The holidays are a very hectic season, but fortunately the ADC 104th Annual Awards isn’t here to add to your end-of-year anxieties. That’s because the long-running celebration of design and craft doesn’t have its first money-saving deadline until the end of January. Not only does that mean you can relax a bit while still paying the lowest entry fees of the awards season, you’ll also have time to submit all of the incredible holiday-themed work that you’re putting out into the world right now!
While you think about which projects you’ll be submitting before January 31, let’s take a look at some of the seasonal ones that stood out last year. We don’t know what Santa thought of them all, but the jury certainly put these on the “nice” list.
’Tis the season for ads that get you right in the feels, and it didn’t get much more fuzzy-feeling last year than, well, “Fuzzy Feelings” by TBWA\Media Arts Lab for Apple. This stunning spot brought together incredible stop-motion animation and a charming narrative, all while demonstrating just what creative delights can be brought to life with their products.
We know that the song calls for “five golden rings,” but “Fuzzy Feelings” did one better, winning six Gold Cubes… and a Silver Cube in a pear tree.
Of course, not every holiday-themed ad needs to be tugging at the heartstrings. Hamburg-based Grabarz & Partner took aim at the funny bone last year with “X-Mas Hangover,” conjuring up Christmas party regrets for Burger King.
And going for funny was right on the money; “X-Mas Hangover” earned Grabarz & Partner two Silver Cubes, one of them for Use of Humor in Storytelling.
The holidays are also optimal times for supporting worthy initiatives, and Google stepped up big time, as they continued their annual showcase of Black-owned businesses with “Black-Owned Friday 2023.” Last year’s campaign centerpiece was a shoppable Keke Palmer music video that served as an anthem that business owners could use in their own marketing.
“Black-Owned Friday 2023” won a Silver Cube and a Bronze Cube at ADC103. Will the 2024 iteration of the campaign launched a few weeks ago do even better? We can’t wait to see!
Now just because you can take your time this holiday season doesn’t mean that the ADC Team will be doing the same. They’re busy assembling an eye-popping jury to be announced in the new year, as well as helping anyone looking to submit entries before Q4 draws to a close. So even if you do decide to submit your work before Santa arrives, rest assured you’ll be in good hands.
Just be sure to leave out some milk and cookies for the team.
