D&AD Impact returns for fourth year to showcase creativity as a force for positive change

Cristina Blanaru Creativity

D&AD Impact is a global initiative and awards program that exists to use creative thinking to drive positive change. D&AD believes that being creative drives business value, and D&AD Impact has been developed to showcase how purpose can enhance business success alongside promoting collective responsibility for the global sustainability agenda.

The D&AD Impact Awards are now open for entries and have been created to recognize original and transformative ideas that have influenced society on a local, national or international scale; or can clearly demonstrate the potential for impact in the future.

This year sees the introduction of the D&AD Future Impact Programme, which aims to support the great ideas that have the potential to change the world. To be eligible to enter, entrants must be able to demonstrate a proof of concept – be it a marketing campaign, initiative or product – that has the potential to impact the world for good. Those selected for a place on the ten-person programme will receive access to a shared prize fund worth $150,000, which also includes attending the D&AD Future Impact Accelerator, a two-day masterclass programme aiming to provide tangible tips and tools to inspire students to take their idea to the next level.

The mentoring provided by the D&AD Future Impact Programme will draw on the expertise of the D&AD Impact Council to help successful entrants bring their ideas to market. Comprised of 70 individuals from a range of backgrounds across the creative, brand, investment, social impact, sustainability and NGO space, the Impact Council are an esteemed group of business and thought leaders who stand for positive social impact and are ambassadors for D&AD Impact’s mission. Through their invaluable expertise, the D&AD Impact Council helps great ideas to scale, and connect NGOs, brands and social entrepreneurs with creative practitioners in the belief that businesses with creative thinking and design excellence at their heart are more successful both commercially and in terms of their potential for social change.

The Council have been selected based on their experience and contribution towards the progress of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. D&AD Impact Council members include Emily Kortlang, Brand Director, EMEA, Beats by Dre (Apple); Danielle Krettek, Founder, Google Empathy Lab; Fernando Machado, Senior Vice President Global Brand Management, Burger King; Aline Santos Farhat, EVP Global Marketing & Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Unilever; KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, CEO and Founder, Sustainable Brands; Marcus East, EVP & Chief Technology Officer, National Geographic; Paco Conde, CCO and Co Founder, Activista; David Jones, Founder and CEO of One Young World.

Tim Lindsay, CEO of D&AD comments:

We are delighted to introduce the D&AD Future Impact Programme. The power of great, creative campaigns to invoke tangible positive change is something we are incredibly passionate about. With the help of the invaluable expertise and experience of our esteemed members of the D&AD Impact Council, we are excited to put in place a programme which will unlock the full potential of world-changing ideas, and we hope to enable our first cohort of ‘Future Impacters’ to deliver a tangible, real-world impact within twelve months.

Work eligible for entry includes prototypes, products, initiatives and campaigns, which can be entered in a range of categories including: environment and sustainability, health and wellness, humanitarian aid, community and civic engagement, equality and diversity, and educational and financial empowerment.

Winners of the D&AD Impact Awards 2018 included Bodyform’s ‘bloodnormal’ campaign, which aimed to eradicate period taboos, and Trash Isles, the campaign from LADbible and the Plastic Oceans Foundation to raise awareness of the scale of the world’s plastic pollution problem.

All categories were drawn up in line with the United Nations’ Global Sustainable Development Goals. The pricing structure has been revised to make it easier for charities, NGO’s, start-ups and SMEs to enter. Applying for a place on the Future Impact Programme costs just $50. Entries submitted into the awards are half price for NGOs ($325) and only $50 for companies under three years old or with fewer than 20 employees.

Entries close on 25 September 2019. Entrants who submit their application by 17 July 2019 will be entitled to the super early bird discount of 30% off all entries; entrants who submit by 4 September 2019 will receive the early bird discount of 20% off all entries. The D&AD Impact Future Ones to Watch List will be announced on 9 October 2019, with the remaining shortlist announced on 16 October, and details of the Future Impact Cohort revealed on 23 October. This year’s Impact Showcase will take place on 6 November 2019 in New York, in a special event dedicated to showcasing the winning work.

D&AD Impact categories:

  • Environment and Sustainability
  • Health and Wellness
  • Humanitarian Aid
  • Community and Civic Engagement
  • Equality and Diversity
  • Educational and Financial Empowerment

D&AD Impact seeks to identify and celebrate great, transformative, creative ideas that drive positive change, and ultimately, contribute towards a better, fairer and more sustainable future for all. The Impact Awards are currently open for entries, and the Impact Council, which is made up of senior figures from across the creative, social entrepreneur, venture capital and NGO space, will support the Accelerator and Awards process, and exists to support and represent D&AD Impact’s mission to drive creativity that powers change.