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VMLY&R’s groundbreaking work for Dell Technologies and Intel—an interactive book for people with motor neuron disease (MND)—took the top prize, an ADC Black Cube for Best of Show at the ADC 102nd Annual Awards, produced by The One Club for Creativity and held during Creative Week 2023 in New York.
MullenLowe U.S. also had a stellar showing, being named the Agency of the Year, based on cumulative points for all Cubes and Merits won. It won two Best of Disciplines, in brand/communication design and illustration for “Something to Offend Everyone” on behalf of the Brooklyn Film Festival.
VMLY&R’s win was for its “I Will Always Be Me” campaign, winning the Black Cube plus Best of Discipline in interactive, three Gold Cubes (two in interactive, one in advertising), plus one Silver in interactive and two Bronze in advertising and interactive. The work highlighted MND, a neurodegenerative condition that deteriorates muscular nerve cells and can take away the ability to speak. To help those living with MND maintain their personal expression, Dell Technologies and Intel, in partnership with the Motor Neurone Disease Association and Rolls-Royce, created a first-of-its-kind book that banks people’s voices as they read aloud.
MullenLowe’s work for the Brooklyn Film Festival asked people to challenge their opinions by making fun of those who never do so with an out-of-home and video campaign that came across as an HR-style training video on how to talk about films, finding fun and ironic ways to invite people to keep an open mind.
“For more than a century, the ADC Annual Awards have celebrated ideas and craft,” said Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club in a statement. “Prompted by the recent huge advances in technology and artificial intelligence, ADC this year became the first global award show to recognize AI in creativity and design as a separate discipline with a dedicated jury. However, we strongly believe that it still takes humans to turn a great idea into something brilliant and award worthy.”
Other top winners
The ADC Fusion Cube, established two years ago along with The One Show Fusion Pencil to recognize great work that best incorporates underrepresented groups in both the content of the ad and the team that made it went to Performance Art Toronto for “The Black Elevation Map” for Black & Abroad; and Serviceplan Germany Munich with Serviceplan Korea Seoul for “Dot Pad. The first smart tactile graphics display” for Dot Incorporation.