[비즈한국] Entering its third year, ‘Object by Prize’ is returning with a new look. Set to be held on October 28 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, ‘Object by Prize 2025’ is being reborn as an awards ceremony that goes beyond the existing goods-focused format to encompass every way a brand communicates with the world.
Previously, Object by Prize evaluated the creativity and completion of brands primarily through goods and pop-up stores produced by companies, organizations, and groups. However, the contact point between brands and consumers is no longer limited to tangible objects. We live in an era where cross-platform experiences (online and offline), culturally influential campaigns, innovative space planning and collaborations, and even the branding process itself are consumed as content.
In line with these changes, this year's awards have expanded the evaluation scope to cover all brand activities, including brand campaigns, spaces, collaborations, content, and experiences. The significance lies in shedding light on the brand's very "way of acting"—how it moves beyond merely "delivering" a message to "expanding" into experiences and "creating" culture.
Na Gun, a professor at Hongik University (General Director of the Gwangju Biennale and Red Dot Design Award judge), who serves as the head of the judging committee, emphasized, "Success in branding is now difficult to judge by results alone. The core is how a brand engages with consumers, and what values and philosophies it contains." He added, "This year, we will take a closer look at that process, focusing on how consistently and authentically the experiences and messages have been implemented."
This year's awards consist of six categories: △Best Rebranding △Best Goods △Best Collaboration △Best Space △Best Experience △Best Campaign. Winners in each category will become candidates for the grand prize, ‘Brand of the Year,’ and the final winners will be announced on the day of the ceremony.
The judging process will be divided into a preliminary online evaluation and a secondary offline evaluation. The jury consists of top experts in each field, including brand strategists, design experts, marketing planners, and cultural content producers. Evaluation criteria include planning ability, design completion, creativity, message delivery, consumer experience, and brand synergy. Candidates are selected from those recommended by judges without a separate application process, and final category winners are determined through subsequent deliberations.
Since its inception in 2023, the Bizhankook-hosted Object by Prize has served as more than just an awards ceremony. It has been recognized as a platform that records cases of creativity and authenticity among the numerous brand activities appearing in the market each year, while setting new standards for the industry.
Last year, high-quality goods and pop-up stores such as Lotte Wellfood's280360 'Xylitol Music Box', Daesang's001680 'Jongga Kimchi Blast', and Hana Bank's 'Seed Money' were awarded. This year, the scope is much broader. New rebranding projects, cases of cultural diffusion through collaboration, long-term customer experience design utilizing brand spaces, and the creation of consumer-participatory content are all subject to evaluation.
An official from the Object by Prize judging committee explained, "The way brands meet consumers is changing rapidly every year. This year's ceremony is a place to record the forefront of that change and share vivid examples that other brands can reference. The core of this reform is to evaluate not only the results but also the process leading to those results—that is, the brand's ‘attitude’ and ‘actions’."