LONDON – The groundbreaking “#LikeAGirl” film and social activation that challenged gender stereotypes through a powerfully eye-opening film was the most awarded piece of work at this evening’s Design & Art Directors (D&AD) Awards in London. As part of that win, the campaign created by Leo Burnett’s Toronto, London and Chicago offices for P&G Always brought home an illustrious Black Pencil in the White Pencil Creativity for Good category. The effort also took home two Yellow, three Graphite and two Wood Pencils, for a grand total of eight awards. P&G was also recognized as most-awarded client.
Global Chief Creative Officer Mark Tutssel sheds light on the groundbreaking “#LikeAGirl” work, “ideas that win a coveted D&AD Black Pencil are ones that leave an imprint on the industry. P&G Always’ “#LikeAGirl” is a prime example, as it’s an idea that has made an impact on a massive societal issue and captured the attention of the world. It’s a powerful idea that challenges gender bias and shatters stereotypical images of women.”
“In a very strong year for purposeful work Leo Burnett’s ‘#LikeAGirl’ thoroughly deserved the ultimate accolade – a D&AD Black Pencil,” said Tim Lindsay, CEO of D&AD.
Leo Burnett London was the third most awarded agency of the evening, earning an outstanding 16 Pencils for its work on “#LikeAGirl,” “Suffocation,” a piece for Karma Nirvana created to bring awareness to honor killings in Great Britain and “Departure Board,” a disruptive act crafted for client Amnesty International that highlighted the struggles of those unfairly imprisoned. The agency also earned recognition for Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Squares “Blue Plaque of Lies” work, an outdoor program that replaced London’s famed informational blue plaques with humorous quips.
Leo Burnett Dubai’s “Too Complicated, Too Boring, Too Depressing” and “Too Silly, Too Distressing, Too Informative, Too Insulting” activations for Emirates telecom company du, which cleverly told the stories of today’s movie audiences, earned seven Pencils, while the network’s Sydney outpost also won big for its work for World Wildlife Foundation. The print series, which smartly showed the relationship between everyday people and poachers, took home a laudable six Pencils.
“D&AD raises the creative bar higher and higher each year. As the toughest awards show in the world, winning a D&AD Pencil is the ultimate feat,” continued Mark Tutssel on this year’s successes. “I am incredibly proud of Leo Burnett’s stellar creative performance at this year’s ceremony, including the win of a renowned D&AD Black Pencil for “#LikeAGirl,” created by our Toronto, London and Chicago offices. This affirms the network’s continuous ability to imagine ideas that have the power to transform human behaviour.”
Publicis Groupe Chief Executive Officer Maurice Lévy echoed the sentiment, saying, “Leo Burnett has had an incredibly impressive creative year, producing award winning work that creates transformational impact for its clients. The Publicis Groupe is extremely proud of Leo Burnett’s achievements at D&AD. 2015 has been a landmark year for the network and this is another prime example of the breadth and depth of their creative prowess.”
Leo Burnett’s wins included: one Black, five Yellow, 13 Graphite and 27 Wood Pencils from its Chicago, Colombo, Costa Rica, Dubai, Hong Kong, Lisbon, London, Melbourne, Paris, Sao Paulo, Sydney and Toronto offices.
