NEW YORK, NY – At a dedicated event in New York, attended by creative luminaries from the worlds of business, advertising, design and philanthropy, D&AD today announced the winners of the fourth annual Impact Awards. In total, 32 D&AD Impact Pencils were awarded to pioneering products, initiatives and campaigns from around the world that are addressing some of the globe’s most pressing issues.
D&AD Impact is a global initiative and awards programme that exists to showcase how creative thinking can be a force for good, in the belief that purpose can enhance business success and value, alongside promoting collective responsibility for the global sustainability agenda.
This year the use of design and emerging technologies featured prominently within the top winning work. Both Black Pencil winners had a focus on 3D printing – with Harmless Guns tackling the proliferation of illegal firearms and IKEA This Ables making IKEA furniture more accessible for people with disabilities. The use of AI was also a common theme within the line-up of projects that took home the top awards – being used both to help increase accessibility for people with special-needs and tackle issues such as racism.
4 White Pencils, the premier accolade for creativity that has positive social impact, were awarded. 2 projects – one campaign and one product – received the highest creative accolade, a Black Pencil, which is reserved for truly groundbreaking and game-changing work:
Harmless Guns by TBWA\Paris for Dagoma (Community and Civic Engagement)
IKEA ThisAbles by McCann Tel-Aviv for IKEA (Equality and Diversity category)
During the New York showcase, shortlisted entrants found out which coveted D&AD Impact Pencil they won. The number of Pencils awarded at each level were:
2 Black Pencils
4 White Pencils
5 Graphite Pencils
10 Wood Pencils
11 Future Impact Pencils
Patrick Burgoyne, D&AD CEO, said: “Our winners this year showcase the power of creativity to make significant, positive impact in the world. From increasing accessibility to products and services, to changing policy and changing lives, this is work the whole industry can be proud of.”
The D&AD Impact Council, an esteemed group of business and thought leaders from across the creative, brand, investment, social impact, sustainability and NGO space, assembled on November 5 to decide which work was deserving of a Wood, Graphite, White or Black Pencil. Their support for the programme continues on as part of the D&AD Future Impact programme, a new initiative for 2019 that exists to support creative ideas that have the potential to change the world.
Eleven winning prototypes, products and projects, including personalised colouring books for dementia patients (A Colourful Life) and specialty paper from locally sourced discarded pineapple leaves (Pinyapel), form this year’s cohort. The Future Impacters will receive access to a fund worth $150,000 that includes consultancy and mentoring, visibility and grants, and a place on the D&AD Impact Accelerator. This is a two-day masterclass, held at McCann New York from 6 – 7 November. Spearheaded by members of the council, the accelerator has been designed to help the cohort amplify their ideas, so they can start generating impact after launch.
The D&AD Impact Black and White Pencil winners were:
Award | Country | Winning Agency | Winning Organization | Winning Work | Category |
Black Pencil | France | TBWA\Paris | Dagoma | Community and Civic Engagement | |
Black Pencil | Israel | McCann Tel-Aviv | IKEA | Equality and Diversity | |
White Pencil | Canada | FCB/Six | Black & Abroad | Equality and Diversity | |
White Pencil | United Kingdom | FCB Inferno | Huawei | Educational and Financial Empowerment | |
White Pencil | Australia | FINCH | Mars Inc | Environment and Sustainability | |
White Pencil | United States | McCann New York | Microsoft | Equality and Diversity |
To see all the D&AD Impact 2019 winners, visit: https://www.dandad.org/en/d-
About D&AD Pencil Levels
The D&AD Pencil is regarded as one of the creative industry’s highest accolades with juries only selecting work they believe is truly exceptional. A D&AD Impact Black Pencil is the ultimate creative accolade, reserved for game-changing work that is ground-breaking in its field. A D&AD Impact White Pencil is the premier accolade for creativity with positive social impact. Runners-up received a Graphite or Wood Pencil.
About D&AD Impact
D&AD Impact seeks to identify and celebrate transformative creative ideas that drive positive change, and, ultimately, contribute towards a better, fairer and more sustainable future for all. It does so by elevating purposeful products, initiatives and campaigns; by accelerating projects with the potential for impact through a 12-month Future Impact programme; and by educating brands and entrepreneurs on incorporating purpose into their business strategy.
D&AD Impact is supported by the Impact Council, an esteemed group of 70 business and thought leaders spanning the creative, investment, technology, sustainability, social impact and NGO space. The Council judge entries, mentor Future Impacters and contribute to insights, trends and commentary around purpose in creativity, which is reported throughout the year on dandad.org.
https://www.dandad.org/en/d-
D&AD Impact categories:
Environment and Sustainability
Health and Wellness
Humanitarian Aid
Community and Civic Engagement
Equality and Diversity
Educational and Financial Empowerment
About D&AD
For 57 years D&AD has stimulated, celebrated and enabled creative excellence in design and advertising, in the firm belief that great work always creates better outcomes.
But it’s much more than just awards. Members join a vibrant global community, whilst creatives and clients are inspired by a world-renowned masterclass programme.
As a not-for-profit organisation we put all our surpluses back into the industry we serve, helping new talent prosper and campaigning for a fairer, more diverse, more sustainable industry.
