Fifteen generative ads awarded for products that don’t exist

Fifteen ads created around fictional products were awarded in the second edition of Runway’s Big Ad Contest.

The second edition of Another Big Ad Contest For Products That Don’t Exist concludes with fifteen films selected from several thousand entries. The challenge was to create a 15-to-30-second spec ad for one of six fictional products devised by Runway, or to invent a product through the open brief. All generative video had to be created in Runway, while music, voice, and sound design could come from other sources as long as participants held the necessary rights.

First place went to Ciro Kavouras with This is not Norway. Simon Meyer took second with Don't Question It, created around Understory Mushroom Powder, followed by Herinarivo Rakotomanana’s Mora Mora for the JAUNT portable speaker. László Gaál placed fourth with Solace x Vlad for Solacé Sunscreen, while XAZINGA rounded out the top five with CORN CHIPS, Eau de Paw, created for the open brief.

The ten other selected films explore the same products from very different angles. Solacé Sunscreen appears in several of the winning entries, while JAUNT, Eureka Waterproof Notepad, Vero Blood Orange Soda, and JACK Multi-Tool are also represented among the awarded campaigns. Each brief provided a product, an insight, and a creative direction, while leaving participants free to decide how to turn them into an ad.

Runway’s internal jury evaluated the films across four criteria: concept, quality of execution, emotional impact, and adherence to the brief. Participants also had to incorporate the product and its logo, use the contest watermark, and create an original work specifically for the competition.

Ciro Kavouras receives $50,000 for first place, followed by $15,000 for second and $10,000 for third. Fourth and fifth place each receive $5,000, while entries ranked sixth through fifteenth receive $1,000 each.

This second edition follows the format established by the first Big Ad Contest, which also challenged participants to build campaigns around entirely fictional brands. László Gaál won that first edition with Last Forever, an ad centered on an imaginary rechargeable AA battery.