Note to Correspondents

New York Festivals, United Nations Department of Public Information Awards

for Public Service Advertising to Be Presented 12 June

 

Winning Ad Campaigns Address Women’s Empowerment, HIV/AIDS and Children’s Rights

Advertising agencies from Lebanon, Israel, and the United States, among others, will be honoured for public service advertising on Saturday, 12 June, when the UNDPI awards are presented at the New York Festivals 2010 International Advertising Awards at the Shanghai Theatre Academy in Shanghai, China.

Jointly sponsored by the United Nations Department of Public Information and the New York Festivals, the awards were established in 1990 to honour advertising that best exemplifies the ideals and goals of the United Nations.  This year’s panel of judges reviewed more than 70 television, radio and print submissions on United Nations-related themes such as human rights, gender issues and HIV/AIDS.  They then selected the top three to receive the UNDPI awards and seven other honourable mentions.

This year’s UNDPI Gold Award goes to Leo Burnett Lebanon for the integrated campaign, “Khede Kasra”, produced for The Hariri Foundation, on the subject of women’s empowerment.  The agency addressed an imbalance in gender roles in Lebanese society by turning the “kasra” accent in the Arabic language into a symbolic sign of female empowerment.

The Silver Award goes to Shalmor Avnon Acmichar Y&R Interactive Tel Aviv, Israel, for “SDIA Project”, a social campaign that turned content into advertising by releasing a song and video clip on World Aids Day that got teens to talk about AIDS again.

The Bronze Award goes to Euro RSCG of the United States for “JPA” (Juvenile Protection Association) — a print campaign which successfully exposes, through the use of powerful graphics, verbal abuse against children, the most common form of child abuse.

In addition, the United Nations recognizes the following finalists:  Saatchi & Saatchi GmbH Germany; Leo Burnett England; Scholz & Friends Germany; Air Belgium, Y&R South Africa; and Euro RSCG Switzerland.

The New York Festivals, founded in 1957, oversees 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.  Award winners are featured at newyorkfestivals.com and are promoted by a network of partners and representatives in 84 countries around the world.

For more information, please contact Joanna Piucci at e-mail:  piucci@un.org or tel.:  +1 212 963 7346 or Daniela Sinobad at e-mail:  sinobad@un.org or tel.:  +1 212 963 3873.

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For information media • not an official record