The 13th Annual ADCOLOR Awards Judging
By Taylor Reeves and Brandon Lee Heard, 2018 ADCOLOR FUTURES Alum

And not a single moment was wasted identifying the next wave of individuals and organizations that Rise Up, Reach Back, and #TakeAStand.

At ADCOLOR, we believe that the world is stagnant with sameness. That’s why we want people to be different and true to who they are. To go beyond labels and shine as individuals with unique perspectives and personalities. We want companies to recognize these different people not as quotas, but as assets who bring innovative, fresh and brilliant ideas to every business; thus, breaking down social, cultural, and economic barriers and lifting up humanity.

With hundreds of applicants applying to an array of awards categories, it was a must to have diverse judges from all over reviewing the work and story submissions we saw that day. From creative, marketing, tech and entertainment industries – 45 judges across the country got together and devoted hours selecting and recognizing the future.

Team ADCOLOR at work. L to R: Christena Pyle, Criseli Saenz and Michelle Almeida. Photography courtesy of ADCOLOR.

So how did it all happen?

The day was broken out into four main sections. A welcome from ADCOLOR and Microsoft, Nomination Review, Deliberation, and Final Selections. Jurors divided and conquered. They were placed into separate rooms in order to focus and dedicate their time to a specific award category.

For a nominee to be selected, they must clearly demonstrate how they have gone above and beyond in their career, in addition to how they have gone out of their way to help others. All of this, in culmination with their passion for change, makes them perfect candidates for their prospective categories.

It was fascinating to see how engaged the judges were while deliberating. It wasn’t long before they were up on their feet, writing on boards, and identifying recognizable measures of success from candidates’ work.

“Every year the bar is being raised. We’re not only looking
at what the work is, but how the work and individual impacted
lives, communities, and organizations.”
– Juror, Rising Star Award

You can read the awards categories in detail here.

Our wonderful judges. L to R: Jason Li from Instagram, Mauricio Orantes from Microsoft, Chris Northam from R/GA, Andy Deaza from BBDO and Rich Tu from MTV. Photography courtesy of ADCOLOR.

Leveraging this year’s theme #TakeAStand

Throughout the Summit, we saw #TakeAStand come to life in both words and actions as we engaged with the judges. Conversations around social change, authenticity, and individuality circled around the room as they reviewed the nominees. It was keen that these nominees embodied the notion of standing up for what is both just and in alignment with their beliefs. Not only were they showcasing the effectiveness of large-scale impact, but the power of small actions as well.

“Taking a stand is where the change is made, specifically
in times of adversity. If you want to see real change, you have to
recognize those that are making the small change.”
– Juror, Change Agent Award

More often than not, people find themselves depending on large quantities of energy, bodies, and resources to make change and impact those around them. But as we know, our smallest actions and gestures can engender a huge impact.

The Rockstar Jury. L to R: Erika Bennett from YouTube, Felicia Geiger from Troika/Mission Group, Carl Desir from R/GA, Tawana Murphy Burnett from Facebook, Britt Hayes from DDB, Nidia Serrano from Pandora, Tiffany Edwards from Droga5 and Cavel Khan from VICE Media. Photography courtesy of ADCOLOR.

Well, what’s next?

ADCOLOR Live! on Facebook.

We will be announcing the nominees, honorees and FUTURES Rising Up and Reaching Back in their efforts to change the narrative of the industry and the world around us via Facebook Live on Monday, June 10, 2019.

Stay in the know. Follow @ADCOLOR on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram to stay up-to-date on all things leading up to ADCOLOR 2019

The Rising Star Jury. L to R: Lindsay Wagner from Ketchum, Priyanka Kanse from Airbnb, Jezz Chung from Anomaly, Robert Camilleri from Publicis Groupe, Latesha Williams-Flynn from Apple and Lauren Novak from BuzzFeed. Photography courtesy of ADCOLOR.

A thank you to the Jury and Presenting Sponsor
MICROSOFT, PRESENTING SPONSOR
Cesar Ruiz, CP McBee, Deepti Turlapati

13TH ANNUAL ADCOLOR AWARDS JURY
Andy Deaza – BBDO
Britt Hayes – DDB
Carl Desir – R/GA
Carla Eboli – Energy BBDO
Cavel Khan – VICE Media
Chris Northam – R/GA
Devin O’Loughlin – RAPP
Doug Melville – TBWA\ Worldwide
Erika Bennett – YouTube
Esther T. Franklin – Spark Foundry
Felicia Geiger Troika/Mission Group
Gina Grillo – The Advertising Club of NY
Jasmine Clennon, Facebook
Jason Dailey – Facebook
Jason Li – Instagram
Jeff Marshall – UM Worldwide
Jezzika Chung – Anomaly
Justin Reyes – Omnicom Media Group
Karla Mayers – BBDO New York
Keesha Jean-Baptiste – Hearst Magazines
Kim Getty – Deutsch
Latesha Williams-Flynn – Apple
Lauren Novak – BuzzFeed
Lindsay Wagner – Ketchum
Loren-Monroe Trice
Marc S. Strachan – ADCOLOR Board
Mark A. Zangrilli – MSLGROUP
Mary Nittolo – the STUDIO
Mauricio Orantes – Microsoft
Melanie Myers – Wieden+Kennedy
Nidia Serrano – Pandora
Preeti Patel – R/GA
Priyanka Kanse – Airbnb
Raquel Zarin – Ad Council
Rebecca Chin – Facebook
Renetta McCann – Leo Burnett
Rich Tu – MTV
Robert Camilleri – Publicis Groupe
Singleton Beato – McCann Worldgroup
Stephen J. Kim – Princeton University Art Museum
Susie Nam – Droga5
Tawana Murphy Burnett – Facebook
Tiffany Edwards – Droga5
Tiffany R. Warren – ADCOLOR | Omnicom Group
Vita Harris – FCB