“As individuals, companies and an industry we are going to be forced to make decisions about which side of history we want to be on in the climate emergency – and those choices are going to have to be made uncomfortably soon.” [Tim Lindsay, chairman, D&AD]
D&AD Impact is one of the initiatives that D&AD launched under ex-CEO, now chairman, Tim Lindsay’s watch. Because it matters.
Tim Lindsay
The Stable: What is the importance of Impact?
Tim Lindsay: Impact shines a light on work that puts people and the planet on a par with profit – campaigns, products and projects that are sustainable and ethical. This is the most pro-business message it is possible to send to our community. Companies need political and climate stability and free and healthy customers in order to do business and create jobs and wealth. The only future is a sustainable one. Impact is our contribution to that future.
TS: How has it developed as it matured?
TL: It started with the introduction of the White Pencil to mark D&AD’s 50th anniversary in 2012 and grew from there. The first White Pencil was awarded for work that Leo Burnett did for the NGO, Peace One Day. From there it developed into Creativity for Good categories within the main Professional Awards. And from there to a separate standalone show in New York – this year in early November.
TS: What are some of its proudest achievements?
TL: Impact has allowed us to reach out to new audiences beyond our core, experiment with new categorisation and judging processes, increased our engagement with the client community, allowed us to help and help fund some great new ideas and given publicity to brilliant ideas and projects, like Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables, which has helped them spread across the globe.
TS: What are the challenges it has faced?
TL: It’s always hard establishing a new awards show in an overcrowded calendar, however worthy the cause. We would also love a committed partner or sponsor to help spread the work, word and message more widely.
TS: What do you hope for its future, including further growth & development?
TL: Impact and the cause it espouses is only going to become more important. As individuals, companies and an industry we are going to be forced to make decisions about which side of history we want to be on in the climate emergency – and those choices are going to have to be made uncomfortably soon. We want Impact to be an industry-wide, year-round series of events and content that help the industry do the right things and make the right decisions.
This is the reason why D&AD Impact exists. It was introduced into the world at a time when the plethora of advertising awards was being questioned and yet new awards were still being launched. This year. It’s a credit to Lindsay and global development director, Paula Taylor, that Impact is making its mark globally.
D&AD’s Impact Awards have just finished judging. The Impact shortlist is out in advance of the winners announcement on November 6 in New York. The Future Impact shortlist is out in advance of the winners announcement on October 23.
Australia has two of the 97 finalists in Impact.
The first is Republic of Everyone’s campaign, The Sendle Challenge, in which little delivery service, Sendle, challenged big delivery service Australia Post to become carbon neutral (like Sendle). The second is Finch’s The Lion Share, which encourages brands to divert a percentage of the paid media spend to finance wildlife conservation and animal welfare globally, each time an animal appears in their ads.
Some of the other finalists include:
- Impact BBDO, The Toxic Flag for The Waste Management Coalition (x3)
- Impact BBDO, The Blank Edition, for An-Nahar Newspapers
- mcgarrybowen, #BodyProudMums for Mothercare (x2)
- Havas Germany, Repicture Homeless, for Getty Images & fiftyfifty (x2)
- JWT Folk: Address Point, for An Post
- McCann Tel Aviv, ThisAbles for Ikea (x2)
- FamousGrey Paris, The Unstoppable Résumé, for CancerWork
- McCann London, Toxic Toby, for Breezometer
- FCB Inferno, Pay It Forward, for The Big Issue
- AMVBBDO, Viva La Vulva, for Essity
View the shortlists here.
Australia has 1 of the 36 finalists in Future Impact, The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology’s Reclaiming Accessibility To Lower-limb Prosthetics
