awards / awards support / Rules and Eligibility

Rules and Eligibility

The Rules

This guide is only a helpful summary of key information. It is not a substitute for reading the full entry rules, terms and conditions, which can be downloaded.

  1. The Entry has launched/aired/run within the relevant eligibility dates for the Lynx Award it is entered into.

  2. The Entry has been created within the context of a normal paying contract and genuine brief from a Brand OR if it’s a case of self-promotion or a non-profit organisation, the Brand has approved all of the media/production/implementation.

  3. You have permission to enter this work from the commissioning Brand/Brand-owning company (we may request proof of this permission directly from the Brand.

  4. You have included the commissioning Brand contact details in the Entry including name, position and full contact details.

  5. The Entry has been submitted exactly as published/aired/released and has not been modified for entry into the Festival.

  6. The Entry is not speculative or conceptual advertising, and has not been banned or withdrawn from airing.

  7. A duly authorised senior officer (CD, CEO or Chairperson) from your company has given permission for this work to be entered.

  8. The entry was not entered into the same Lynx Award last year. You may be able to enter the work into an alternative Lynx, provided it meets the relevant entry requirements, including the eligibility period requirements.

  9. There is no reference to your company or any contributing creative companies in any digital or physical materials, except in the case of self-promotion, or if the reference existed in the original execution.

  10. The entry, and/or digital or physical materials can be understood in English. For further information please see Entry Kit 1.

  11. You understand that, if you withdraw your entry after 15 December 2023, you will not receive a refund or credit.

Please see Part A of the Rules for more information on cancellations, refunds and withdrawals.

  1. If new results are collected after the entry has been paid for, we will only accept additional written information in the results section of the entry form on or before 8 February 2024.

  2. All media included in your entry must be the final version at the point that you complete and pay for them. No replacement or additional media can be accepted after an entry has been finalised and received by the Festival without exception.

  3. By submitting an entry you confirm that you own all applicable legal rights for all media included in your entry.

  4. Entries will be accepted on the basis that:

  • They are designed specifically for and to run in the MENA* region and are created or produced by companies in the MENA* region

  • They are designed specifically for and to run in the MENA* region and are created or produced by companies outside the MENA* region

  • They are designed to run globally as long as they are created or produced by companies in the MENA* region.

*For the purpose of Dubai Lynx, the MENA region is classed as: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, State of Palestine, Tunisia, UAE, Western Sahara, Yemen.

If you’re unable to meet all the requirements on this list, your entry may be ineligible for Dubai Lynx 2024. Failure to meet all these requirements could see your entry being disqualified or withdrawn without a refund.

Eligibility dates

Is your work eligible for Dubai Lynx 2024?

To ensure that work judged at Dubai Lynx is fresh and reflective of the work that drives the industry forward, it is important we structure the competition with eligibility dates. Where your work should be entered is dependent on: when and how the work was implemented, and the Lynx being entered.

If you're not sure whether your work is eligible, get in touch. We strongly recommend checking eligibility before you start to create your entry submissions (see info on refunds and withdrawals).

For the following Lynx the eligibility dates are 1 Jan 2023 - 31 Jan 2024. A majority (more than 50%) of the campaign implementation must have run within these dates:

  • Creative Data
  • Creative Commerce
  • Design
  • Digital Craft
  • Direct
  • Entertainment
  • Glass: The Award for Change
  • Healthcare
  • Innovation
  • Integrated
  • Media
  • Social & Influencer

For the following Lynx the eligibility dates are 1 Jan 2023 - 31 Jan 2024. All element(s) / executions being entered / judged must have been implemented for the first time within these dates:

  • Film
  • Film Craft
  • Industry Craft
  • Outdoor
  • Print & Publishing
  • Radio & Audio

For Brand Experience & Activation the eligibility dates are 1 January 2023 - 31 January 2024, except for category 'D05. Experience Transformation', where the transformation being judged was first implemented within the eligibility period of 1 January 2021 - 31 January 2024.

For PR the eligibility dates are 1 January 2023 - 31 January 2024, except ‘D06. Strategic Transformation’, where the transformation being judged was first implemented within the eligibility period of 1 January 2021 - 31 January 2024.

For Creative Strategy, the strategy must have been first implemented between 1st January 2021 - 31st January 2024.

For Creative Effectiveness your work must have won or been shortlisted at Dubai Lynx 2020/2021, 2022 or 2023.



Can I re-enter my work if I entered in 2023?

The same piece of work cannot be submitted into the same Lynx in consecutive years. However, providing the eligibility dates are met, you may enter the work into an alternative Lynx.

We understand that some campaigns span several years, in these cases you will need to demonstrate a significant evolution in order to be considered.

The Festival has the right to decide if the work has evolved sufficiently and can be deemed as a new, eligible entry.

If you’re not sure whether your work is eligible for Dubai Lynx 2024 get in touch. We strongly recommend checking eligibility before you start to create your entry submissions.