The White Square International Festival of Creativity has opened entries for its 2026 edition, inviting brands and agencies worldwide to showcase creative and effective communications work. With nine contests, new categories, an expanded international jury, and discounted fees until January 20, the Festival continues to celebrate innovation, impact, and global creative excellence.ย
The White Square International Festival of Creativity has officially opened its call for entries for the 2026 edition, marking the beginning of a new season for one of the worldโs most respected platforms celebrating excellence in marketing, advertising, and communications. Over the years, White Square has evolved into a truly global benchmark for creative and effective work, attracting brands, agencies, production companies, media, and independent creators who are shaping the future of the communications industry. With entries now open and discounted entry fees available until January 20, the Festival is once again inviting the global creative community to put forward work that reflects bold ideas, strategic thinking, and meaningful impact.
Annually, the White Square International Festival of Creativity receives more than 1,500 entries from across the world, spanning Europe, North and Latin America, the MENA region, CIS countries, Asia, China, Thailand, Brazil, and many other markets. Each year, the geographical reach of the Festival continues to expand, reinforcing its reputation as a truly international arena where diverse perspectives, cultures, and approaches to creativity converge. This expanding participation has helped build a rich and competitive program, showcasing innovative solutions and ideas that stand alongside the worldโs best creative work and often find their place in leading global collections of award-winning campaigns.
For the 2026 season, entries are being accepted online across nine contests: Creative, Branding, Digital, Media, Marketing Services, Marketing Effectiveness, Craft, Mass Media Contest, and Efforts & Achievements. Together, these contests reflect the full spectrum of the modern communications industry, from big creative ideas and brand storytelling to data-driven effectiveness, media innovation, and executional excellence. The Festivalโs structure allows both large-scale integrated campaigns and highly specialized craft or niche solutions to be evaluated on their own merits, ensuring a balanced and inclusive competition.
One of the defining strengths of White Square is its commitment to staying relevant in a rapidly changing industry. The nominations are reviewed and updated annually to reflect ongoing digital transformation, the accelerated adoption of new technologies, and shifting market expectations. For 2026, the Festival has introduced several new categories and nominations that respond directly to these changes. Among the additions are the new Efforts & Achievements contest, Creative B2B and Strategy categories, as well as nominations such as Gaming-Led Brand Experience, New Relationship Models, Sustained Success, Seasonal Marketing, Audience Insight, Social Media Design, Branded Sports, and Retail Media & Own Media. These updates underline the Festivalโs intent to recognize not just eye-catching creativity, but also long-term brand building, innovative engagement models, and strategic thinking that delivers sustained results.
The judging process remains one of the cornerstones of the White Square Festivalโs credibility. Entries for the 2026 edition will be evaluated by an international jury comprising some of the brightest minds in marketing, advertising, and communications from more than 45 countries. These jurors bring with them extensive experience judging leading global festivals and a track record of numerous international awards, ensuring a high level of professional and cultural diversity in the evaluation process. For 2026, eight international jury line-ups have been confirmed, covering Creative, Branding, Marketing & Digital, Craft, Media, and the Mass Media Jury, which will be represented by founders and editors-in-chief of specialized marketing and advertising media from different countries.
A significant addition this year is the new Clients Jury, which will include prominent representatives from leading local and international brands across the globe. This move reflects the Festivalโs recognition of the growing importance of client perspectives in assessing creativity, effectiveness, and real-world business relevance. In addition, the Grand Jury, formed from the chairpersons of all jury line-ups, will be responsible for determining the highest honors of the Festival. Following the judging process, Best of Contest awards will be selected in each contest, while the Grand Jury will choose the Grand Prix, the most prestigious recognition of the Festival.
White Square International Festival of Creativity is open to projects that demonstrate the use of innovative technologies, including artificial intelligence. The Festival has actively embraced AI as part of the evolving creative toolkit, while maintaining a clear philosophical stance on its role. According to jury members, artificial intelligence cannot fully replace human creativity, intuition, or emotional intelligence, but when used competently, it becomes a powerful tool that enhances the work of creative professionals. This balanced approach encourages participants to explore technological innovation without losing sight of the human ideas and insights that lie at the heart of impactful communication.
Over the years, jury members have consistently ะพัะผะตัะฐะปะธ the high quality of entries submitted to White Square, as well as the transparent and well-organised judging process. Across all contests, the primary criteria remain the strength of the creative idea and the quality of its implementation. In several categories, particularly within Marketing Effectiveness and strategy-driven nominations, measurable results and effectiveness play a key role, reinforcing the Festivalโs focus on creativity that delivers tangible value.
Another important pillar of the White Square Festival is its emphasis on socially responsible marketing. Each year, the Festival actively encourages work that addresses social issues, environmental challenges, and positive change in society. In social nominations, entries are assessed not only on creativity and execution, but also on their significance for society and their potential to contribute to meaningful, positive impact in the world. Outstanding projects in the field of social advertising will receive Special Prizes of the Festival, highlighting work that goes beyond commercial objectives to reflect universal human values.
The judging for White Square Festival 2026 will take place online at the end of May, enabling international jurors to participate seamlessly regardless of location. The winners will be announced in June, drawing global attention from industry professionals, media, and creative communities worldwide. As in previous years, winning entries will gain international visibility through publication in industry media across multiple markets, offering participants not only recognition but also valuable exposure and professional credibility.
For many agencies and brands, participation in White Square is more than a competition; it is a source of inspiration, benchmarking, and growth. The Festival offers an opportunity to receive professional evaluation from an international jury, compare work against global standards, and engage with a worldwide creative community united by a shared belief in the power of ideas. Over time, White Square has become a platform where emerging talent and established leaders alike can showcase work that reflects both local insight and global relevance.
โItโs Time!โ is the rallying call from the Festival organisers to the worldโs creative community. It is a call to act, to experiment, and to create innovative communications projects that promote peace, universal human values, and creativity capable of changing the world for the better. With the call for entries now open, White Square International Festival of Creativity 2026 invites brands and agencies to take this moment, submit their best work, and become part of a global celebration of creativity, effectiveness, and meaningful impact.
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