JUDGING CRITERIA
The MERCURY Awards Competition is unique in that each entry is judged against itself, to the degree that the individual entry achieves its intended purpose. Entries from large or small organizations have an equal chance at winning. Judging is based not on budget, but on the values of creativity, effectiveness, performance and success as symbolized by the MERCURY Awards.
Some of the elements to be considered in the judging process are: how effectively the material meets the stated objectives; how well the material is communicated to the designated audience; use of imaginative and original solutions; the use of material to illustrate and clarify the information; and the overall expression of the message.
JUDGING PROCESS
Each entry is evaluated three times during the preliminary judging. The three set of scores are then averaged in to a single score for the individual entry. Awards are given to the top third scoring entries. Point totals will qualify entries for specific awards. Only one Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honors Award will be given in each classification; However, if no entry scores high enough, no award will be given. The Gold Award Winners become candidates for the Grand Awards. In addition, one Best of Show Award will be presented to the top entry among all the classifications.
SPECIAL NOTES ABOUT JUDGING
Each entry will be judged on its own merit without regard to apparent cost of producing the communications piece. Entries are judged in the absolute, according to a predefined set of criteria, each against itself, and wins honor for innate merits instead of relative superiorities.
The International Academy of Communications Arts and Sciences (IACAS) was founded by MerComm to set high standards for various communications specialties and to give professionals in the fields higher status by establishing the definitions of excellence. Membership in the Academy is considered an international Who’s Who in the communications industry.
| 33 Visual – MEXICO A. Plus Financial Press Limited – HONG KONG SAR Above The Line Company Limited – HONG KONG SAR Aimclear – USA AIR – USA Airport Authority – HONG KONG SAR ANTA Sports Products Ltd. – HONG KONG SAR Avila Creative, Inc. – USA Bank of China – HONG KONG SAR Beijing Pengtu Culture & Art Communication Co., Ltd. – PRC BGA Publishing – USA Bright Visuals – SLOVENIA Brooke Boen – USA Burgess Strategic Marketing Services – USA By J Design Group – SOUTH KOREA California Water Services Group – USA CD Communications Group SDN BHD – MALAYSIA Centerline Digital – USA China Communications Services Corporation Limited – HONG KONG SAR China Telecom Corporation Ltd. – HONG KONG SAR China Unicom – HONG KONG SAR COPE Content Performance Group GmbH – AUSTRIA Cre8 (Greater China) Limited – HONG KONG SAR Creative Creature Company Limited – HONG KONG SAR Curran & Connors, Inc. – USA Daniel Kennedy Communications Services – USA Design Kommune – GERMANY DNA KOMUNIKA – INDONESIA EDICO Financial Press Services Ltd. – HONG KONG SAR Elegance Financial Communications Limited – HONG KONG SAR Emagewise (Pvt) Ltd – SRI LANKA Equity Financial Press Ltd. – HONG KONG SAR Fanda – UAE Fast Retailing Co., Limited – JAPAN FGI Design – USA |
Finar Kurumsal – TÜRKIYE Fulkrum Studio – USA Genesis Energy – NEW ZEALAND GenNex Financial Press Limited – HONG KONG SAR Granato Creative Group – USA Great Thinks GmbH – GERMANY HeterMedia Services Ltd. – HONG KONG SAR HGB Hamburger Geschäftsberichte GmbH & Co. KG – GERMANY HNB Assurance – SRI LANKA Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Ltd. – HONG KONG SAR Hong Kong Metropolitan University – HONG KONG SAR Hong Kong Police Force – HONG KONG SAR Hong Kong Tourism Board – HONG KONG SAR Hyphen Group – SOUTH KOREA Inbrax – CHILE Insight Creative – NEW ZEALAND iONE Financial Press Limited – HONG KONG SAR Jessica Qian – USA Journal International The Home of Content GmbH – GERMANY JUJU Studio – USA Jungheinrich – GERMANY Kanro Inc. – JAPAN Kerry Properties – HONG KONG SAR Killing Mario – SOUTH KOREA KMW – GERMANY KPR – SOUTH KOREA Kreatif Fabrika – TÜRKIYE Lin Young – MALAYSIA LLYC – SPAIN Lorraine Gregory Communications – USA Miracle Digital Transformation Agency Limited – HONG KONG SAR M-1 Studios – USA M&M Consulting Ltd. – HONG KONG SAR Mag & Me – GERMANY Mark Joseph Photography – USA Media Genesis – USA Mensalia GmbH – AUSTRIA MetaFusion Pte. Ltd. – SINGAPORE Milenio 3 – MEXICO |
Mitragrafia (PT Mitra Gagasemha Kreasi) – INDONESIA MM Partners – SOUTH KOREA Nakama Media Publishing – GERMANY Nancy Burgess Strategic Marketing, Inc. – USA Ngong Ping 360 – HONG KONG SAR Nova Fusion – MALAYSIA NZ Post – NEW ZEALAND Ocean Park Corporation – HONG KONG SAR Orange Financial Printing Limited – HONG KONG SAR PepperClub – GERMANY Petronas Chemicals Group Berhad – MALAYSIA Quaker Houghton – USA RBK Advertising & Design – USA REF Financial Press Limited – HONG KONG SAR Reginald Pauffley – UNITED KINGDOM RE:think – MALAYSIA Sakaguchi Corp. – JAPAN Sequel – USA Shian Inc. – JAPAN SiliconPlus Communications Pte Ltd – SINGAPORE Six Group Services AG – SWITZERLAND Smart Media – SRI LANKA SSDM – USA Stan Gellman Graphic Design Inc. – USA Studio 210, LLC – USA Sydinvest – DENMARK Symrise – GERMANY Tayburn – TÜRKIYE Territory – GERMANY The Hong Kong Society for the Aged – HONG KONG SAR Toppan Nexus Limited – HONG KONG SAR Ulled Asociados – SPAIN United Therapeutics – USA Virtus Asia – HONG KONG SAR Wynk Design, Inc. – USA X_Design – MEXICO Yellow Creative (HK) Limited – HONG KONG SAR Zeev Zamir – USA |
MERCURY AWARDS 2025/2026 DISTINGUISHED JUDGES
| BANK OF CHINA (HONG KONG) HONG KONG Angel Yip – Deputy General Manager CHINA UNICOM (HONG KONG) LIMITED HONG KONG Michelle Lam – Senior Manager Enrica Lee – Assistant Company Secretary CRE8 (GREATER CHINA) LIMITED HONG KONG Jefferson Chiu – Creative Director Sumer Ko – Assistant Art Director Iris Lam – Senior Art Director Davy Li – Managing Director INBRAX CHILE Cristian Chavez – Creative Director Rodrigo Gallardo – Art Director INDEPENDENT USA Jessica Qian – Art Director |
NAKAMA MEDIA PUBLISHING GERMANY Prof. Rudiger Quass von Deyen – Partner & Creative Director REF FINANCIAL PRESS LIMITED HONG KONG Shing Chan – Creative Director Alex Choi – Creative Director Calvin Chow – Associate Art Director PEPPERCLUB GERMANY Sven Ruhs – Creative Director STAN GELLMAN GRAPHIC DESIGN USA Claire Taussig – Designer Teresa Thompson – President Bryan Wakeland – Senior Designer STUDIO 210, LLC USA Richard Colin – Office Manager Karen Krieger – Founder, CCO Juan Wen – Bookkeeper |
SYMRISE GERMANY Dominik Rzepka – Director Corporate Communications THE HONG KONG SOCIETY FOR THE AGED HONG KONG Kelly Chan – Corporate Communications Officer Diana Kam – Executive Director William Wong – Deputy Executive Director TOPPAN NEXUS LIMITED HONG KONG Toni Chan – Art Director Derek Ma – Creative Director Iris Wong – Creative Director VIRTUS ASIA CONCULTING THAILAND Jan Harling – CEO YELLOW CREATIVE (HK) LIMITED HONG KONG Rebecca So – Managing Partner Ellen Zee – Managing Partner |