Sometimes you come across an ad that hits different. Your eyes widen, your jaw drops and you burst into incredulous laughter. It’s a WTF moment. An incredible wow.

But there’s skill and strategy behind the greatest WTF ads. After all, weird is also attention-grabbing and memorable. So, for all those who make and love WTF advertising, AdForum PHNX Awards is given them a category of their own.

The new WTF category is designed as a home for the boldest, most unexpected creative work out there. It recognises and celebrates campaigns that defy convention, provoke strong reactions – and earn admiration for their creative courage. WTF is dedicated to ideas that don’t fit neatly into traditional award classifications. It’s a celebration of campaigns that surprise, unsettle, amuse, or spark debate.

“With AI now embedded in the creative process, creativity itself is under closer scrutiny than ever,” the AdForum PHNX Awards team stated. “WTF exists to defend risk-taking. Not shock for shock’s sake, but bold ideas that challenge expectations, divide opinion, and prove that creative bravery still has the power to deliver.”

Here are a few examples of the types of work the WTF category is designed to recognise:

Violine by Åkestam Holst /NoA for Telia

 Grandma Speed by VML Thailand for Thai Health Promotion

 All Hail Gravy by Mother London for KFC

The category is open to work across all formats, industries, and geographies. What unites the entries is not a medium or discipline, but an attitude: bold thinking, clear intent, and the willingness to challenge norms. With the introduction of WTF, PHNX reaffirms its commitment to being democratic, accessible and innovative, while reflecting the realities of today’s creative industry. 

Entries for the current PHNX Awards season are now open until March 13. Enter here.