VMLY&R and MullenLowe US Take Top Prizes at the ADC 102nd Annual Awards

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.

The ADC Designism Cube, for the entry that best encourages positive societal and political change, went to DDB Chicago with adam&eveDDB London, Nord DDB CPH Copenhagen, for “Chillboards” on behalf of Molson Coors.

The ADC 102nd Annual Awards “of the year” winners were:

• Agency of the Year: MullenLowe US, New York
• Boutique Agency of the Year: Bickerstaff.734, Kyiv, and Josephmark, Brisbane/Los Angeles (tie)
• Brand-Side Agency of the Year: Squarespace, New York
• Design Team of the Year: The New York Times Magazine, New York
• Boutique Design Studio of the Year: G Design Studio, Athens
• Network of the Year: VMLY&R
• Production Company of the Year: Smuggler, New York/Los Angeles
• Music & Sound Company of the Year: JSM Music, New York
• Brand of the Year: Squarespace
• Non-profit Client of the Year: Brooklyn Film Festival
• Freelancer of the Year (as selected by The One Club and Working Not Working): Greg Miller, Greg Miller Photography, Mansfield Center
• Members’ Choice Award: Performance Art Toronto, “The Black Elevation Map” for Black & Abroad 

Here is the full ADC 102nd Best of Discipline winners list:

• Advertising: DDB Chicago with adam&eveDDB London, Nord DDB CPH,Copenhagen, and Molson Coors, “Chillboards” for Coors Light
• Apparel/Accessory/Footwear Design: Jam3 and Media.Monks Amsterdam, “Ozworld” for Adidas Originals
• Architecture/Interior/Environmental Design:iart—studio for media architectures Basel withAMDL Circle and Michele De Lucchi Milano, “Novartis Pavillion—Zero-Energy Media Façade for Novartis
• Artificial Intelligence: Dentsu Tokyo with Data Artist Inc., Dentsu Live, and Shindii, Tokyo, “Voice Watch” for Toyota Mobility Foundation
• Brand/Communication Design: MullenLowe U.S. New York “Something to Offend Everyone” for Brooklyn Film Festival
• Brand-Side/In-House: Squarespace New York with Q Department New York, Final Cut New York, and Smuggler New York/Los Angeles “The Singularity” for Squarespace
• Experiential Design: FCB New York “McEnroe vs McEnroe” for Anheuser Busch Michelob Ultra
• Gaming: The Hive Toronto with MLB New York “Chatham Plays On” for OLG
• Illustration: MullenLowe U.S. New York “Something to Offend Everyone” for Brooklyn Film Festival
• Interactive: VMLY&R New York “I Will Always Be Me” for Dell Technologies and Intel
• Motion/Film Craft: VMLY&R Mexico, “Shout” for Telefonica Movistar
• Packaging Design: G Design Studio Athens “Dia Elis” for Dia Elis
• Product Design: Serviceplan Germany Munich with Serviceplan Korea Seoul, “Dot Pad: The first smart tactile graphics display” for Dot Incorporation
• Photography: The New Yorker, “Waiting for the School Bus in Uvalde” for The New Yorker
• Publication Design: Rang Li Stockholm Chinese Nursery Rhymes for China People’s Education Press
• Typography: DDB Chicago with adam&eveDDB London, Nord DDB CPHCopenhagen, and Molson Coors “Chillborads” for Coors Light

A total of 11,198 pieces were entered from 59 countries and regions. Agencies, studios, freelancers, brands and production companies in 32 countries were awarded a total of 106 ADC Gold Cubes, 120 Silvers, 162 Bronze and 390 Merits this year.

A complete showcase of all ADC 102nd Annual Awards Cube and Merit winners can be viewed here.

The One Show winners will be announced later during Creative Week.