THE CHALLENGE
Choose one of the four preselected ‘Industry Set’ project briefs that you would like to develop and deliver over the next eight weeks.
Research and discover three creative studios, agencies or practitioners who have created competing projects in a similar field to your chosen brief.
Write a 200 word synopsis for each of the three competing projects, to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.
I’ve chosen to pursue the Competition Live Brief: Creative Conscience. It really resonated with me from a social justice perspective.
THREE AGENCIES
The DandAD Golden Pencil awards was where I chose to start my research. I felt that in many ways the agencies I’ve identified are competing in 1. the same space: brand recognition through advocacy, 2. the same cause: equality, and lastly, in the same award competition and competition category: the 2019 DandAD Golden Pencil Awards’ “Creativity for Good” | Advertising: Brand category
What each of these agencies and their clients had was success through the strengths of their combined efforts. I’ve summarized exactly how for each below.
“Walking the Talk” Quotient
The challenge was to find a weakness. I had to look beyond the campaigns themselves and to those creating the work and doing the hiring in terms of their inherent commitment to the causes by which brought them together to establish a rating of weakness.
Do these companies (the agencies or the brands they work for) walk the talk? I evaluated this by two markers: 1. Does their website offer any information about their own commitment to diversity and inclusion, and 2. Do they inspire or direct those visiting their site a way to get involved? For each, I’ve denoted this as “More Information” and “Take Action” in the “Weakness” sections under each agency.
Agency One: McCann New York
Client: MGM Resorts
“Universal Love”
The MGM Resorts partnered with McCann New York to rewrite six iconic love songs with six iconic artists to express a commitment to diversity and inclusion for one of the most iconic places in America committed to the commitment of love: Las Vegas, Nevada. Artists including Bob Dylan, St. Vincent, and Kesha rewrote the lyrics to six historically cis-gendered love songs to be performed in a way that emulates inclusivity for all love -- especially the LGBTQ community -- to reimagine wedding songs. The album was also beautifully design with vibrant iconography and symbology.
Strength word: REIMAGINING
This campaign is authentic: real issue, real people, real change. It is approachable and highly accessible given the chosen platform: music. It successfully rewrites a legacy exclusivity to romantic song using iconic mega stars of the music industry: both young and old to break a stigma that love songs are just for the cisgendered. The promotional video for the project used real subjects facing exclusivity to love songs and spoke from their own experiences. Further, the line-up of artists are either members of the LGBTQ community themselves, or notable advocates. What makes it exceptionally successful is the ripple effect it had on the music industry wherein other notable artists like She & Him took up the charge to evaluate lyrics and inclusivity to publish and perform modified songs themselves.
Strength Grade: 5
Weakness:
AGENCY: McCann
I could not find much from McCann on diversity and inclusion on their New York or Global website. Further, I found very few people of color on their New York or Global leadership roster. They do participate and publish various studies stemming from truth, called the “Truth About Research,” many of which touch on the issues within the diversity and inclusion context. If you drilled down far enough you could find ways to get involved or learn more. That said, there was no call to action or way to learn more on the topic of diversity and inclusion at a top-level.
Once you take off your archeology gloves and take a rest from the deep excavation on their site, it’s clear that they are interested in doing great work for important causes. They need to do far better making it clear where they stand as an organization and how visitors to their site can take action on topics they believe in.
Weakness Level: 2.75.
CLIENT: MGM Resorts
It is clear how committed the MGM Resort corporation is to diversity and inclusion. You can easily find to what degree in their ABOUT section on their website with multiple ways to learn more and get involved.
Weakness Level: 0
Weakness Average: 1.375
Overall grade (Strength - Weakness) = 3.625
Agency Two: 180Heartbeats + JUNG v MATT
Client: Ben & Jerry's
“Unbreakable Rainbow”
Agency collaborators, 180Heartbeats + JUNG v MATT, partnered with Ben & Jerry's to design an innovative response to ongoing hate crimes against the LGBTQ community in Warsaw, Poland via the destruction of a rainbow sculpture that had been built and then burned down -- seven times.
Strength word: INNOVATIVE
This campaign is so unbelievably impressive to me. The final piece, an environmental work of art, designed to use water and light to reflect an unbreakable, fireproof, rainbow arch in the same location that the previous sculptures had been built and destroyed. Ben & Jerry's was on the ground to serve non-branded ice cream to onlookers and participants which speaks to their longstanding commitment to social and civic equality in a way that is: memorable, inspiring, and resilient.
Strength Grade: 5
Weakness:
AGENCY: 180heartbeat & JUNG + MATT
I found absolutely no information about diversity and inclusion on 180’s website. They don’t even express the overall culture of their organization in any way, just the work they’ve done and the awards they’ve one. Big missed opportunity here.
Weakness Level: 5
CLIENT: Ben & Jerry's
Ben & Jerry's has been a values-driven advocate for social justice and civil rights since its inception in 1978. They have advocated for LGBTQ equality, racial justice, peace, climate advocacy and much more. They do not hide or shy away from where they stand and are proud enough to name their products after causes that are dear to them and make it really easy to learn more and get involved. It’s a true shame the agency they work with isn’t more transparent or forthright in this area and especially odd given Ben & Jerry’s commitment to social justice across it’s mission and organization. I am guessing their unlikely parent company, Unilever, had a hand in agency selection.
Weakness Level: 0
Weakness Average: 2.5
Overall grade (Strength - Weakness) = 2.5
Agency Three: TBWA/Hakuhodo
Client: AIG Japan
“Pride Jersey”
AIG Japan, a globally recognized leader in insurance, partnered with TBWA/Hakuhodo to take on diversity and inclusion on two really challenging fronts: the culture of Japan, and the global sports industry.
Strength word: BRAVE
TBWA/Hakuhod developed a revolutionary approach to fabric design in which the end result was an innovative black fabric that when stretched revealed all the colors of the rainbow -- the symbol of strength and unity in the LGBTQ community known worldwide. Further they cleverly partnered with one of the most “macho” of sports and teams within that sport, the All Blacks rugby team from New Zealand. Creating a “Diversity is Strength” message across a global industry that has struggled to fully realize true diversity and inclusion that is sports when paired with the socio-cultural legacy that continues to dog inclusivity in Japan, this campaign is bold, brave, creative, clever, and strong - in both end product design, campaign messaging and leveraging heroes in sport as influencers.
Strength Grade: 5
Weakness:
AGENCY: TBWA/Hakuhodo
TBWA’s global site provides a visiter pretty quick entry to their values system and opportunities to learn more about what they believe in as well as ways to get involved. It could be a bit easier to navigate to, but with minimal effort, you can get right to the good stuff.
Weakness Level: .5
CLIENT: AIG Japan
AIG Japan has a robust offering of insights into how the organization (both regionally and globally) values and respects diversity and inclusion. They are members of the Ikuboss Corporate Alliance, an initiative born out of the nonprofit, Fathering Japan that teaches counter cultural approaches to parenting for fathers in Japan as well as supporting women in the workplace and leadership among many others. They do not, however, offer a way to take action on any of their declared causes, which is a missed opportunity.
Weakness Level: 1.5
Weakness Average: 1
Overall grade (Strength - Weakness) = 4 - THE WINNER!
IN SUMMARY
It matters not only who you are, how you represent yourself, but also what you believe in, how you support what you believe in and make that known as well as if not as important who you partner with to make that stand out.
REFERENCE
Design Indaba, (2015) Michael Bierut on how to think like a designer. https://youtu.be/eDXonHctFjM.
Design Indaba, (2013) Marian Bantjes & Jessica Hische on becoming (and staying) successful. https://youtu.be/jmOPjmJgOs4.