Winners of the 3rd annual D&AD Impact Awards announced

Cristina Blanaru Ads, Creativity, Festivals & Awards

Last week, leading figures from the worlds of business, advertising, design and philanthropy gathered at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 in New York City to hear the winners of the third annual D&AD Impact Awards.

D&AD Impact recognizes the best in creative work that has a real social impact, celebrating ideas that contribute towards a better and more sustainable future. During the New York Ceremony, shortlisted entrants found out if they won a coveted D&AD Impact Pencil, as well as which entrant was awarded the inaugural $20,000 prize fund.

In total, 76 D&AD Impact Pencils were awarded to campaigns, projects and products addressing some of the most pressing issues in the world today.

This year, entries demonstrated a focus on issues of environmental sustainability and inclusion – reflected in the line-up of projects that took home the top awards. Eight White Pencils, one of the highest accolades for world-changing creativity, were handed out. Two Black Pencils, which are reserved for truly groundbreaking work, were awarded to the following projects:

  • Black Supermarket by Marcel Paris for Carrefour
  • Palau Pledge by Host/Havas for Palau Legacy Project

The full list of White and Black Pencil winners can be viewed at the end of this press release. The number of Pencils awarded at each level were:

  • 2 Black Pencils
  • 8 White Pencils
  • 17 Graphite Pencils
  • 49 Wood Pencils (12 of which were for beta products and programmes by businesses looking to scale their initiatives, like Dot Mini, the first smart device for the visually impaired created by Serviceplan and the Dot corporation, and ProxyAddress by Hildrey Studio, which helps those facing homelessness maintain access to support even after they have lost an address.)

New to D&AD Impact in 2018 is the introduction of a $20,000 prize fund open for prototypes, products and projects from a range of categories. The cash prize was awarded to DDB Mudra Group and the organization Prerana Anti-Trafficking for their Project Free Period initiative. The project, developed with feminine hygiene brand Stayfree India / Johnson & Johnson, supports women in the sex trade to build vocational skills to allow them to sustain themselves in new lines of work.

The 2018 D&AD Impact Council who judged the work included William Seabrook (Global Chief Creative Officer, IBM), Neil Blumenthal (CEO, Warby Parker), Marcus East (CTO, National Geographic), Kwame Taylor-Hayford (MD, Chobani), Aaron Gershenberg (Founder of Silicon Valley Bank Fund of Funds), KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz (CEO and Founder, Sustainable Brands), Gal Barradas (Former CEO, BETC Brasil), Deborah Alden (MD, WeWork) and Claudia Romo Edelman (Special Adviser to Global Chief of Public Advocacy, UNICEF).

This year, 40 shortlisted companies were also offered places on the D&AD Impact Academy – a masterclass program held on September 27 that aims to inspire talent and provide tangible tools based on the experience and knowledge of the D&AD Impact Council. Companies that earned a place at the Academy included Selman Design, Hildrey Studio and Aether-Tech. Sessions at the Academy were delivered by speakers including iProspect’s Joanna Catalano, Roshi Givechi and BitFury’s Bill Tai.

The awards were hosted by Franchesca Ramsey, an American actor, activist, comedian and video blogger with over 29 million views on YouTube and over half a million followers across Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

D&AD CEO Tim Lindsay said:

In today’s social climate, consumers are more conscious of the brands and companies they support; expecting them to contribute to wider societal issues. D&AD Impact celebrates the creativity and campaigns from businesses that are trying to create a better future for us all. This year, we’re going the extra mile to make sure these businesses are supported in their ideas by introducing our £20,000 prize fund. I am eager to see what the future holds for our winners.

Matt Scheckner Global CEO of Advertising Week – ‎Stillwell Partners said:

Brands that embrace real world issues that transcend our industry and actually improve people’s lives represent the very best of what advertising does. Moreover, connecting the head to the heart is good for business. Advertising Week is proud to honor those who embrace issues like environmental sustainability, humanitarian aid, diversity, and education and to shine a light on great campaigns and stories which truly deserve broader recognition.