Enter by June 30, 2025
Honoring Creativity and Innovation
It feels gratifying when your colleagues praise your work—even more so when an entire industry does! Winning an In-House Creativity Award means you’ve distinguished yourself as a leading corporate creative organization. This prestigious recognition highlights the talent on your team, honoring your collective achievements.
In-House Creativity Awards
The call for entries extends from April 1 to July 15. Submissions are then scored by a panel of industry experts. Three awards (Gold, Silver, and Honorable Mention) are conferred within each category along with one Best of Show. Winners are announced at the IHAF Conference & Awards in November.
Awards Categories
Annual Reports
Corporate Communications
Elements developed to communicate and strengthen an organization’s brand identity and presence with internal and/or external audiences.
Subcategories:
Brand Identity Kits; Cards & Invitations; Employee Communications; Logos
Creative Copywriting
Digital Marketing
Assorted forms of digital outreach that are used to promote products, services, organizations and brands.
Subcategories:
Banner Ads; Emails; B2B Websites; B2C Websites
Direct Mail
Enviormental
Architectural designs, fixtures, art installations and graphics—permanent or temporary. Also includes promotional wall hangings and corporate signage.
Subcategories:
Corporate Installations; Posters & Signage
Events
Graphics packages inclusive of branding, messaging and experiential elements developed to support an event held at a specific place and time.
Subcategories:
Events, external audience; Events, internal audience
Multi-Media Campaigns
An integrated series of campaign elements produced across a minimum of three different forms of media.
Subcategories:
B2B; B2C
On a Shoestring
Out of Home
Podcast / Audio Series
Point of Sale
Print Advertising
Product Packaging
Publications
Interior/exterior layout, graphics and editorial content that constitutes a formal publication, e.g., book, magazine, or newsletter.
Subcategories:
B2B; B2C
Sales Collateral
Brochures, kits and catalogs designed to move prospective buyers through the sales cycle—from awareness to consideration to purchase.
Subcategories:
B2B; B2C
Social Impact
Social Media
Digital advertising, marketing and/or promotional posts that connect audiences to brands via one or more social platforms.
Subcategories:
Animated Graphics; Organic Posts, multi-platform; Organic Posts, single platform; Paid Posts, multi-platform; Paid Posts, single platform
Stuff the Client Didn't Pick
Video
Broadcasts promoting assorted messaging—educating and engaging viewers through video storytelling.
Subcategories:
Brand/Product Promo; Broadcast TV Spots; Education & Training; Event Openers & Events; Online Video Ads, 0:60 or under; Online Video Ads, over 0:60; Sizzle Reels; Social Media; Social Responsibility
Wild-Card Creative
Work that stands out so much, it simply doesn’t fit into any other category. Can only be entered once when it’s entered here!
Entry Details
Eligibility
Any in-house agency or corporate creative services organization is eligible to submit their original work for consideration. Materials must be first produced, printed and/or aired between January 1 and December 31, 2024, and must fall within the categories noted below. Work produced in collaboration with external resources and/or providers may only be submitted if 80% or more of the final product was conceived and created by the internal agency.
Entry Deadline
Regular entries must be received via our online submission process by June 30, 2025.
Late entries will be accepted through July 15, 2025 with the additional fee (see Entry Fees). Entries submitted after July 15, 2025 will not be accepted.
Entry Fees
Regular Entries (submitted by June 30, 2025)
IHAF Members: $99 per entry
Non-Members: $199 per entry
Late Entries (submitted by July 15, 2025)
Late Fee: $50 additional per entry
Entry fees may be paid via credit card or by requesting an invoice during the submission process. Entries will not be judged unless full payment is received by the deadline. Entry fees are non-refundable.
Submit your best work—click to enter!
Preparing Your Entries
File Labeling
Each digital file must be labeled as follows:
CategoryCode_CompanyName_EntryTitle. Category codes can be found above. If submitting multiple, same-format files (multiple image files, multiple videos, or multiple PDFs), please add a number to the end of each file name, e.g., 1, 2, 3.
Thumbnail Image
Each entry requires a high-res, horizontal thumbnail image (1000x700px or similar). This file will display on the homepage of our online gallery of entries. Files must be gif, jpeg, jpg, png, tif, tiff, ico, webp, avif.
Image Files
You may provide up to ten (10) high-res image files per entry. Files must be gif, jpeg, jpg, png, tif, tiff, ico, webp, avif.
PDF Files
URLs
Video Files
Provide up to four (4) video files per entry. Subtitles are not required. YouTube, Vimeo or other platform links will not be accepted. Files must be avi, flv, m4v, mov, mp4, mpeg, mpeg4, mpg, ogm, ogx, srt, swf, wmv.
Submitting Your Entries
To begin, click Entry Portal in the green 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.
Once signed in, you should be automatically be routed to your dashboard. From there, select the Start Entry button in the bottom-left corner of the page. For each entry, choose In-House Creativity Awards as the program, then select the appropriate Entry Category and provide the details below:
Entry Title
Entry Description
Member Status
IHAF members receive discounted pricing on awards entries. Be sure to indicate your status on your submission. Unsure if your company is an IHAF member? Check our directory at ihaforum.org/member-directory.
Permissions
Specify whether IHAF has permission to publicize your participation in our awards competition and/or showcase your submitted work beyond displaying it at the IHAF Awards Show.
After populating the specifics of each entry, click Save + Next. Then, upload your corresponding digital image file(s). When you’re done, click Save + Close at the bottom of the page and your submission will be added to your cart for checkout.
After saving your entry, you’ll automatically return to your dashboard. From here, you can edit entries, start new ones, or complete the checkout process. To access entries in progress, click the Entry Title from your dashboard. You’ll be able to get back into your entry to review/edit and submit.
Once all of your entries are complete, return to your dashboard and click Cart in the top-right corner of the page. Indicate your method of payment and click Proceed to Payment, following the remaining prompts which includes clicking Process Payment to fully submit your work. If you wish to pay via check or electronic transfer, select Invoice to generate a statement and payment instructions.
Judging
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 infingement on the part of the entrant and will not engage in copyright disputes.
Entries will be displayed electronically at the IHAF Conference & Awards, with winners publicized on the IHAF website and IHAF YouTube channel.
Thank you—and we look forward to your participation in our celebration of in-house creativity.
Our Past Winners
Explore our gallery of winners from the past decade and immerse yourself in the creativity and craftsmanship that are the pride of in-house agencies.
Questions?
If you have questions about the In-House Creativity Awards or entry process, please be in touch any time.
Hollis Gesen
Senior Program Manager
617.587.3945
Email Hollis