MUMBAI: Television trade event MipTV has opened nominations for the second Brand of the Year Award as part of its two-day Branded Entertainment programme (2-3 April) in Cannes, France.

The 2012 Brand of the Year Award will be presented to a global consumer brand for its outstanding contribution to the development and production of branded entertainment programming on 2 April at MIPTV, in Cannes.

Launched in partnership with Ogilvy & Mather in 2011, the first Brand of the Year Award went to American Express in recognition of their innovative use of music, sport and entertainment to develop brand awareness.

The Award underlines MipTV’s recognition of the strategic importance of branded content creation and the collaboration between production studios, networks, brands, and agencies to deliver new, compelling audience experiences.

Ad agencies and production studios will be asked to nominate a brand for their outstanding contribution to branded entertainment.

The call for nominations is now open and submissions need to be made by 24 February. Nominees will be judged by an international panel of high-profile experts on a number of criteria including: commitment to branded entertainment as a key element of their marketing mix; measurement of the branded content’s effectiveness; innovative use of platforms or new formats; and success in communicating a positive message in a relevant and engaging way.

Brands which have participated to MIPTV’s Branded Entertainment programme include American Express, BNP, British Airways, The Coca-Cola Company, Dove, Fanta, Expedia, Nike.

The MipTV Brand of the Year Award is organised in association with the Branded Content Marketing Association.