Recognition

AKQA’s best-ever showing at coveted D&AD awards, winning 12 at this year’s ceremony

27 May 2021
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A jury of over 400 creative professionals selected 22 entries for shortlist, with 12 of these ultimately winning a coveted D&AD pencil, in AKQA’s most successful year at the awards.

International AKQA projects have won two Yellow, five Graphite and five Wood D&AD pencils. Grey were also awarded one Graphite, four Wood and one Next pencil. These have been won across the Digital, Physical, Art Direction, Entertainment and Impact categories. The D&AD awards celebrate the best of creative excellence in design and advertising and are one of the most respected awards in the industry.

Chief Creative Officer Hugo Veiga said: “In the year where the future stood uncertain like never before, we’re proud to see how our teams harnessed the power of creativity to create a more empathic, sustainable, inclusive or simply more lighter and fun future.”

Yellow pencil

Netflix, One Story Away

The shortest distance between two people is a story. They are a window into someone else’s world, where for an hour or two, you can walk in their shoes and see life in a completely different way. For Netflix’s first ever brand campaign, AKQA created One Story Away, a global celebration of the power of stories set across 27 countries.

To show the perception-shifting power of storytelling while also keeping a consistent visual approach, we turned the iconic Netflix playbar into a timeline that represents all that you learn, feel, and experience during a story. The work ran in 27 countries with flagship placements including New York’s Times Square, Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing, London’s Piccadilly Circus, and Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip.

The work was also awarded two Graphite pencils for Art Direction, Outdoor and Press & Outdoor, Poster Campaigns.

A collage of four Netflix show scenes: Roma (housekeeper and woman, labeled ignored/adored), Money Heist (robbers in red suits, robbery/revolution), Orange Is the New Black (woman inmate, inmate/mom), and Stranger Things (kids on bikes, super nerds/superheroes). Netflix branding and the tagline we’re only one story away appear on each image.

Yellow pencil

The Blue Light Movement, Blue Light

The Blue Light Movement emerged during the pandemic, as the number of violent cases against women rose. The poem was inspired by real testimonials and is interpreted by a peripheral Brazilian poet Luz Ribeiro, who brought her personal experience to the short story.

The film was hand painted by artist Pegge using watery elements to represent liquids that walk hand in hand with domestic violence issues: alcohol and tears. The Blue Light Movement was created to shine a light on this invisible part of society.

Our deepest respect for the teams that were recognised across eight studios from four different continents.
- Peter Lund, AKQA Chief Creative Officer

Graphite pencil

H&M, Looop

Through Looop, H&M is on a mission to bring circularity into the heart of the retail experience. To echo a fashion atelier and celebrate the craft and process at the core of the Looop technology. A striking yarn installation acts as a way finder to guide customers into the space, where Looop is housed in a giant glass box designed by Universal Design Studio.

The work was also awarded a Wood pencil in the Direct, Innovation category.

Graphite pencil

Nike, Air Max Cloud

When sneakerheads were in lockdown, we unlocked the up transforming windows into a Nike shop. People access nike.com, point their phones to the sky and find virtual cloud versions of Air Max 90 and 2090. These digital folders allowed sneakerheads to buy the drops and watch product demos in the form of new music videos from Brazilian rap icon Djonga, and funk superstars Mc Soffia and NGKS. This project turned air into a safe and interactive medium for creativity and an ongoing platform for digital Air Max drops.

Graphite pencil

Beck’s, Frequency

Studies from Harvard and Oxford prove that high frequencies make our taste sweeter while low frequencies make it more bitter. To get people to taste the difference between Beck’s bitter flavour and other beer brands, we asked people to try Beck’s by drinking the competition while listening to the Beck’s Frequency, a low 73Hz frequency designed to make beer taste more bitter. Through a digital experience at becksfrequency.com people could hear tracks mixed by top DJs and change the taste of beer.

A person stands in front of three large digital screens displaying abstract red and white textile patterns in a modern, well-lit gallery or exhibition space.
A fluffy cloud shaped like a Nike Air Max shoe floats in a pink sky, viewed through a smartphone screen. Text reads Air Max Cloud, Nike Sportswear, 2020 with cloud and Nike logo graphics.
A can of Beck’s beer is centered on a dark background with green soundwave graphics. Text above a red line reads Less Bitter Frequency on the left and More Bitter Frequency on the right. A music player interface is at the bottom.

Wood pencils

Code of Conscience

Code of Conscience uses open-source mapping data from the United Nations World Database on Protected Areas – updated monthly by NGOs, communities and governments – in conjunction with existing GPS tracking technology that’s installed in construction vehicles, to autonomously restrict deforestation crews from entering protected zones. A small, low-cost chip has been developed to equip the code into older, non-GPS models, and the software is available for free to everyone on CodeofConscience.orgCode of Conscience uses open-source mapping data from the United Nations World Database on Protected Areas – updated monthly by NGOs, communities and governments – in conjunction with existing GPS tracking technology that’s installed in construction vehicles, to autonomously restrict deforestation crews from entering protected zones. A small, low-cost chip has been developed to equip the code into older, non-GPS models, and the software is available for free to everyone on CodeofConscience.org

Deezer, Silence

The one-minute film was created for the release of rapper Emicida’s album AmarElo. Entitled Silêncio , the track translates music into an audio-visual language. The sound was based on Schumann Resonance (SR), a common frequency to all living beings that sparks a collective state of mind. Silence was a song created to inspire reflection. Emicida’s album represents a new moment, seeking reconciliation and connection; silence enables clarity of ideas. Available only on Deezer, all streaming income from the track will be donated to the Socio Ambiental Institute, supporting traditional communities in Brazil.The one-minute film was created for the release of rapper Emicida’s album AmarElo. Entitled Silêncio , the track translates music into an audio-visual language. The sound was based on Schumann Resonance (SR), a common frequency to all living beings that sparks a collective state of mind. Silence was a song created to inspire reflection. Emicida’s album represents a new moment, seeking reconciliation and connection; silence enables clarity of ideas. Available only on Deezer, all streaming income from the track will be donated to the Socio Ambiental Institute, supporting traditional communities in Brazil.

Olafur Eliasson, Earth Speakr

Commissioned to commemorate the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the work illuminates the unified reality of a shared future regardless of language or latitude. Earth Speakr gives a voice to both kids and the planet, inviting today’s decision-makers and global leaders to listen. The work enables kids to personify objects and leave messages in the world using their facial expression via the free app. Adults can view the messages in AR, as well as place collections anywhere in the world.Commissioned to commemorate the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the work illuminates the unified reality of a shared future regardless of language or latitude. Earth Speakr gives a voice to both kids and the planet, inviting today’s decision-makers and global leaders to listen. The work enables kids to personify objects and leave messages in the world using their facial expression via the free app. Adults can view the messages in AR, as well as place collections anywhere in the world.

Nike, Air Max Create

Nike Japan released a collaborative AR colouring zine filled with UGC, allowing sneaker lovers to make their own unique mark on Air Max through an exclusive content experience; Nike Air Max Create . By scanning a black and white colouring book outline of the new shoe silhouettes, users can customise their Air Max in the air, in real-time. An AR model of each shoe hovers above the page, rendered live as the user colours the physical zine pages.Nike Japan released a collaborative AR colouring zine filled with UGC, allowing sneaker lovers to make their own unique mark on Air Max through an exclusive content experience; Nike Air Max Create . By scanning a black and white colouring book outline of the new shoe silhouettes, users can customise their Air Max in the air, in real-time. An AR model of each shoe hovers above the page, rendered live as the user colours the physical zine pages.

An elderly Indigenous woman with a large lip plate and traditional jewelry stands behind a table displaying six animal-shaped wooden sculptures, set against a lush green background.
A person with long dark hair and blue eye makeup stands with arms crossed on a boat deck, with colorful lights and people in the background.
A split image: the left half shows a smiling young person with curly hair and crossed eyes, while the right half shows the Earth with a cartoon face, also crossing its eyes.
An open booklet shows instructions on the left page, titled “Create Your Air Max in AR,” with sketches, text, and QR codes. The right page displays a line drawing of a Nike Air Max shoe with additional QR codes and small text.

Related Work

one story away home2

One Story Away ↘

Netflix

Looop hero

Let’s Remake ↘

H&M

nike create with air max-hero

Lift Off With Air Max ↘

Nike

Code of Conscience Hero (no animals)

Code of Conscience ↘

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