What makes some campaigns fall flat and others catch fire? This year's BUZZ Award winners know the secrets. They've masterfully linked message to media to produce the best in the exploding field of branded entertainment-from brilliant product placements to ingenious integrations.
    
    The 2008 AdweekMedia BUZZ Awards competition, now in its fourth year, drew nearly 300 entries in 17 categories, with the Integrated category dominating the field at 54 submissions.

    Winners in each category were selected by an esteemed judging panel of 16 industry experts from across the marketing/media spectrum, judging entries in their own field of expertise on the basis of campaign objective, creativity, execution and results. From the group of 17 winners, the Adweek, Brandweek and Mediaweek editors chose the most buzz-worthy of all, the grand prize winner. In addition to the main category winners, the submissions were submitted for "popular vote" by the agency/marketing/media communities to choose the winners of the new People's Choice awards, recognizing the three top vote-getters.

    This year, we're pleased to present, for the first time, profiles of all the BUZZ
Award-winning campaigns in this special section and online at www.adweekmedia.com, detailing their strategies, executions and pop-culture-sweeping results. Get ready to get a buzz on.

And the winners are…

GRAND PRIZE
WINNER: AKQA for McDonald's
CAMPAIGN: The Lost Ring
This campaign also won the Buzz Award in the Gaming Category: Most seamless incorporation of a brand logo, character, jingle or product into the world of a game

EVENT: Best integration of a brand into an existing event
WINNER: ABC Domestic TV for Dr. Scholl's for Her
CAMPAIGN: Live with Regis and Kelly- High-Heel a Thon

FILM/MOVIE: Most memorable-yet natural-cameo by a brand in a motion picture
WINNER: Davie Brown Entertainment for Mountain Dew
CAMPAIGN: Transformers

VIRAL MARKETING: Best use of grassroots marketing to generate attention and awareness of a brand or product
WINNER: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners for Adobe Creative Suite

ONLINE: Most attention-getting and effective use of the online medium to market a product, such as through a blog, short film or a viral e-mail campaign
WINNER: Proximity Canada for Alka-Seltzer

MUSIC: Best integration of a product, service or message in music-based entertainment
WINNER: The Marketing Arm for AT&T

OUTDOOR/OUT OF HOME: Most innovative and effective use of outdoor media to market a brand or product
WINNER: Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners for MINI Cooper

PRINT: Most ingenious weaving of a consumer product into the pages of a magazine, newspaper or book
WINNER: Fallon Minneapolis for Sci Fi Channel

RADIO: Best brand integration into an on-air radio program
WINNER: OMD for Visa

REALITY TELEVISION: Best seamless integration of a brand into a reality show
WINNER: MediaVest Worldwide for Herbal Essences

SCRIPTED TELEVISION: Best seamless integration of a brand into a sitcom or drama
WINNER: R&R Partners for Valley Metro
CAMPAIGN: ABC's " Carpoolers"

SOCIAL MEDIA: Best use of social media sites, widgets and twitter
WINNER: OMD for McDonald's
CAMPAIGN: Big Mac Chant

SPORTS: Best-conceived and -executed branding of a sporting event and/or telecast
WINNER: MediaVest for Sprite
CAMPAIGN: NBA Slam Dunk

WIRELESS PROMOTION: Best use of wireless platform for a brand promotion
WINNER: Moxie Interactive for Fox Studios/ Jumper

INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN: Includes three or more elements from all categories
WINNER: Campfire for Verizon Fios
CAMPAIGN: My Home 2.0

PUBLIC RELATIONS: Best use of PR tactics to create marketing buzz
WINNER: Coburn Communication and AARP for AARP The Magazine

USER-GENERATED: Best use of user-generated marketing
WINNER: Catapult Action-Based Marketing for PEDIGREE®

PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNERS: World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
Sapient Interactive
Campbell-Ewald




For more Buzz Awards Coverage coverage:
2008 Buzz Awards Winners
Millions Are Talking: Do you know who is creating the buzz?
Grand Prize Winner: McDonald's Brave New World
Event Marketing: ABC Domestic TV, Dr. Scholl's for Her
Online: Proximity Canada, Alka-Seltzer
Viral Marketing: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, Adobe Creative Suite
Music: The Marketing Arm, AT&T
Outdoor/Out-of-Home: Butler Shine Stern & Partners, MINI Cooper
Print: Fallon Minneapolis, Sci Fi Channel
Radio: OMD, Visa
Reality TV: Mediavest Worldwide, Herbal Essences
Scripted Television: R&R Partners, Valley Metro
Social Media: OMD, McDonald's
Sports: Mediavest, Sprite
Wireless: Moxie Interactive, FOX Studios/Jumper
Integrated Campaign: Campfire, Verizon/a>
Public Relations: Coburn Communications and AARP
User-Generated: Catapult Marketing, Pedigree
Film/Movie: Davie Brown Entertainment, Mountain Dew
Buzz People's Choice Awards