The 2016 New York Festivals Torch Awards asked young creatives to submit their ideas for a media showcase to present the progress of inclusive design and support the mission of the Institute for Human Centred Design.

The Grand-Winning Team was Arigatos, whose winning entry, Track-for-All,  was created by Yuki Abe, copywriter; Yuto Fujita, planner, Dentsu Japan; Marina Kobayashi, creative planner, Dentsu, Japan; and Doh Kim, art director, Cheil Worldwide, South Korea.

The team used a Rube Goldberg-inspired installation to introduce IHCD and its mission to advocate the use of inclusive design in the 21st century to a global audience.

“The brief was inspiring to start off with,” Marina Kobayashi commented.

“Honestly, Inclusive Design was a topic that no one in the team was familiar with before. Learning about the concept was fun and interesting on its own, and through this process, all members of the team naturally began to empathise with the institution’s mission, to ‘build a world where everyone can thrive’.

“We made the Track-for-All device on our own, which was also a challenge. Most team members had no experience in arts and crafts, but we all worked together in constructing a Rube Goldberg-like machine that works.

The team’s dynamic pitch, powerful video and inspiring prototype combined to impress the judges, the Torch Awards stated.

Team Arigatos then worked directly with the nonprofit to turn its idea into a reality. The award-winning showcase is now a permanent fixture in IHCD’s showroom at their Boston, Massachusetts headquarters.

“Being awarded the honour of a permanent installation has taught my team and I, that passion and commitment will bring along good results,” Kobayash stated.

“We all felt very passionate about this project, so it was very overwhelming for us when we got to know that the installation was going to be permanent.”

The Torch Awards holds a number of unique benefits. It offers emerging creative talent the opportunity to be celebrated for innovative work created on behalf of a worthy nonprofit, the experience of seeing their campaign used in the real world, a mentorship that provides access to advertising’s top tier creative leaders, and an experience that establishes career confidence.

The 2017 Torch Awards competition is the Integrated-Mixed Media Challenge. 

Young creatives are invited to submit their idea for tackling the needs and goals of 2017 partner Today, I’m Brave, a registered non-profit that celebrates people performing Brave acts every day and everywhere.

Everything you need to know to enter is here.