Mendi Robinson
VP of Creative, Lamar
The oldest and most prestigious honor for creative excellence in out of home (OOH) advertising is the OBIE Awards. OBIE – short for obelisk – refers to the ancient stone pillars that served as the foundation of modern advertising. For the last 82 years, the OBIEs have awarded the most innovative activations in our industry, from spectacular digital screens to inventive transit takeovers, eye-popping billboard campaigns to state-of-the-art augmented reality. The OBIEs celebrate the best in the industry and honor their creativity, innovation, and simplicity.
Through this inaugural student competition, we aim to find the top creative thinkers and groundbreaking innovators of the next generation of out of home designers and celebrate the future of our industry.
- Work will be judged by an independent jury of highly acclaimed OOH advertising industry professionals.
- All entries will be awarded based on the quality of concept, simplicity, design and execution, the effectiveness of the advertisement, and overall professionalism and details of entry submission.
- Finalists will be notified after judging in late February, and winners will be announced at the 83rd Annual OBIE Awards ceremony at the 2025 OAAA OOH Media Conference on Tuesday, May 6th in Boston, MA.
Scroll down to see the 2025 Student OBIE Awards Judges.
The 2025 Student OBIE Awards encourage college students to develop and submit artwork for any OOH format and advertiser of their choosing.
- Develop OOH creative for an advertiser of your choice. Including major brands/organizations, local advertisers, or public services/cause-based companies.
- Submitted creative can either be a single-format execution or a multi-format campaign using any of the following OOH format(s):
- Billboards (bulletins, posters, digital, wall murals, etc.)
- Street furniture (bus shelters, benches, newsstands, etc.)
- Transit (airport, subway, bus/vehicle wraps, taxi tops, etc.)
- Place-based (arenas, stadiums, cinema, etc)
- Work created during the 2024 calendar year (January 1 through December 31 is eligible for entry).
- There is no limit to the number of entries per student or school as long as they meet entry eligibility guidelines.
Need something to get the creative juices flowing? Check out this Sample Creative Brief.
The deadline for the Student OBIE Awards entries is Tuesday, December 31, 2024 Friday, January 24, 2025 at 11:59 pm ET. Student OBIE Awards submissions are $35 per entry. Fees are non-refundable once entries are submitted. Please pay close attention to all the entry requirements.
- Entrants must be 18 years or older and enrolled or were enrolled full- or part-time at a U.S.-accredited college or university for the 2024 calendar year.
- Submitted work must be original designs created during college/university enrollment.
- Submitted work must have been developed specifically for this competition or previous school projects.
- Work created by students while working at an agency–as an intern, copywriter, art director or other professional position–for the agency or advertising client, is not eligible.
- Finalists will be contacted and required to provide proof of enrollment.
1. When is the deadline?
Entries are due by Tuesday, December 31, 2024 Friday, January 24, 2025 at 11:59 pm ET.
2. Can I submit if I’m outside the U.S.?
No. Only students attending a U.S.-accredited college or university for the 2024-2025 school year are eligible to enter.
3. Who judges the Student OBIE Awards?
The Student OBIE Awards are chosen by a panel of judges made up of OOH industry veterans curated by OAAA.
4. What materials do I need to enter?
You can see a PDF of the entry form for reference here. You will need to include at least one digital image of the creative. Images must be in JPEG format and at least 2MB each.
5. I’m having a technical issue. Who do I contact?
If you’re having technical issues, please contact [email protected].
6. What forms of payment are accepted?
All entries must be submitted and paid by credit card online here. Please contact [email protected] if you experience any issues submitting payment.
7. Can I edit my entry after I submit?
Unfortunately, once you have submitted and paid for your entry, you will not be able to log in to edit the form in any way. If there is factual information that is incorrect, please contact the awards team to request a change.
8. When and how will the finalists be announced?
Finalists will be announced after judging in March. Finalists will also be contacted by the OAAA awards team.
9. When and how are winners announced?
Student OBIE Awards finalists will be notified in late February and winners will be revealed at the 83rd Annual OBIE Awards ceremony at the 2025 OAAA OOH Media Conference on Tuesday, May 6th in Boston, MA.
10. How many finalists and winners will be selected?
Up to five (5) finalists will be shortlisted from all entries, and up to three (3) awards may be presented—one (1) Bronze, one (1) Silver and one (1) Gold. The total number of finalists and winners is up to the judges’ discretion.
11. What do finalists and winners get?
Entries that become finalists and winners will be announced at the 83rd Annual OBIE Awards ceremony on Tuesday, May 6th in Boston, MA.
Work will also be showcased in various ways, including promotion and publication at the sole discretion of OAAA.
See the 2024 Student OBIE Awards winners here.
Chad Shackelford
VP, Head of Digital Creative, OUTFRONT XLabs
Mike Sukle
Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Sukle Advertising & Design
Whitney Yando
Creative Director, 72andSunny