Leading multicultural agency Burrell Communications Group has earned top industry honors from the American Advertising Federation – a Gold National “ADDY” for the Comcast/NBC Universal digital campaign, “Visions of King.” Launched to celebrate Martin Luther King Day, the VisionsOfKing.com platform featured an interactive digital mosaic of the legendary civil rights leader constructed with thousands of inspirational photos, videos, and artwork submitted from consumers around the globe.
“We are thrilled to have received one of the industry’s most prestigious awards,” says Lewis Williams, executive vice president/chief creative officer, Burrell Communications Group. “As the marketing and communications environment continues to shift, Burrell remains committed to creating groundbreaking and culturally relevant work for its clients. Most importantly, the ADDY recognition is further evidence of our growing strength in digital.” As one of the industry’s largest creative competitions, a National Gold ADDY is awarded to the highest level of artistic excellence and is only achieved after winning local and regional competitions. This year’s 2020 American Advertising Awards had more than 40,000 entries during the beginning of the three-tier competition.
In addition to the 2020 American Advertising Awards announcement, the winners of the Publicis Groupe’s inaugural Cannes-Do Awards were revealed this past Friday. Burrell Communications Group earned 3rd place for its deeply moving PSA campaign, “For Jason,” which was created under the agency’s signature community engagement platform, Black is Human. “For Jason” honors Detroit transit worker Jason Hargrove, who died in late March from COVID-19 complications following a now-viral social media plea for public safety. The campaign’s goal was to raise awareness of the ongoing severity of COVID-19, especially within the African American community, as well as provide streamlined access to critical and relevant information via the Black is Human webpage.
For more information on the Black is Human initiative, please visit: www.blackishuman.com
Publicis Groupe’s first-ever Cannes-Do Awards featured 1,400 campaigns submitted globally from 400 agencies, 60 countries, and 110 cities. An expert jury of 25 creative curators across Publicis Groupe agencies narrowed the submissions down to 40, further solidifying the impact of the “For Jason” PSA campaign among industry peers.
“For almost 49 years, Burrell Communications Group has sought to authentically address the African American community through storytelling and innovative campaign work,” adds Fay Ferguson, co-CEO, Burrell Communications Group. “As industry leaders, our vision – and voice – must resonate as we, as well as our clients, navigate through these difficult times.”
ABOUT BURRELL COMMUNICATIONS GROUP
Celebrating nearly 50 years of best-in-class transcultural communications, Burrell Communications Group is the largest U.S. agency specializing in communications to diverse audiences. The agency is known for its strategic thought-leadership and creativity. The foundation of its success lies in uncovering rich insights and a deep understanding of the Black community. Current clients include McDonald’s U.S.A., Toyota Motors North America, Walmart, Comcast, AARP, Procter and Gamble, and more.
