Update (May 2013): The 2013 winners of the Webbys are here.
Congratulations Webby winners, if you haven’t already, please send a summary of your winning entry, including evidence of success, and links to your case studies/videos and award entry to editor (at) mobiThinking.com.
Awards: The Webby Awards a.k.a. The Webbys.
Founded: 1996, mobile category started in 2007.
Deadline for entries: December each year.
Entry fee: US $295.
Winners announced: April each year.
Prize: Webby Award.
Categories (in 2012): Device camera; Entertainment; Education & reference; Experimental & innovation; Games; Guides; Integrated mobile experience; Lifestyle; Location; Mobile video; Music; News; Shopping; Social; Sports; Travel; Utilities & services.
mobiThinking verdict: In the five years mobile has featured at the Webby Awards, it has ballooned to 24 categories, which suggests it attracts plenty of entrants (but we’re not told how many). There’s a Webby Award winner – chosen by the judges – and a People’s Voice Winner – where the general public and/or friends of the entrants can vote for their choice (shortlisted companies only) for each category. That means there are 48 mobile awards up for grabs, so there’s more chance of winning, but does this dilute the kudos of a Webby Award?
If you were expecting best practice mobile Websites at the Webbys, you will be disappointed. Despite the name and heritage, the mobile categories at the Webby Awards have been overrun by native apps. Nonetheless there are plenty of big brands among the winners. There are international entries, but US companies dominate. Often similar names appear in successive years.
Each winner and nominee has a link, some link to case studies and videos, which is excellent, but many more go direct to Apple’s iTunes Store – this might make the Webby Awards a great option for entrants who need downloads, but not so good for those wishing to pick up best-practice tips from the winners.
mobiThinking would like to see all awards’ organizers provide summaries of winning campaigns and/or video case studies, perhaps with comments from the judges – is it wrong to want to know why the winners won or if the campaigns were effective or just looked good? When these aren’t available, mobiThinking collects summaries, case studies and videos for the winners.
mobiThinking guides in this series:
• Guide to mobile awards • World Summit Mobile Awards • EMMAs • Smarties (MMA Awards) • Global Mobile Awards • Cannes Lions • Meffys • Webby Awards •
For some tips from awards judges see:
• How to create an award-winning mobile campaign
The 2012 Webby Mobile Awards winners
Integrated mobile experience
Webby Award winner: SHO Social App for iPad.
Summary: Follow along with your iPad while you watch Showtime shows. Answer polls, make predictions and share your instant reactions with Facebook friends. Watch in-depth behind the scenes features, the latest previews and trailers, custom webisodes and sample full episodes.
People’s Voice winner: Sony Xperia Studio.
Brand/agency/developer: LBi.
Summary: The Challenge: Create a way to introduce Sony Ericsson’s Xperia phones to a larger audience, without getting bogged down in a feature-war over things like mega-pixels and battery life. The Work: Xperia Studio – an ongoing digital collaboration with artists, intellectuals, coders and technologists from around the world seeking to test the limits of mobile technology. Branded content was released in the form of videos, apps, music, and more that literally delivered on the brand mantra of “Reality Remade.” The Outcome: Xperia Studio was built on a unique distribution model. Collaborators were hand-picked not just for their exceptional creative and technical abilities, but also their talent for self-promotion. Choosing the right partners ensured that our content would launch with a built-in audience, one that was genuinely interested in each release, and eager to share it with their friends. After only a few months, Xperia Studio had nearly 6 million fans on Facebook, and the Android apps they developed had been downloaded over 29,000 times. It’s also been featured on sites like Wired, Gizmobod, Engadget, Mashable, and ESPN.
Runners up: Corona Beach Break (case study/video) • MasterCard Check In to the Ballgame (case study/video) • Sweden’s Safest Hands (case study/video).
Video case study: Sony Xperia Studio by LBi.
Sports
Webby Award winner: Nike Training Club.
Brand/agency/developer: AKQA.
Summary: Nike Training Club gives you your own personal trainer, anytime, anywhere. Get lean, toned and strong with more than 85 custom-built workouts. Unlock exclusive extra workouts from celebrities like Lea Michele, professional athletes like Shawn Johnson, and Rihanna’s personal trainer, Ary Nuñez. Result: Only weeks after launch, Nike Training Club achieved iTunes App of the week in the US and UK and reached No.1 in the Health and Fitness category in 21 countries. To date, the app has generated more than 40 million minutes of training.
People’s Voice winner: WatchESPN.
Summary: WatchESPN app for Android and iOS provides 24/7 access to live streaming feeds from ESPN, assuming TV providers and ISPs allow it. Watch the promotional video.
Runners up: Heineken Star Player (case study) • MLB.com At Bat (video case study) • NBA: King of the Court (case study/video).
Video case study: Nike Training Club by AKQA.
Games
Sub category: Games for handheld devices.
Webby Award winner: Heineken Star Player.
Brand/agency/developer: AKQA.
Summary: StarPlayer is a first in social media multi-platform gaming, transforming TV watching into a social interactive experience for fans. 72 percent of people watch UEFA Champions League matches alone and at home. With StarPlayer, Heineken radically changes the way people watch UCL and takes watching soccer/football on TV to the next level. The first global ‘dual-screen’ football game – to score points players anticipate events unfolding on the pitch live and make decisions on what will play out over the next few seconds. Players compete and share scores via Facebook and other players around the world in the ‘Interactive Champions League’.
People’s Voice winner: The Adventures of Timmy: Run Kitty Run.
Brand/agency/developer: Crossborders.
Summary: Timmy’s struggles to make friends and the cat costume he wears makes him a target for bullies. Can you help him save the prettiest girl at school when she’s taken by the school bully? Watch the video promo.
Runners up: LEGO Life of George (video promo) • ToyToyota “Backseat Driver” (video promo) • Ultimate Shuffleboard (video promo).
Video case study: Heineken Star Player by AKQA.
Sub category: Games for tablets & other devices.
Webby Award winner: MINI Maps.
People’s Voice winner: MINI Maps.
Brand/agency/developer: DDB Paris, Unit 9.
Summary: To help promote Mini’s French Facebook page, DDB created the world’s first multiplayer racing game for Facebook, using Google Maps, Flash and Facebook, giving players the opportunity to race a customized Mini around the world.
Runners up: Contre Jour (video promo) • OLO (video promo) • Real Racing 2 HD • Touchgrind BMX (video promo).
Video case study: MINI Maps by DDB Paris.
Lifestyle
Sub category: Lifestyle for handheld devices.
Webby Award winner: Beef Essentials iPhone app.
Brand/agency/developer: Reactive.
Summary: Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) wanted to help consumers cook better beef, every time. They identified a gap between beef products and cooking knowledge among its customers – particularly the younger, tech savvy generation. The solution was the Beef Essentials iPhone app. The app helps users pinpoint their cut of meat on a cow diagram, offering the option to learn more about the cut if they wish, then choose a cooking method for the selected cut, whether it be BBQ, pan fry (gas and electric), grill, slow-cook, roast or stir-fry.
People’s Voice winner: Epicurious Recipes & Shopping List AppEpicurious Recipes & Shopping List App.
Brand/agency/developer: Conde Nast.
Summary: 30,000 recipes from the award-winning food site Epicurious.com are now available via the app for iOS, Android, Nook, Windows and Kindle. Save your favorite recipes, and sync your favorites with your online Recipe Box at Epicurious.com; create shopping lists, and e-mail recipes and shopping lists to yourself and friends. View the video promo.
Runners up: Foodily • ParkingAssistant (case study/video) • Sizer.
Video case study: Beef Essentials iPhone app by Reactive.
Sub category: Lifestyle for tablets & other devices.
Webby Award winner: Unstuck.
People’s Voice winner: Unstuck.
Summary: The Unstuck iPad app combines personalized digital tools with tips and know-how from a community of other people facing stuck moments. The app makes it easier to get unstuck with on-demand coaching whenever you need it.
Runners up: Chef Online iPad App • ELLE’s iPad App (case study) • Financial Times How To Spend It Magazine app • Martha Stewart Cookies.
Video demo: Unstuck.
Experimental & innovation
Webby Award winner: Google Wallet.
Brand/agency/developer: R/GA.
Summary: Google Wallet holds all of your credit and debit cards, loyalty cards, and offers. Now, paying for something is as easy as a simple tap of your phone. And it keeps a record of all your purchases.
People’s Voice winner: SwiftKey.
Brand/agency/developer: TouchType.
Summary: The SwiftKey Keyboard makes typing much easier on Android phones, replacing the touchscreen keyboard with one powered by smarter natural language technology. SwiftKey X understands how words work together, giving much more accurate corrections and predictions than other keyboards. Very sloppy typing will magically make sense, and SwiftKey X also powerfully predicts the word you may want next.
Runners up: Realizer (video promo) • Space Brothers MOON JUMP (case study/video) • The Sound of Football (case study/video).
Video case study: Google Wallet by Google and R/GA.
Education & reference
Webby Award winner: The Human Body App.
Brand/agency/developer: DK, AKQA.
Summary: This iPad app is a groundbreaking look into the human body and offers highly accurate, visual and accessible information. The wonders of human anatomy are explored and explained in a way that offers hours of learning, fun and entertainment.
People’s Voice winner: 50 Greatest Photographs of National Geographic.
Summary: National Geographic searched its archives to find its most memorable photographs. With this iPad app you can go behind the scenes to hear from the photographers themselves exactly how and where they got the amazing shots. You can even check out the “near-frames” and judge for yourself which photos make the cut. Share, watch videos, and more.
Runners up: Our Choice (video promo) • Star Walk – 5 Stars Astronomy Guide (video promo) • Van Gogh and the Sunflowers.
Video case study: The Human Body App by DK and AKQA.
Best use of GPS or location technology
Webby Award winner: Google Cannes Heatmap.
Brand/agency/developer: Fantasy Interactive (Fi).
Summary: The Web app used HTML5 and Google Maps to enable smartphone users to map their location to the hottest social gatherings, events and parties that during the prestigious 2011 Cannes Advertising Festival. Read the case study.
People’s Voice winner: Life360 Family Locator: Keeping 15 Million People Connected for Safety.
Summary: Family Locator by Life360 is the most accurate and powerful locator service. Life360 Family Locator lets you know: where your family members are located; what safety points and threats are nearby; when anyone is safe or needs help.
Runners up: Glympse • PulsePoint • Waze: 15 million Drivers United to Fight Traffic.
Guides/ratings/reviews
Webby Award winner: Yelp Mobile.
People’s Voice winner: Yelp Mobile.
Brand/agency/developer: Yelp.
Summary: Find the best businesses around you, save money by discovering nearby deals, and share your experiences with tips, check-ins, and photos for Android, iOS and mobile Web.
Runners up: Fandango • Foodspotting • Goings On: The New Yorker • Moviefone iPad App.
Video demo: Yelp Mobile.
Entertainment
Sub category: Entertainment for handheld devices.
Webby Award winner: Super 8.
Brand/agency/developer: Paramount Pictures/Bad Robot/QMX.
Summary: The Super 8 camera emulator allows you to make your own vintage movies and add lens, filter and shake effects, arrange clips and scenes the way you want them; you can add your own credits then publish your videos to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and via E-Mail instantly.
People’s Voice winner: Weird Al Yankovic “When I Grow Up” interactive children’s book app.
Brand/agency/developer: Bean Creative.
Summary: Al’s New York Times bestselling children’s book – When I Grow Up – is now available app for iOS devices.
Runners up: 106 & Park App (video promo) • The Civil War Today • The X Factor USA (case study/video).
Sub category: Entertainment for tablets & other devices.
Webby Award winner: The Numberlys.
Brand/agency/developer: H3O Communications/Moonbot Studios.
Summary: The Numberlys App (iOS) presents a fanciful depiction of the origins of the alphabet and is the newest interactive epic from Moonbot Studios, the creators of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.
People’s Voice winner: The Onion’s iPad App.
Summary: Now, using the latest news-providing technologies, The Onion introduces a format that allows you to touch the news. That’s right. Swipe it, poke it, berate it, and it reacts accordingly.
Runners up: HBO GO iPad App • PBS for iPad • The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (video promo).
Video promo: The Onion iPad app – giving print journalism the finger.
Best use of device camera
Webby Award winner: Super 8.
Brand/agency/developer: Paramount Pictures/Bad Robot/QMX.
Summary: The Super 8 camera emulator allows you to make your own vintage movies and add lens, filter and shake effects, arrange clips and scenes the way you want them; you can add your own credits then publish your videos to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and via E-Mail instantly.
People’s Voice winner: Skype.
Brand/agency/developer: Kaplow PR.
Summary: Skype for iPhone reduces introduces anti-shake to mobile videos and video calls.
Runners up: Chase QuickDeposit (video promo) • Gilt on the Go • LEGO Life of George (video promo).
Best use of mobile video
Webby Award winner: TED Conferences iPad App.
Summary: TED’s official app presents more than 1,100 talks from some of the world’s most fascinating people: education radicals, tech geniuses, medical mavericks, business gurus and music legends.
People’s Voice winner: Hulu Plus app.
Summary: Never miss an episode of your favorite shows from ABC, Comedy Central, Fox, NBC, MTV etc, with unlimited streaming for US $7.99 per month to Android, Apple, Kindle, Nook and Nintendo mobile devices and other platforms.
Runners up: Bloomberg TV+ • HBO GO Mobile Apps • MLB.com At Bat (video case study).
Video promo: Hulu Plus app.
Music
Webby Award winner: Spotify.
Summary: With the Spotify app for Android, iOS, Symbian, Windows, Palm and Blackberry you can wirelessly sync all your favourite Spotify playlists to your phone and listen Offline. Or go online and stream millions of tracks in the Spotify library.
People’s Voice winner: Pandora.
Summary: Just drop the name of one of your favorite songs, artists or genres into Pandora and let the Music Genome Project go. It will quickly scan its entire world of analyzed music, almost a century of popular recordings – new and old, well known and completely obscure – to find songs with interesting musical similarities to your choice. Then sit back and enjoy as it creates a listening experience full of current and soon-to-be favorite songs for you.
Runners up: djay (video promo) • NPR Music • SoundCloud.
Video promo: Spotify
News
Sub category: News for handheld devices.
Webby Award winner: Flipboard.
Summary: Flipboard is the world’s first social magazine. Inspired by the beauty and ease of print media, Flipboard’s mission is to fundamentally improve how people discover, view and share content across their social networks.
People’s Voice winner: NPR.
Summary: NPR makes it easier than ever to stay informed. NPR’s goal is to enable anyone with a mobile device to enjoy NPR for free! You’re on the go. And NPR can go with you. Available for Ford SYNC, iOS, BlackBerry, Android and any web-enabled device.
Runners up: NYTimes for iPhone • The FT Web App • Wired Reader on the iPad (video promo).
Video promo: Flipboard.
Sub category: News for tablets & other devices.
Webby Award winner: Bloomberg Businessweek+.
Summary: The free iPhone & iPad App combines the magazine’s fresh perspective on global business news with interactive features that enhance its award-winning content.
People’s Voice winner: The Daily.
Summary: The Daily is the first daily news, entertainment and sports publication created and designed from scratch for iPad. A US-based publication that covers events around the world, The Daily combines the best of print, web, and broadcast, giving you what you need to know in a uniquely interactive format and striking presentation. • Videos and screenshots.
Runners up: National Geographic Magazine iPAd App • Newsy for iPad App • The New Yorker iPad app.
Video promo: Bloomberg Businessweek+.
Shopping
Sub category: Shopping for handheld devices
Webby Award winner: Target iPhone App.
People’s Voice winner: Target iPhone App.
Summary: Target App for iPhone gives you even more to love. Stay organized with TargetLists. Save money with Daily Deals. Check prices with the Barcode Scanner and much more.
Runners up: Gilt on the Go • Harrods Store App (case study/video) • Hyundai Mobile Site (case study/video) • The Shopkick App.
Sub category: Shopping for tablets & other devices.
Webby Award winner: Fab.com app.
People’s Voice winner: Fab.com app.
Summary: The Fab app provides details of sales/discounts on home decor, art, jewelry and fashion items.
Runners up: Google Catalogs (video promo)• New Balance in-store Digital Sales Experience (case study/video) • Sephora App • Zappos ZN Magazine.
Video case study: Target iPhone App
Social
Sub category: Social for handheld devices
Webby Award winner: Flipboard.
People’s Voice winner: Flipboard.
Summary: Summary: Flipboard is the world’s first social magazine. Inspired by the beauty and ease of print media, Flipboard’s mission is to fundamentally improve how people discover, view and share content across their social networks.
Runners up: • GetGlue • GroupMe • Stamped (video demo) • Weathermob.
Sub category: Social for tablets & other devices.
Webby Award winner: Skype.
People’s Voice winner: Skype.
Brand/agency/developer: Kaplow PR.
Summary: Make free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls over 3G and WiFi. Share video calls on Skype with people on iPhone, Android, PC, Mac or a Skype-ready TV. Talk face-to-face or show what you’re seeing with front and rear-facing cameras. Simply pair your Bluetooth headset with your iPad for wireless chatting.
Runners up: HootSuite • IntoNow • Showyou • SoundCloud.
Travel
Webby Award winner: FlightBoard.
Brand/agency/developer: Mobiata.
Summary: Turn your iOS or Android device into the Arrivals and Departures board for any airport in the world. Just select your favorite airport and FlightBoard gives you arrivals and departures in real-time. It’s like being at the airport without the jostling.
People’s Voice winner: KAYAK.
Summary: Compare hundreds of travel sites at once, right on your phone with KAYAK’s free mobile apps, you have everything on KAYAK.com right in your hand. Find the right flight, the perfect hotel, and even manage your itinerary or track your flight status. KAYAK is available for iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Mobile, Nokia and mobile Web.
Runners up: DiscoverHongKong.AR (case study/video) • Expedia Hotels • TripIt.
Video promo: KAYAK.
Utilities & services
Sub category: Utilities & services for handheld devices.
Webby Award winner: Evernote.
People’s Voice winner: Evernote.
Summary: Capture anything: save your ideas, things you like, things you hear, and things you see. Access anywhere: Evernote works with nearly every computer, phone and mobile device out there. Find things fast: search by keyword, tag or even printed and handwritten text inside images.
Runners up: Google Wallet (case study/video) • NYC Subway Station Finder (case study/video) • Sports Tracker • Uber.
Sub category: Utilities & services for tablets & other devices.
Webby Award winner: Zillow Real Estate App.
Summary: What’s that home’s value? How much is that home listed for? Is the rent too high? Stop wondering. Get answers via this iPhone app.
People’s Voice winner: Shutterstock for iPad.
Summary: Enjoy a breakthrough image browsing experience. Search and view millions of Shutterstock images. Easily create and share lightboxes on the go.
Runners up: Chase QuickDeposit • Kashoo Accounting for iPad • Oakley Lensguide (case study/video).
• Congratulations Webby winners, if you haven’t already, please send a summary of your winning entry, including evidence of success, and links to your case studies/videos and award entry to editor (at) mobiThinking.com.
• Guide to mobile awards • Webby Awards • Global Mobile Awards • EMMAs • Cannes Lions • MMA Awards • Mobi Awards • WSA Awards
Don’t miss:
• What you can learn from the FT Web app: interview with Steve Pinches
• Guide to mobile ad networks
• Mobile events: best conferences, great discounts and free tickets
• The insider’s guide to mobile device security
• The mobile city project – the blueprint of a truly mobilized city
• The insider’s guide to device detection
• The insiders’ guides to world’s greatest mobile markets
• Guide to mobile agencies
• Guide to mobile industry awards
• The big compendium of global mobile stats
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