The Entry Process

Make it stand out

Submit Your Entry in five Simple Steps!

  • All entries are subject to eligibility review and approval. 

    Before you register, ensure your work meets these criteria:

    Submissions are accepted ONLY for work produced by and/or for a Southern California-based company and presented to the public in the calendar year 2024. 
    Joint, team, and individual entries are acceptable. 
    Campaign entries must be paid media, with the exception of Cause Marketing Category; we will allow non-paid media entries as long as the campaign has achieved substantial results.
    Entries may be from ThinkLA members or non-members. 

    There is no limit on the number of entries an individual or company may submit, but there is a limit of two (2) categories per entry. If an entry is entered into more than two categories, additional entries will be removed from judging and fees will not be refunded.

    🔗 View all categories here.

  • To begin your entry:

    Access the Submission Portal:

    • Visit
      https://ideaawards2025.evalato.com/

    • Scroll to the bottom of the page.

    • Choose the awards you are entering from the following categories:

      • Advertising Achievement

      • Company Achievement

      • Individual Achievement

    • Click REGISTER.

    • Enter Contact Information:

      • Provide your contact details and click NEXT.

    • Billing Information & Payment:

      • Check/ACH:

        • Enter your billing information.

        • Your billing details will be reviewed and approved. Once approved, you'll receive an email to proceed to the next step. Note: You cannot enter any details until your payment method is approved.

      • Credit Card:

        • Enter your billing information.

        • You'll receive an email from orders@Evalato.com with your registration link and PIN.

    • Access Your Dashboard:

      • Click ACCESS YOUR REGISTRATION in the email to continue to your dashboard.

  • On the left panel of the dashboard, you will see a ‘Home” tab and a “My Entries” tab with a list of the awards you’ve selected to enter. Please view the Home tab or click on Eligibility on the My Entries tab to confirm eligibility requirements.

    In My Entries, fill out all information requested for each award.

    Please note: if you are submitting the same information for two awards, you can use the ‘copy from application’ button at the top of the second award form

    ADVERTISING ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

    Submitter Information
    Your name, title, company, and email.

    Entry Title This is the title of the spot or campaign. The Entry Title will be used on all competition promotion and for award engraving, should you win.

    Agency, Brand, or Partner Please enter any agencies, brands, or partners you wish to be included in the entry. This information will be used on all competition promotion and award engraving, should you win.

    Submitter Information Name, Title, Company, Email, Phone

    Background/Setup (150 words max) – Please provide a short paragraph describing the current situation in the category, with a brand, or both. It can be a major opportunity or challenge, but it should quickly and simply set the stage for why this ad or campaign stands out.

    The Idea (3 sections - 250 words max for each)

    • What were the ad/campaign’s objectives? Please state the objectives in a way that can be measured and referenced in the results section. The objectives and results must tie together.

    • Who was the target audience? Please state with as much specificity as possible, including age/demo, any behavioral characteristics, andy first/third party data descriptions, etc. If there was more than one target audience, please include all.

    • What were the insights that shaped the idea, and how are they relevant to the brand and target audience? When sharing insights, please share the source and/or the methodology of the research from which the insights were derived.

    The Execution (250 words max) – What was the creative/strategic solution? What channel(s) were used?

    The Results (250 words max) – Please make sure results map back to your objectives. They can be anything that can be directly correlated to your marketing activity, including but not limited to changes in sales, awareness, brand attitudes, etc.

    COMPANY ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

    Submitter Information
    Your name, title, company, and email.

    Entry Title
    The company being nominated. This information will be used on all competition, promotion, and for award engraving, should you win.

    Years in Existence

    Leadership (250 words or less)
    How is this company a leader in the industry? How is this company viewed by the community, including employees, clients, partners, investors, the press, and members of our community at large? Please provide very specific examples and quotes from community members if possible.

    Innovation (250 words or less)
    What are this company’s strengths in innovative thinking, problem solving, and/or recognizing business opportunities? Please provide specific examples including but not limited to awards, patents, press recognition, etc.

    Community (250 words or less)
    How has the company contributed to the community in any/all of the following capacities: knowledge sharing, training, charity work, industry events, or any other substantive way? Please provide specific examples and, if possible, some measurable impact that they have had on the community.

    Diversity/Inclusion/Gender (250 words or less)
    How has this company helped to promote the ideas of diversity, inclusion and gender by connecting diverse groups of committed, collaborative, and unique individuals in pursuit of a common goal? Please provide specific examples.

    DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, GENDER EQUITY (DIG) AWARD

    Submitter Information
    Your name, title, company, and email.

    Entry Title
    Please enter the name of the company that is being nominated. This information will be used on all competition, promotion, and for award engraving, should you win.

    Promoting Diversity (100 words or less)
    Please provide a short introductory paragraph describing your company’s commitment to promoting diversity across race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, ability, and other characteristics.

    Company Culture (250 words or less)
    How does the company’s culture embrace, involve, and engage diverse groups at all levels of the organization?

    Staffing (250 words or less)
    How does your company demonstrate an exceptional effort to recruit, retain, and promote people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds?

    Programs (250 words or less)
    What are the programs at the company that educate employees about diversity, inclusion, and gender equity?

    Implementation (250 words or less)
    How are the company's staffing, programs, and educational efforts implemented?

    INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

    Submitter Information
    Your name, title, company, and email.

    Nominee information
    Nominee name, title, company and email. This information will be used on all competition, promotion, and for award engraving, should you win.

    Years in the Industry

    Leadership (250 words or less)
    How is this individual a leader in the industry? How is this individual viewed by the community, including colleagues, clients, and partners? Please provide very specific examples and quotes from community members if possible.

    Innovation (250 words or less)
    What are this individual’s strengths in innovative thinking, problem solving, and/or recognizing business opportunities? Please provide very specific examples including but not limited to work they’ve done, awards they’ve received, etc.

    Community (250 words or less)
    How has the nominee contributed to the community in any/all of the following capacities: knowledge sharing, training, charity work, industry events, or any other substantive way? Please provide very specific examples and, if possible, some measurable impact that they have had on the community.

    Diversity/Inclusion/Gender (250 words or less)
    How has this person helped to promote the ideas of diversity, inclusion and gender by connecting diverse groups of committed, collaborative, and unique individuals in pursuit of a common goal? Please provide specific examples.

  • 📎 Make your entry stand out with photos, videos, onesheets, and audio!
    Documents (up to 2, max 2MB each)
    URL Links (up to 5, must be public & downloadable)
    Audio Files (up to 2, must be public & downloadable)
    Images (up to 5, max 2MB each)

    • Company Awards – Must upload a hi-res company logo (JPG or PNG)

    • Individual Awards – Must upload a hi-res headshot in portait format (JPG or PNG)

    🔗 See the [SPECS page] for full upload requirements

  • Double-check all details for accuracy
    Click "SUBMIT" (Green Button) or "SAVE DRAFT" (White Button)
    Ensure payment is processed

🎉 That’s it! You’re done. Best of luck!