The awards dinner of the association that recognizes “the tremendous growth of the Internet,” will take place Monday night May 15 at Cipriani Wall Street. Some 13,000 entries were received including those for a new public relations category.

PR firms are building their video capabilities to compete in this new world.

Joel McHaleJoel McHale

Host of the event is the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a group established in 1996 that drew entries this year from 70 countries.

Host of the dinner is comedian, writer and TV host Joel McHale. He is the author of Thanks for the Money, an autobiography.

Entries by Edelman, DKC, Ogilvy and Havas won nominations for the awards this year. Categories are film and video; advertising; media, PR and social media; mobile sites & apps and podcasts, and digital audio.

Executive director is David-Michel Davies.

Sponsors and partners include Google, YouTube, Advertising Age, Billboard, Mashable, The Hollywood Reporter, Social Media Week, WNYC and a dozen others. Individual tickets are $395. Tables of ten are $6,550.

PR Nominees

Edelman was nominated for “Best Influencer Endorsement” for a video on the “Samsung Human Drone” showing a large drone lifting a snowboarder off a mountain.

DKC’s entry is in the “Best Mobile Site/App-Travel” category. Called “Detour,” it is an audio guide for tours of Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.

Ogilvy was nominated for “Best Event” for a video for Kentucky Fried Chicken called “Finger-Lickin' Good Edible Nail Polish.”

Havas was picked for a video titled “Adios Amigos” that gives reasons why Dos Equis is being retired as “The most interesting man in the world.”

Advertising’s Effectiveness Promoted

The ad industry is promoting itself by stressing the “results” it achieves for clients.

WPP, largest communications group with $19 billion+ in revenues, took the title of “holding company of the year” in three of the ad industry’s awards competitions—World Advertising Research Center, Cannes Lions and the Effies.

WARC clients include the world’s largest advertising and media agencies research companies, universities and advertisers. WPP has been deemed to provide the “best results” by WARC.

The Cannes Lions hosts “the largest gathering of worldwide ad professional, designers, digital innovators and marketers.”

The Effies recognize all forms of marketing communications that contribute to a brand’s success.

WARC measured the performance of agencies in their campaigns in more than 80 effectiveness and marketing excellence competitions worldwide. Winners are picked on the basis of the demonstrated business impact of their work.

Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP, said, “At a time when questions are being raised about the effectiveness of certain marketing channels, it is more important than ever that we focus on the power of creativity and ideas to deliver tangible business results for our clients.”

With the traditional news hole shrinking, companies are turning increasingly to new ways to reach their prospects. PR firms are adding such capabilities.