“A demonstration of creativity is the core criterion of the Facebook Awards,” according to Facebook. “The jury looks for brilliant, inspired work that changes the way the industry approaches content publishing and sets the bar at new heights.”

Next story loading loading..