Last Thursday night, Cartier took home the Grand Prix at the 2025 World Media Awards for its 'Linked by Love' campaign, created in partnership with New York Times Advertising's T Brand Studio. The award was presented at a ceremony at London's Ham Yard Hotel, hosted by CNN International Anchor and Correspondent Christina Macfarlane.
World Media Group says the World Media Awards, now in their 10th year, celebrate excellence in international content marketing and cross-border advertising campaigns that demonstrate creativity, effectiveness, and global reach.
Cartier's winning campaign celebrated the 100th anniversary of the brand's Trinity ring, three interlocking gold rings symbolising love for family, friends and romantic partners. The challenge was to honour Trinity's heritage while engaging modern, discerning global audiences.
The result was a 360° campaign that collected and shared over 100 authentic love stories from around the world, making Cartier synonymous with love throughout the year while showcasing the universal nature of human connection, World Media Group continued.
"The 'Linked by Love' campaign stood out for its authentic storytelling and global reach," said Jamie Credland, CEO of World Media Group. "By collecting 100 genuine love stories from around the world, Cartier, together with New York Times Advertising's T Brand Studio, created something that transcended traditional luxury marketing - it became a celebration of human connection that resonated across cultures and demographics."
Raquel Bubar, managing director, T Brand Studio International, the New York Times Advertising, said: "This campaign allowed us to honour Trinity's century-long legacy while creating something entirely fresh. The collaboration between Cartier and New York Times Advertising gave us access to storytellers and audiences worldwide, enabling us to showcase love in all its forms. The recognition validates our belief that luxury brands can create meaningful cultural moments, as well as beautiful products.”
The awards, presented by the World Media Group, recognise global brands, agencies and media partners creating some of the most effective content-driven marketing and advertising campaigns. This year's winners included campaigns from Bupa UK, Destination Canada, Gilead, IDA Ireland, Infosys, Mercator Ocean (Copernicus), Netflix, Nokia, Uber, UBS, ViiV Healthcare and Zscaler.
Christoph Woermann, CMO Corporate Bank at Deutsche Bank, received the special Award for Content Leadership and Innovation, recognising individuals who demonstrate talent in creating international content-driven campaigns that show brand bravery, creativity and innovation.
The World Media Awards Ceremony was supported by Brand Metrics. The independent jury, made up of judges from brands, agencies and media owners, was led by co-chairs Anna Campbell, global client president at Carat and Alison Harbert, marketing director at Investec. The full case studies for this year’s winning entries, along with the winners of previous years, are available to read in the World Media Group's Creative Vault here.
The winners of the World Media Awards 2025 are as follows:
CORPORATE INFLUENCER
WINNER:
Ending HIV: The Road to 2030
Brand: Gilead
Entered by: POLITICO
Judges’ Comments: This campaign delivered significant social impact with measurable results, successfully engaging policymakers during a particularly crowded media environment. The judges praised its compelling emotional storytelling paired with high-quality production values that drove meaningful engagement and clear outcomes.
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Unlock Your Potential: Invest in Ireland
Brand: IDA Ireland
Entered by: Reuters
Judges’ Comments: The campaign showcased compelling video content and storytelling that effectively represented diverse industry sectors. The judges were particularly impressed by the tailored approach for the Japanese market, demonstrating sophisticated targeting that delivered impressive results.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
WINNER:
Banking is Our Craft
Brand: UBS
Entered by: Publicis ULABS
Judges’ Comments:
The judges recognised this campaign's exceptional bravery in redefining how financial services approach market engagement. The versatile platform successfully accommodated different activations across diverse audiences, demonstrating long-term strategic thinking and trust in partners to communicate stories authentically within their native environments.
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
UBS x New York Times: Craft Matters
Brand: UBS
Entered by: T Brand Studio, New York Times Advertising
Judges’ Comments: This campaign impressed judges with its unexpected and bold strategic approach. The multi-platform execution featured unique, audience-tailored content for each channel, while the talent selection demonstrated particular courage and nuanced understanding of different market segments.
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMS
WINNER:
The Exponential Era
Brand: Nokia
Entered by: Wavemaker
Judges’ Comments: The judges praised this truly integrated campaign that delivered strong business results across multiple platforms, demonstrating seamless coordination and strategic execution throughout all touchpoints.
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Phishing for the C-Suite: How “Trust No One” engaged everyone
Brand: Zscaler
Entered by: Financial Times
Judges’ Comments: This campaign created an immersive experience that masterfully transformed dense, technical content into accessible information for all audiences. The judges appreciated the simple messaging executed with precision, making complex cybersecurity concepts easily understandable for non-experts while maintaining engagement throughout.
TRAVEL & TOURISM
WINNER:
The Open Assignment
Brand: Destination Canada
Entered by: National Geographic & The Walt Disney Company
Judges’ Comments: The judges celebrated this campaign as National Geographic delivering their signature storytelling excellence. The authentic portrayal of Indigenous Canada through seasonal narratives, featuring genuine explorers and influencers, impressed with its comprehensive metrics and successful engagement across multiple channels and audience segments.
LUXURY & LIFESTYLE & GRAND PRIX
WINNER:
Linked by Love
Brand: Cartier
Entered by: T Brand Studio, New York Times Advertising
Judges’ Comments: This campaign resonated deeply with judges on an emotional level through its beautiful execution built on strong consumer insights. The full-funnel approach enhanced by machine learning algorithms impressed judges, alongside the remarkable effort of sourcing 100 unique love stories. The judges particularly commended the native branded distribution and the strategic partnership between Cartier and The New York Times.
Specialist Categories:
BRAND & MEDIA PARTNERSHIP
WINNER:
Picture of Health
Brand: Bupa UK
Entered by: National Geographic & The Walt Disney Company
Judges’ Comments: This campaign successfully redefined perceptions of health through an unexpected partnership that stood out in a crowded healthcare communications landscape. The judges praised the simple yet beautifully executed idea that remained authentic to both brands while offering a fresh perspective on wellness.
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Uber X Netflix Squid Game 2
Brand: Netflix
Entered by: Uber Advertising
Judges Comments: The judges appreciated the intelligent use of the consumer journey and the campaign's fun approach to fan engagement. This collaboration delivered mutual benefits for both brands while effectively positioning Uber as a sophisticated advertising partner.
SMALL BUDGET, GREAT IMPACT
WINNER:
A Sea of Change
Brand: Mercator Ocean (Copernicus)
Entered by: BBC StoryWorks
Judges’ Comments: This campaign impressed judges by transforming vast, complex data into digestible, compelling statistics. The high-quality content featured a narrative that transcended traditional audience boundaries, creating human connection that inspired learning and action. The strategic use of stock footage demonstrated how creative thinking can maximise limited budgets.
SOCIAL GOOD
WINNER:
Ending the Epidemic
Brand: ViiV Healthcare
Entered by: Publicis Media – Platform GSK
Judges’ Comments: The judges praised the campaign's strategic alignment with significant cultural moments, including the US election campaign and Olympics coverage. The breadth of contributors and multi-channel approach delivered impressive results, successfully meeting all benchmarks while achieving measurable opinion change.
BRANDED EVENT
WINNER:
Forbes 30/50 Summit
Brand: Forbes
Entered by: Forbes
Judges’ Comments: This event successfully brought together diverse communities with remarkable credibility. The judges were impressed by the diversity of speakers across backgrounds and age groups, the bold choice of location, and the meaningful highlighting of STEM connections for women in the region.
TECHNOLOGY PARTNER
WINNER:
The Sustainability Atlas
Brand: Infosys
Entered by: Infosys
Judges' Comments: The judges recognised this as a genuine partnership that combined Infosys' technological capabilities with The Economist's data credibility. The campaign successfully transformed complex data into simple, engaging content that made sustainability information both accessible and compelling.
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