Rules

INTRODUCTION TO THE MARK AWARDS:

The Mark Awards are dedicated to driving excellence and inspiring professionals to look beyond the conventional. We celebrate achievements that redefine boundaries and motivate marketers, innovators, and agencies to excel across the 4P’s.

These awards spotlight visionary thinking, seeing everyday things transformed into extraordinary experiences with measurable impact.

ELIGIBILITY:

To ensure a fair and competitive process, the following eligibility criteria must be met by all entrants:

Eligible Participants:
- Open to advertising agencies, strategists, creative teams, brands, marketing departments and individuals.
- Collaborative entries from multiple organisations are allowed, provided each contributing entity is acknowledged.
- Entries must have reached South African target audiences and must have been executed by a team based in this country.
- For technology-led categories, eligibility may include tools, platforms or methodologies developed and applied by South Africa-based teams, where impact is demonstrated through use cases, pilots or deployments, even where traditional campaign structures or audience reach may not apply.

Time Frame:
- The work submitted must have been executed, published, or aired between 28 February 2025 and 31 March 2026.
- Entries that span multiple years are eligible, as long as part of the work falls within the specified time frame.

Original Work:
- All submissions must be original and created by the submitting entity.
- Entries must not infringe upon any copyrights, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights.

Category Fit:
- Each entry must be submitted in the appropriate category.
- Entrants may submit the same work in multiple categories (if applicable), but each submission must be tailored to the specific category requirements.
- By adhering to these eligibility criteria and guidelines, participants can ensure their entries are properly prepared and have the best chance of success in the awards competition.


HOW TO ENTER:

Submission Process:
- Register and create an Account on this Platform
- Entry Form: Complete the online entry form with all required details, including project title, category, participant information, and a brief project overview.
- Supporting Materials: Upload all required supporting materials (e.g. videos, images, scripts) in the specified formats and sizes (see Format and Requirements below).
- Entry Fee: Pay the applicable entry fee for each submission. Fees are non-refundable.
- Judging will only take place once fees are paid.

Format and Requirements:
- Project Overview: Provide a concise description (up to 300 words) outlining the campaign objectives, strategy, execution, and results.
- Creative Materials: Submit high-resolution images, videos, audio files, or other media showcasing the work. Ensure all digital files are in the required formats:
- Images: JPEG/PNG, high resolution
- Videos: MP4
- Audio: MP3
- Documents: PDF
- Case Study Video: Optional but recommended. A short video (1-3 minutes) summarising the campaign’s concept, execution, and results.
- Results and Metrics: Provide quantifiable metrics (e.g. reach, engagement, conversions) and qualitative outcomes (e.g. brand perception shifts, customer testimonials).

Confidentiality and Permissions:
- Client Permissions: Ensure all necessary permissions from clients or other relevant parties are obtained before submission.
- Confidential Information: Clearly mark any confidential information. Judges are bound by confidentiality agreements and will not disclose sensitive information.

Rights and Usage:
- Usage Rights: By submitting an entry, participants grant the awards organisers the right to use submitted materials for promotional purposes, including in print, online, and social media, with appropriate credits.
-Ownership: Participants retain ownership of their work.

Disqualification:
- Non-Compliance: Entries that do not comply with the eligibility criteria or submission guidelines will be disqualified.
- Refunds: Entry fees for disqualified submissions are non-refundable.

For any questions or assistance with your submission, please contact the awards team at help@theMark Awards.com.


JUDGING PROCESS:

Judging Panel:
Comprises industry experts, including both local and international judges, who will review and score each entry based on:

- Strategy
- Innovation
- Design/Creativity
- Experience
- Leadership
- Impact

Scoring:
- Entries are scored on a scale from 1 to 10 in each section, with 1 being the lowest possible score and 10 being the highest, with weighting applied based on the category. The highest-scoring entries in each category will be shortlisted for final consideration.

Final Review:
- Shortlisted entries may undergo a final review process, including additional verification of results and impact.

Notification and Awards Ceremony:
- Shortlist Announcement: Shortlisted entries will be notified via email and announced on marklives.com by 9 July 2026.

Awards Ceremony:
- The inaugural Awards Event is poised to be in a special location and will be announced in March 2025, along with the ceremony venue and date in due time.

General Checklist:
- AwardsEngine: All entries can only be submitted via the AwardsEngine platform which is a world class platform that is easy to use to submit an entry and for the best professional judging process.
- Deadline: Ensure all entries are submitted by the specified deadline.
- Format: Follow the format guidelines for each type of media.
- Clarity: Provide clear and concise explanations and descriptions as well as results.
- Proof: Double-check all materials for accuracy and quality.

By following these guidelines, entrants can provide a comprehensive and compelling submission that highlights the strengths and successes of their strategy, advertising campaigns, products, innovation or leaders and change-makers within marketing, advertising or agencies.


FEES:

- Early Bird Entry Fee: R2500 incl VAT (ends 22 April 2026!)
- Regular Entry Fee: R2800 incl VAT
- Full payment is required before judging begins. No refunds.


TIMELINE:

This structured timeline helps participants plan their submissions effectively and ensures The Mark Awards process runs smoothly from start to finish.

The Mark Awards Timelines:

Entries:
01/04/2026: Entries Open
01/04/2026 - 22/04/2026: Early Bird Deadline
23/04/2026 - 07/05/2026: Regular Submission Deadline
08/05/2026 - 20/05/2026: Late Submission Deadline

Judging:
27/05/2026 - `0/06/2026: Judging (All Jury Members)
23/06/2026 - 30/06/2026: Final & Grand Prix Judging (Jury Presidents only)

Annoucements/Awards:
09/07/2026: Shortlist Announcement
12/09/2026: Awards Ceremony
TBC: Winners' Showcase


TERMS & CONDITIONS:
https://theMark Awards.com/privacy-policy/