Enter by August 29, 2025
The Pinnacle of Performance
Our In-House Agency of the Year award recognizes the internal advertising or creative services organization that has distinguished itself above all others when it comes to performance overall. This includes business impact, client partnerships, creative expertise, operational efficiency, and talent and teamwork.
In-House Agency of the Year Award
Teams of all sizes are encouraged to enter our In-House Agency of the Year competition, with submissions accepted April through August annually. Post-deadline, entries are scored by a panel of judges. In November, three finalists are announced at the IHAF Conference & Awards, with one honored as the top team.
Entry Details
Eligibility
Any in-house agency or corporate creative organization is eligible to participate (both IHAF members and non-members) with entries based on the team’s performance from January 1 to December 31, 2024.
Entry Deadline
Entries must be received via our online submission process no later than August 29, 2025, including your supporting MP4, AVI or MPEG4 video. Entries received after the stated deadline will not be considered. Please note, there is no extended deadline for this competition.
Entry Fees
All entries must be received by August 29, 2025.
IHAF Members:
$150 per entry
Non-Members:
$150 per entry
Entry fees may be paid via credit card or by requesting an invoice during the submission process (see ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS). Entries will not be judged unless full payment is received by the deadline. Entry fees are non-refundable. One nomination per team.
Nominate your team—click below to enter!
Entry Prompt
Tell us your story of exceptional team performance by responding to the prompt below:
IHAF’s In-House Agency of the Year Award celebrates measurable achievements across five key areas: Business Impact, where contributions drive growth; Client Partnership, where collaboration fosters success; Creative Ingenuity, where ideas lead to innovation; Operational Expertise, where processes enhance efficiency; and Talent & Teamwork, where collective strength outshines individual effort. Describe how your in-house agency excelled in these areas, highlighting tangible contributions to your
organization.
In 650 words or fewer, tell us what qualifies your team to be named IHAF’s In-House Agency of the Year. Be sure to include specific examples of key accomplishments demonstrating achievements in each area. Please also include a brief (2-3 minutes) video that punctuates the gold standard for overall performance excellence demonstrated by your team.
(Scoring is weighted as follows: Written responses make up 75% of the total score for each entry, with video submissions contributing the remaining 25%.)
Entry Instructions
To begin, click Entry Portal in the left navigation bar. Enter your email address and password to create your login. This login is unique to the IHAF Awards; it is not the same as your member login on the IHAF website. (If you entered the IHAF Awards in 2024 or signed-in to the 2025 In-House Creativity Awards entry portal, you don’t need to create a new login for In-House Agency of the Year—just use those same credentials.)
Once signed in, you should automatically be routed to your dashboard. From there, select the Start Entry button in the bottom-left corner of the page and choose In-House Agency of the Year as the program.
Respond to the written prompt on screen and click Save + Next. Then, upload your accompanying video and team photo. When you’re done, click Submit Entry at the bottom of the page and your submission will be added to your cart for checkout.
If you’re not ready to submit your entry just yet, click Save + Close to come back to it later. To access entries in progress, click your Company Name from your dashboard and you’ll be able to get back into your entry to review/edit and submit.
When your entry is complete, click Submit Entry to be routed to your cart. Indicate your method of payment and click Proceed to Payment, following the remaining prompts. If you wish to pay via check or electronic transfer, select Invoice to generate a statement, following the payment instructions to fully submit your entry.
Judging
Written submissions and videos are reviewed by a panel of judges comprised of in-house agency executives and leaders in the advertising/marketing community. Entries are evaluated individually and scored via a points system on recorded ballots. Written responses account for 75% of the total weight in scoring each entry, with video submissions making up the remaining 25%. In the event of a tie, the judging panel assembles to discuss the highest-scoring entries and determines the winner.
Final Details
IHAF assumes that all entries are original, with all information and/or work provided being the rightful property of the entrant with all rights granted therein. IHAF is not liable for copyright infringement on the part of the entrant and will not engage in copyright disputes.
Winning teams are named at the IHAF Conference & Awards and publicized on the IHAF website.
Thank you—and we look forward to your participation in our celebration of in-house excellence.
Our Past Winners
Meet the teams setting the standard for excellence. Learn about our past winners and runners up, and their influence and impact on their respective brands.
Questions?
If you have questions about our In-House Agency of the Year award or nomination process, please be in touch anytime.
Hollis Gesen
Senior Program Manager
617.587.3945
Email Hollis