He managed İmamoğlu's election campaign: 12 awards for Necati Özkan, who was arrested in IMM operations
The 2024 election campaign of Ekrem İmamoğlu, managed by Necati Özkan—who was arrested as part of the IMM investigation—was showered with awards at the Pollie Awards, one of the most prestigious organizations in the world of political communication. The campaign was deemed worthy of a total of 12 different awards, including 1 gold, 6 silver, and 5 bronze.
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The 2024 local election campaign of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is currently imprisoned in Silivri Prison, has been awarded a total of 12 prizes at the Pollie Awards held in the United States.
At the Pollie Awards, which are presented annually by the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) and are considered prestigious in the field of political communication, İmamoğlu's election campaign received 1 gold, 6 silver, and 5 bronze awards. The campaign had previously won 4 awards at the Reed Awards, organized by Campaigns & Elections Magazine.
Necati Özkan, President of the Öykü Dialogue International Agency, which managed the campaign in question, stated in a post on social media: “These awards we won at the Pollie Awards are dedicated to the millions of our citizens who have shown their will in the name of rights, law, justice, and democracy.”
Siyasi iletişim ve seçim kampanyalarının Oscar’ı kabul edilen Pollie Ödülleri’nde Ekrem İmamoğlu ve CHP adına yönettiğimiz 2024 yerel seçim kampanyamızla 1 altın, 6 gümüş ve 5 bronz olmak üzere toplam 12 ödül kazandık.
— Necati Özkan (@NecatiOzkan) May 26, 2025
Bu ödüller hak, hukuk, adalet ve demokrasi adına irade… pic.twitter.com/O5zPrS608e
Özkan was detained alongside Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 19, 2025, and has been in custody since March 23.
The categories in which the campaign received awards are listed as follows:
Gold Award:
- Digital Creative Full Set
Silver Awards:
- TV Ad for Mayor
- TV Ad for Local/Municipal/Regional
- Best Use of Targeting
- Digital Advertising for Mayor
- Best Use of Social Media
- Voter Registration Programme
Bronze Awards:
- Best Field Campaign
- Digital Creative Stand Alone for Mayor
- Digital Creative Stand Alone for Public Affairs
- GOTV for Local
- Best Innovation for Voter Targeting
The Pollie Awards are known as an organization that evaluates political campaigns, advertising, and communication strategies on an international level.