Success in Editkilpailu – Apu Juniori, Image, Meidän Talo and Nordea’s cross-media native advertising best in their categories

The category Best Brand Expansion in Magazine Media was included in the competition for the first time this year. The jury emphasised reader engagement, success of brand expansion and innovativeness and boldness of an act or campaign.

The award went to Apu Juniori, a children’s science and current affairs magazine founded last year.

Here is how the jury commented its decision: ‘Apu’s science and current affairs magazine intended for young schoolchildren, Apu Juniori, is boldly reaching for a new, challenging and forgotten target group. The expansion is clearly based on what the brand is all about, and it has taken advantage of the company’s existing skills and found a way to attract young people’s attention. Apu Juniori is an attractive, high-quality and carefully edited product that also takes teachers into account.’

In addition to news stories, the Best Magazine Picture of the Year is also one of the most popular categories in the Editkilpailu competition. A total of 97 pictures or picture series were entered in three different categories. When judging the entries, the jury focused on the ability of the picture(s) to add value to the publication.

Photographer Jirina Alanko’s series On siitä iloakin taken for Image won the title of Best Lifestyle Photograph Series of the Year.

Here is how the jury commented its decision: ‘The way in which a large age gap in a relationship was illustrated resulted in an unpretentious and coherent series of images with insightful compositions and elegant visual designs. The pictures are fresh, even surprising. They are humorous, and their content is formed by the viewers’ interpretation as they make the connection between the visual elements and the theme. The pictures do not beat around the bush, but show respect towards the theme and the people behind it.’

An article published in Meidän Talo about an amazing renovation project at an old power station was named the Best Lifestyle Story of the Year. The article Satavuotias kukoistaa jälleen (in Finnish) was written by journalist Mariia Sarilo and photographed by Timo Pyykkö and Hannes Paananen. The layout was designed by Art Director Katja Reina.

Here is how the jury commented its decision: ‘The imagery on the first two pages of the story immerses the readers into a story of an incredible renovation project, constructed differently from the usual ‘before and after’ approach. The layout has achieved a fantastic sense of drama, and the infographics provide relevant background information. The spellbinding text about the building’s history and the people who were part of the renovation offers something, not just to DIY enthusiasts, but others too.’

The Story of the Year category is for pieces created through journalistic cooperation. This is the most popular category in Editkilpailu. The total number of entries was 97.

When naming the Marketing Solution of the Year, the jury placed special emphasis on the successful use of cross-media magazine advertising. The winner of the category was Nordea with its creative and comprehensive Puhutaan rahasta native advertisement campaign created by A-lehdet.

Here is how the jury commented its decision: ‘Nordea managed to use its campaign to talk to millennial women about money and banking, topics often thought difficult or uninteresting, in a fantastically ordinary way that was easy to relate to. The methodology took into account the way that the target group uses media, and the comprehensive approach did justice to the important topic. Native articles, influencer collaboration, a print advertorial, a podcast and a chat fiction drama were used to discuss how to manage your finances from various angles. The campaign was elegantly designed and socially important,’ the jury commented its decision.

View all the Editkilpailu competition winners here.