The second annual D&AD Impact Awards have been awarded in New York City in front of an audience that included key figures from the worlds of business, advertising, design and philanthropy.

The aim of D&AD Impact is to identify and celebrate transformative creative ideas that have had real impact and, ultimately, contribute towards a better and more sustainable future in which purpose is aligned with profit. The Pencils are, in order of merit, Black, White, Graphite and Wood.

D&AD Impact Pencils are awarded based on three criteria: an original and innovative idea at its core; clear and measurable impact in its chosen category; and relevance to the business’s commercial needs. This year, the entries focused on issues of health, gender equality and child welfare.

98 D&AD Impact Pencils were handed out, including 13 White and 3 Black. J.Walter Thompson agencies achieved 1 Black & 2 White Pencils. McCann agencies achieved 2 Black & 1 White Pencil. Serviceplan agencies achieved 2 White Pencils.

Black Pencils were awarded to:

• J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam and Free a Girl Movement, School for Justice, an ad campaign to raise awareness of child prostitution in India

JWT Amsterdam creates a school so ex-child prostitutes in India can become lawyers

• McCann Worldgroup India and The Ministry of Public Health Afghanistan, The Immunity Charm, which encouraged Afghan mothers to vaccinate their children by way of traditional charm bracelet

• McCann New York and State Street Global Advisors, Fearless Girl, which highlighted that companies with women in leadership perform better, with a statue of a daring young girl standing strong on Wall Street

White Pencils were awarded to:

• • J. Walter Thompson London, Gravity Light, for  Shell in Urban Living

• • J Walter Thompson New York, Unsafety Check, for Black Lives Matter in Diversity & Equality

• • The Classic Partnership Advertising, Footnote For The Breast, for Medcare Women & Children’s Hospital in Civic Engagement
  • Freundliche Grüsse, Return to Sender, for Public Eye in Environmental Sustainability
  • Serviceplan/Serviceplan Korea, Dot. The first Braille Smartwatch, for Dot Incorporation in Communication & Interaction
  • Area 23, The Trafficking Exam, in Communication & Interaction
  • Leo Burnett Beirut, #Undress522, for ABAAD Resource Center for Gender Equality in Community

• • FCB Canada, Down Syndrome Answers, for Canadian Down Syndrome Society in Community

FCB Canada: Down Syndrome Answers to tough questions by those who really know

• • 180LA, Boost Your Voice, for Boost Mobile in Diversity & Equality
  • Serviceplan/Plan.Net, WhatsGerman, for Plan.Net in Education
  • Cossette, SickKids VS, for SickKids Foundation in Health & Wellness

• • POL, 25m2 SYRIA, for TV-Aksjonen NRK & Red Cross Norway in partnership with IKEA in Humanitarian Aid

• McCann New York, Fearless Girl, for State Street Global Advisors in Industry Evolution

Australian Pencil winners:

Graphite:

• Marcel Sydney, Air-Ink for Tiger Beer
• Lavender, OzHarvest Market

Wood:

• Ogilvy Melbourne, AAMI Smartplates
• Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, Meet Graham for TAC Victoria

New Zealand Pencil winners:

Graphite:

• Colenso BBDO, Beer Bottle Sand for DB Export

The 2017 D&AD Impact Jury included leaders from BlackRock to Snapchat, The Girl Scouts of America to P&G, and Post Secret to Wieden + Kennedy. Richard Curtis, Founder, Project Everyone and Comic Relief (Red Nose Day); Arianna Huffington, Entrepreneur, Writer, Founder, Thrive Global; Neil Blumenthal, CEO, Warby Parker; Bob Greenberg, Founder, Chairman, CEO, R/GA; Betsy Lack, Head of Global Brand Strategy, Snap Inc.; Haiyan Zhang, Innovation Director, Microsoft.

New this year was D&AD Impact Promise, which rewards ideas with the potential for impact across one or more of the 12 categories that could benefit from the exposure, funding, mentoring and networking that D&AD Impact can offer.

Selected projects that have an original innovative idea, and that can demonstrate how, once scaled, will have a clear, measurable impact, were given the opportunity to pitch for project support in front of Bill Tai, Venture Capitalist; Aline Santos Farhat, SVP Global Marketing, Unilever; and Jason Harris, President/CEO, Mekanism.

Selected were:

• Petit Pli Ltd for Petit Pli – Clothes that grow with your child and
• Supple Studio for Straightline

D&AD chief executive officer, Tim Lindsay, commented, “In today’s uncertain political times, the role that businesses and brands play in shaping and influencing the world cannot be overlooked. Following the success of last year’s inaugural awards, the need for world-changing creativity and campaigns has become more important than ever. Consumers and citizens demand accountability and action. This year, our mission was not to acknowledge and celebrate, but to highlight the opportunity businesses have to harness the power of creativity as a force for good and galvanize real change to improve our society. With the added introduction of our Promise Award, D&AD Impact is taking action to provide the support needed to make a powerful, innovative idea a reality and continue our work to make a better future.”

Matt Schekner, ‎executive director at Advertising Week – ‎Stillwell Partners, noted, “More so than ever before, consumers respond to brands and campaigns that connect to something real. Creative that connects the heart to the mind is what resonates strongest. That’s the essence for D&AD Impact… to showcase work that has a real impact on people’s lives all over the world. The winning work this year represents the very best of what our industry does to make the world a better place.”

View all the D&AD Impact 2017 winners here.