For the 2011 Media Vanguard Awards introduction and directory of awards by division, click here.

MARKETER-AS-MEDIA SPOTLIGHT/BEST USE OF ENVIRONMENTAL VIDEO

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Digital Experience

On view at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas

In a city jam-packed with over-the-top spectacles, the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas holds its own with more than 500 video displays built into the architecture. Digital Kitchen worked with the newly opened $3.9 billion resort/casino/hotel to create an ever-changing media dreamscape "most notably in the mesmerizing lobby, which can transform from a glowing faux library one moment to a ghostly meditation on movement (as in the image above) the next.

MARKETER-AS-MEDIA SPOTLIGHT/BEST PRODUCT SITE DISGUISED AS A GAMING SITE
"Lego Star Wars III' website

lucasarts.com/games/legostarwarsiii

To promote its new "Lego Star Wars III" video game, LucasArts commissioned Red Interactive Agency to build an online game in which users learn about "LSW3" by taking control of a "Star Wars" character, wielding light sabers and working collaboratively to solve puzzles. Players even have the option to push updates to Facebook, which should give you a clue that even though the target audience for "LSW3" is technically kids, plenty of adult children get sucked into this real-time online-gaming experience.

MARKETER-AS-MEDIA SPOTLIGHT/BEST DAILY-DEALS SITE

Fab.com

fab.com/app available on iTunes

In a world that 's been Grouponed to death, did anyone really need another daily-deals site? Apparently, yes. Since its formal launch in June, design marketplace Fab.com has racked up more than 750,000 subscribers to its email newsletter and is averaging $100,000 worth of sales a day (of everything from handmade furniture to minimalist housewares) thanks to exquisite curation and a core philosophy?""Everyone, everywhere can benefit from good design"?"that makes hearing from Fab every day a pleasure.

MARKETER-AS-MEDIA SPOTLIGHT/BEST IPAD AD-PRODUCTION STUDIO

The Studio at Conde Nast

Various interactive ads available in-app

The Studio at Conde Nast wins an MVA for its leadership in developing clever, compelling iPad ads. Two recent standouts for Wired's iPad app: An ad for Qwest that let readers shake loose the letters on the page (taking advantage of the iPad's accelerometer) to reveal a puzzle clue, and an ad for Microsoft's Azure platform that enticed the target audience of developers to "go under the hood" of the ad to change how it looked in real time. Studio at Conde Nast ads don't just sit there; they engage and delight.

MARKETER-AS-MEDIA SPOTLIGHT/BEST B2B INNOVATION FOR MARKETERS

CouponFactory

couponfactory.com

CouponFactory is about keeping things easy -- for marketers and for consumers. The turn-key system, which Rockfish Interactive launched in April, allows marketers to create and distribute digital coupons using simple templates, and then embed them anywhere (including Facebook); consumers can print them out without special software -- and whenever the coupons are redeemed, CouponFactory serves up rich analytics that can be used to tweak future campaigns. National brands using CouponFactory so far include Schick, Mentos, Mott's, Glade, Boston Market and Tyson.

MARKETER-AS-MEDIA SPOTLIGHT/BEST MULTIMEDIA AND EXPERIENTIAL EXTRAVAGANZA

The Creators Project

thecreatorsproject.com

For the second year in a row, The Creators Project wins an MVA for its cross-platform extravaganza celebrating global arts and technology. A joint venture between indie-culture magazine Vice and Intel, the project includes an online portal featuring original documentaries on more than 150 artists from around the world, a traveling event series and The Studio, a new laboratory that fosters artistic collaborations. The Creators Project also broadened its reach in 2011, making its inspiring content accessible through new tablet and mobile apps.