Agencies and studios large and small from 34 countries, ranging from the largest global networks to independent freelancers, were named top winners at The One Club for Creativity’s global ADC 97th Annual Awardstonight in New York, celebrating the world’s most forward-thinking work in craft, design and innovation.
The wide range of winners was particularly noticeable this year, spurred on by the show’s new tiered pricing system to make it more affordable for small shops and freelancers to enter.
Independent designer Kevin Cantrell of Mantua, UT, USA was awarded Best of Discipline honors in Typography for his work for Wired Magazine. “As a one-person show with limited budget, I could finally to take a chance and go for it this year, putting my work up against the largest agencies and teams,” he said. “I’m so glad I did, it paid off beyond all hopes.”
ADC Black Cube for Best of Show went to “Barbers” by Furlined, Santa Monica, CA, USA for Apple (https://vimeo.com/267636948/
This year’s top honors, based upon cumulative ADC Cubes and Merits won across all disciplines and categories, were:
- Advertising Agency of the Year — BBDO New York
- Network of the Year — BBDO Worldwide
- Boutique Agency of the Year — Åkestam Holst, Stockholm, Sweden
- Design Firm of the Year — The New York Times Magazine, New York
- Boutique Design Firm of the Year — Magpie Studio, London
- Production Company of the Year — Furlined, Santa Monica
- Brand of the Year — Apple
In another interesting result this year, a redesigned wheelchair was awarded two ADC Best of Discipline honors. Tess Co. with Tohoku University School of Medicine, both in Sendai, M2 Design and TBWA\Hakuhodo, both Tokyo, had a stellar night, winning Best of Discipline in both Innovation and Packaging & Product Design for “COGY Wheelchair”.
Best of Discipline winners, by discipline were:
- Advertising: CHE Proximity with Revolver/Will O’Rourke, both Sydney, Australia “The Hearing Test in Disguise” for Cochlear (https://vimeo.com/267696328/
608f230002). - Brand & Communication Design: Creuna Norway, Oslo, Norway “DOGA Visual Identity” for DOGA – Design and Architecture Norway (https://vimeo.com/267647196/
64bac679a5). - Experiential Design: McCann New York, NY, USA “Fearless Girl” for State Street Global Advisors (https://vimeo.com/267637506/
473da2a045). - Illustration: Giant Ant, Vancouver, BC, Canada “The Imaginary Friends Society – Finding Out You Have Cancer” for The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (https://vimeo.com/267638259/
5e108fd025). - Innovation: Tess Co. with Tohoku University School of Medicine, both Sendai, M2 Design and TBWA\Hakuhodo, both Tokyo, all Japan “COGY Wheelchair” for Tess Co. (https://vimeo.com/267637331/
4b5e57975e). - Integrated: AMV BBDO, London, UK “#Blood Normal” for Essity Libresse Bodyform (https://vimeo.com/267646324/
c8072a6edc). - Interactive: AlmapBBDO, São Paulo, Brazil “Nosferatu” for Getty Images (https://vimeo.com/267646163/
5a17b71c70). - Motion & Film Craft: Furlined, Santa Monica with Apple, Cupertino, both CA, USA “Barbers” for Apple (https://vimeo.com/267637024/
91486d1b88). - Packaging & Product Design: Tess Co. with Tohoku University School of Medicine, both Sendai, M2 Design and TBWA\Hakuhodo, both Tokyo, all Japan “COGY Wheelchair” for Tess Co. (https://vimeo.com/267696353/
96ff7a544d). - Photography: Lauren Greenfield, Venice, CA, USA “Generation Wealth” for Evergreen Pictures.
- Publication Design: The New York Times Magazine, New York, NY, USA “Why Can't Democrats Turn the Page” for The New York Times Magazine.
- Typography: Kevin Cantrell Studio, Mantua, UT, USA “Fantastic Rum Accelerator” for Wired Magazine.
BBDO New York led the world in most ADC Cubes won by a single office with 16. The agency won five Golds, including three with BBDO Studios for “Live Looper” on behalf of Downtown Records and two with The Corner Shop for P&G’s “The Talk”, as well as four Silver and seven Bronze Cubes. Jung von Matt, Hamburg, Germany won 15 Cubes, including one Gold, three Silver and 11 Bronze.
The New York Times Magazine placed third with 11 Cubes, including two Gold, six Silver and three Bronze. Rounding out the top five Cube winners, Dentsu Tokyo took home 10 (four Gold, three Silver and three Bronze) and DDB Paris won nine (three Gold, four Silver and two Bronze).
The ADC Designism Award for work that best promotes social good went to “Prescribed to Death” by Energy BBDO, Chicago, IL, USA for client National Safety Council (https://vimeo.com/267637871/
“It’s always an inspiring night when the industry comes together to celebrate the world’s best work in craft, design and innovation,” said Michael O’Rourke, ADC executive director. “ADC began as a progressive force in 1920 as the first creative organization for the commercial arts, and it’s an honor to continue that legacy with all of the amazing work awarded tonight.”
Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club for Creativity, expanded on those sentiments, adding: "The ADC Annual Awards is the most forward-thinking award for design, craft, and innovation in the world, celebrating progressive thinking and problem-solving in the creative industry. This year’s Cube winners clearly reflect that focus.”
ADC Gold Cube winners by discipline are listed below. For a complete list of all ADC Gold, Silver, Bronze Cube and Merit winners, please visit http://www.adcawards.org.
Advertising: 11 Gold, 22 Silver, 26 Bronze, 39 Merit
ADC Gold Cube winners in Advertising:
- Åkestam Holst, Stockholm, Sweden “Pee Ad” for IKEA Sweden in Press, Magazine-Single
- AlmapBBDO, São Paulo, Brazil “Nosferatu” for Getty Images in Art Direction, Poster Advertising-Campaign
- BBDO New York, New York, NY with The Corner Shop, Santa Monica, CA, both USA “The Talk” for P&G in Television/Film/Online Video Commercials, Online Commercial-Single
- CHE Proximity with Revolver/Will O’Rourke, both Sydney, Australia “The Hearing Test in Disguise” for Cochlear in Craft in Video, Sound Design-Single (also awarded Best of Discipline)
- Dentsu Tokyo, Japan “The Art of Cutouts” for OLFA Corporation in Art direction, Poster Advertising-Campaign
- Dentsu Tokyo with Amana and Taki Corporation, both Tokyo, Japan “Sumo Girls 82 Techniques” for Hokkoku Shimbun in Art Direction, Press/Print Advertising-Single
- DDB Paris, France “In the World of Play-Doh” for Hasbro in Art Direction, Press/Print Advertising-Single
- Goodby Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, CA, USA “Doritos Blaze vs. MTN DEW ICE” for Doritos and Mountain Dew in Television/Film/Online Video Commercials, Television Commercial-Single
- MJZ, Los Angeles, CA with Leo Burnett Chicago, Chicago, IL, both USA “Samsung, Ostrich” for Samsung in Craft in Video, Cinematography-Single
- Ogilvy Germany, Frankfurt, Germany “Switch It Off” for Amnesty International in Press, Magazine-Campaign
Brand & Communication Design: 5 Gold, 7 Silver, 15 Bronze, 33 Merit
ADC Gold Cubes winners in Brand/Communication Design:
- Creuna Norway, Oslo, Norway “DOGA Visual Identity” for DOGA – Design and Architecture Norway in Branding, Branding Systems/Corporate Identity Integrated-Series (also awarded Best of Discipline)
- Dentsu Tokyo, Japan “Optical Odyssey” for JINS in Poster, Traditional-Series
- Dentsu Tokyo, Japan “Eating Kabuki With Your Fingers” for Shochiku co. ltd Minami-za in Poster, Traditional-Series
- Shiseido, Tokyo, Japan “Makeup Tools” for Shiseido in Posters, Traditional-Series
- TBWA\Shanghai, Shanghai, China “A Thread of Hope” for BAO BEI HUI JIA – NGO for Missing Children in Posters, Wild Postings-Single
Design for Good: 3 Gold, 8 Silver, 6 Bronze, 9 Merit
ADC Gold winners in Design for Good:
- Energy BBDO, Chicago, IL, USA “Prescribed to Death” for National Safety Council in Advertising-Campaign (also awarded ADC Designism Cube)
- McCann New York, New York, NY, USA “Fearless Girl” for State Street Global Advisors in Advertising-Single
- McCann New York, New York, NY, USA “Fearless Girl” for State Street Global Advisors in Experiential Design-Single
Experiential Design: 3 Gold, 3 Silver, 8 Bronze, 17 Merit
ADC Gold Cube winners in Experiential:
- McCann New York, New York, NY, USA “Fearless Girl” for State Street Global Advisors in Experiential Design, Placemaking-Single (also awarded Best of Discipline)
- TBWA\Hakuhodo, Tokyo, Japan “Green Light Run” for adidas Japan in Digital Experiences, Responsive Environments-Single
- VML, Kansas City, MO with Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Nashville, TN and Plan A Films, Asheville, NC, all USA “The Colorblind Viewer” for Tennessee Department of Tourist Development in Experiential Design, Placemaking-Single
Illustration: 2 Gold, 6 Silver, 7 Bronze, 26 Merit
ADC Gold Cube winners in Illustration:
- Giant Ant, Vancouver, BC, Canada “The Imaginary Friends Society – Finding Out You Have Cancer” for The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation in Illustration, Motion-Single (also awarded Best of Discipline)
- VICE News, Brooklyn, NY, USA “Cryptocurrency” for VICE News in Illustration, Motion-Single
Innovation: 3 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze, 14 Merit
ADC Gold Cube winners in Innovation:
- BBDO New York with BBDO Studios, New York, NY, USA “Live Looper” for Downtown Records in Innovation, Advertising
- Commonwealth//McCann, Detroit, MI with The Mill and Mill+, both Los Angeles, CA, USA “Invisible Car” for Chevrolet in Innovation, Interactive
- Tess Co. with Tohoku University School of Medicine, both Sendai, M2 Design and TBWA\Hakuhodo, both Tokyo, all Japan “COGY Wheelchair” for Tess Co. in Innovation, Product (also awarded Best of Discipline)
Integrated: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze, 7 Merit
ADC Gold Cube winners in Integrated:
- AMV BBDO, London, UK “#Blood Normal” for Essity Libresse Bodyform in Integrated-Campaign (also awarded Best of Discipline)
- Goodby Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, CA, USA “Doritos Blaze vs. MTN DEW ICE” for Doritos and Mountain Dew in Integrated-Campaign
Interactive: 9 Gold, 14 Silver, 13 Bronze, 31 Merit
ADC Gold Cube winners in Interactive:
- AlmapBBDO, São Paulo, Brazil “Nosferatu” for Getty Images in Craft in Online/Mobile, Sound Design-Single (also awarded Best of Discipline)
- BBDO New York with BBDO Studios, New York, NY, USA “Live Looper” for Downtown Records in Craft in Online/Mobile, Content Strategy-Single
- BBDO New York with BBDO Studios, New York, NY, USA “Live Looper” for Downtown Records in Use of Social Media, Facebook-Single
- DDB Paris with Eddy and Studio5, both Paris, France “Emerging Species” for Hasbro in Craft in Online/Mobile, Copywriting for Digital-Campaign
- DDB Paris with Eddy and Studio5, both Paris, France “Emerging Species” for Hasbro in Online/Mobile, Campaign Site-Single
- FCB/SIX, Toronto, ON, Canada “Destination Pride” for PFLAG Canada in Online/Mobile, Data Visualization-Single
- Google Creative Lab, London, UK “Speak to Go” for Google Creative Labs in Apps, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality-Single
- MJZ, Los Angeles, CA with Leo Burnett Chicago, Chicago, IL, both USA “Samsung, Ostrich” for Samsung in Online/Mobile, Online Video-Single
- The New York Times Magazine, New York, NY, USA “The Great Performers” for The New York Times in Online/Mobile, Online Video-Campaign
Motion & Film Craft: 7 Gold, 6 Silver, 8 Bronze, 22 Merit
ADC Gold Cube winners in Motion/Film Craft:
- BETC with Wanda and Academy Films, all Paris, France “Timeless” for Lacoste in Craft in Motion/Film, Cinematography-Single
- BBDO New York, New York, NY with The Corner Shop, Santa Monica, CA, both USA “The Talk” for P&G in Craft in Motion/Film, Direction-Single
- Elastic, Santa Monica, CA with TNT, Atlanta, GA, both USA “The Alienist” for TNT in Motion/Film, Title Sequences-Single
- Furlined, Santa Monica with Apple, Cupertino, both CA, USA “Barbers” for Apple in Craft in Motion/Film, Direction-Single (also awarded Best of Discipline and ADC Black Cube for Best of Show)
- Jung von Matt with Sterntag, both Hamburg, Germany and MJZ, London, UK “Christmas 2117” for Edeka Zentrale in Craft in Motion/Film, Special Effects-Single
- MPC, London, UK with MPC and MJZ, both Los Angeles and Leo Burnett Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA “Samsung, Ostrich” for Samsung in Craft in Motion / Film, Animation-Single
- MJZ, Los Angeles, CA with Leo Burnett Chicago, Chicago, IL, both USA “Samsung, Ostrich” for Samsung in Craft in Motion/Film, Special Effects-Single
Package Design: 1 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronze, 7 Merit
ADC Gold Cube winners in Packaging Design:
- Studio Sonda, Vižinada, Croatia “St. Vital Piquentum Series – Vintage years 12/13/14 Wine, A collection through which nature speaks out” for Vinski Podrum Buzet d.o.o. in Packaging Design, Beverage-Series
Photography: 1 Gold, 3 Silver, 5 Bronze, 25 Merit
ADC Gold Cube winner in Photography:
- Lauren Greenfield, Venice, CA, USA “Generation Wealth” for Evergreen Pictures in Photography, Book-Series (also awarded Best of Discipline)
Product Design: 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze, 2 Merit
ADC Gold Cube winner in Product Design:
- Tess Co. with Tohoku University School of Medicine, both Sendai, M2 Design and TBWA\Hakuhodo, both Tokyo, all Japan “COGY Wheelchair” for Tess Co. in Product Design, Wildcard-Single (also awarded Best of Discipline)
Publication Design: 3 Gold, 5 Silver, 9 Bronze, 20 Merit
ADC Gold Cube winners in Publication Design:
- The California Sunday Magazine, San Francisco, CA, USA “The California Sunday Magazine (February, August, October)” for The California Sunday Magazine in Editorial, Magazine Full Issue-Series
- MacGuffin, Amsterdam, Netherlands “MacGuffin Magazine” for MacGuffin in Magazine Full Issue-Series
- The New York Times Magazine, New York, NY, USA “Why Can't Democrats Turn the Page” for The New York Times Magazine in Editorial, Magazine Cover-Single (also awarded Best of Discipline)
Typography: 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 5 Bronze, 14 Merit
ADC Gold Cube winner in Typography:
- Kevin Cantrell Studio, Mantua, UT, USA “Fantastic Rum Accelerator” for Wired magazine in Typography, Editorial-Single (also awarded Best of Discipline)
The awards were presented before a packed house at Industria by The One Club for Creativity as part of Creative Week. The show was hosted by Eddie Opara, renowned multifaceted designer and partner at Pentagram.
The ADC 97th Annual Awards is made possible in part by the generous support of sponsors, including Shutterstock.
“Shutterstock is proud to be a longtime sponsor of the ADC Annual Awards and other One Club programming,” said Lou Weiss, CMO, Shutterstock. “Our shared goal of nurturing and propelling the global creative community forward makes this partnership a natural fit, and we look forward to working with the organization to produce programming that identifies and elevates excellence in creative storytelling."
Other sponsors of Creative Week 2018 include Facebook, Musicbed, Nickelodeon and Pinterest.
ADC 97th Annual Awards take place during The One Club’s Creative Week in New York, May 7-11, 2018 (http://www.oneclub.org/
The preeminent festival showcasing the intersection of advertising, innovation and creative thinking, Creative Week also includes two nights of the prestigious One Show Awards, the Young Ones Education Festival and awards, inspiring sessions with some of the biggest names in the industry at the Creative Summit, and the exclusive Executive Creative Summit, open to a limited number of top-level leaders (founders, CCOs and managing partners).
The One Club for Creativity (http://www.oneclub.org), producer of the prestigious One Show, ADC Annual Awards, Creative Week and Portfolio Night, is the world's foremost non-profit organization recognizing creative excellence in advertising and design. The ADC Annual Awards honors the best work across all disciplines, including Advertising, Interactive, Design and Motion. Creative Week takes place in New York City every May and is the preeminent festival celebrating the intersection of advertising and the arts.
