Australia and South African agencies took home their nation’s first Black Pencils last June 3, as Sapient Nitro (Brisbane) and TBWA\Hunt Lascaris (Johannesburg) were awarded at the D&AD Awards Ceremony in London.
"The Best Job in the World", the campaign that began with a classified ad and ended with an Oprah Winfrey interview, won Black Pencils in Integrated and Direct for Sapient Nitro. TBWA\Hunt Lascaris took home a Black Pencil in Graphic Design for the "Trillion Dollar Flyer"–the campaign that turned money into a medium to promote exiled newspaper The Zimbabwean.
"The High Line", almost 2.5km of Inner City Park built on a section of a former elevated freight railroad in New York City, was created by Diller Scofidio + Renfro and awarded a Black Pencil in Environmental Design. Apple continued it’s winning streak at D&AD with a Black Pencil in Websites for Apple.com.
D&AD President Paul Brazier said, “And there we have it. Proof, if it were needed, that creativity shines in the face of global recession, and even political oppression. Over the last few years at D&AD, ever more ingenious creative work has been rewarded. Maybe the rise of digital has had something to do with it. That showed us you didn’t need to use traditional media to solve clients’ problems. And when a simple stamp on a useless bank note can make a statement for freedom of speech and a Barrier Reef tourist destination can become the biggest story on the news, it really feels like times are changing. ”
Perhaps the hardest-won trophy in an industry swimming in award shows, the Black Pencil is awarded annually to groundbreaking, work in advertising and design, while the Yellow Pencil is given to a piece of work or campaign that sets new benchmarks of creative excellence.
Forty-two Yellow Pencils were also awarded to work that set new standards in creative excellence tonight. In addition to its Black Pencil, TBWA\Hunt Lascaris was awarded three Yellow Pencils in Graphic Design, Outdoor and Integrated for different elements of the agency’s work for The Zimbabwean. Droga5 Australia won three Yellow Pencils also, two for "Regulars" for Victoria Bitter in TV & Cinema Advertising and also Writing for Advertising. The agency’s third Pencil was awarded in Direct for "4320LA/SYD" for V Australia.
"We Choose the Moon" the recreation of the historic Apollo 11 mission to the Moon in real time for the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum won two Yellow Pencils, in Websites and Digital Advertising.
Apartmento, the "everyday interiors magazine" scooped one of two Yellow Pencils in Magazine & Newspaper Design, the second went to Elle UK’s Lily Allen Special Issue.
The Awards celebrate the very best work across 25 disciplines of design, advertising and creative communication and are judged by the world’s leading creative practitioners.
Unlike other award show organizers, D&AD is a not-for-profit organisation that represents the international design, advertising and creative communities. More than any other organization, D&AD sets industry standards, educates and inspires the next generation and promotes the importance of creativity, innovation and ideas within the business community.
