PUBLIC SERVICE ADVERTISING AWARDS TO BE PRESENTED ON 27 SEPTEMBER

AT ANGEL ORENSANZ ART FOUNDATION

 

Work on Water, Racism, Protection of Oceans to be Honoured

Advertising agencies from Switzerland and Australia will be honoured for public service advertising today, 27 September, when the United Nations Department of Public Information Awards are presented at the International TV, Cinema and Radio Advertising Awards Ceremony at Angel Orensanz Art Foundation in New York City.  Ramu Damodaran, Chief, Civil Service Section, Outreach Division, Department of Public Information, will present gold, silver and bronze award plaques, in addition to seven finalists’ awards.

Jointly sponsored by the United Nations Department of Public Information and the New York Festivals, the Awards pay tribute to outstanding public service advertising that exemplifies the ideals, goals and concerns of the United Nations.  Entries are submitted by advertising companies all over the world.

This year’s panel of judges reviewed a wide range of work dealing with such United Nations topics as protection of refugees, landmines, the fight against drugs, domestic violence and sex trafficking.  The Department of Public Information panel of judges selected three exceptional entries to receive the Awards.

Winning the prestigious gold plaque was Spillmann/Felser/Leo Burnett for their television advertising entry for Helvetas, entitled Water.  The piece opens on a small, African village with people going about their daily life, taking a shower, cooking and watering plants.  But there is no water in the commercial; the actors merely simulate the presence of water.  Underscoring the lack, the voice of the announcer declares: “Everyone deserves to have a clean supply of water”.

The silver plaque will be presented to Eight Commercials of Australia for their human rights television campaign Skincare.  The award-winning commercial shows an attractive young female applying what looks to be skin cream to her face.  The more she applies, the more her face breaks out in a terrible rash, almost as if her skin was rotting.  Her teeth also begin to decay.  A soft voice says: “Racism: the more you apply it, the uglier you become”.  This ad was in support of the annual United Nations observance of a Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling Against Racism and Racial Discrimination, 21-28 March.

The bronze plaque is to be awarded to Lowe AG for their print advertisement for Greenpeace, entitled Ocean Warriors, which shows a school of exotic fish at the bottom of a very deep blue ocean, with a banner reading: “Our Oceans Need More Protection”.

Seven finalists will also be recognized by the United Nations:  Duval Guillaume, Belgium; Euro RSCG Beker, Mexico; Savaglio TBWA, Argentina; Walker Werbeagentur, Switzerland; Oricom, Republic of Korea; DDB, Canada; and McCann-Erickson, Spain.

The New York Festivals, founded in 1957, oversee six international awards competitions in film and video, television programming and promotions, radio programming and promotions, television and radio advertising, design and print advertising, and interactive media.  The Manhattan-based company has representation in 62 countries and is the third largest awards organization in the world.

For information, please contact Dawn Johnston-Britton at 212 963 6984; Johnston-britton@un.org.

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For information media • not an official record