Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts

Lauren here! I hope everyone was able to take a look at The Communicator Awards’ 2024 ‘Scope of Work’ Report, which the AIVA team was very proud to publish this week. For those who don’t know, the report was a result of a comprehensive survey of our Jurors on the state of careers and the workforce in the industries covered by our awards (marketing, Comms, creativity). I’m also hopeful that some of you found yourselves here as a result of our teaser for our new weekly roles initiative, which will take place right here. Buuuuuuuuut, you’ll have to wait a touch longer on that front (just a few business days!). For now, it’s just me and my usual talking points! This week’s points brought to you by 🎶 ”... special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun”🎶 : - I’ve been holding on to this one for over a week… McDonald's has brought the very limited and special CHICKEN BIG MAC to US soil. After a massive response to this stunt sandwich in the UK, people in the US are anxious to try it out. The reviews are pretty solid so far and the PR behind it is amazing. They even snagged a Sphere takeover and a partnership with Kai Cenat! - To go with that CBM, here are two big beverage points: 1. Mountain Dew (note: not Mtn Dew), has rebranded! Designed by the in-house PepsiCo creative team, the new feel is more nature-focused and energized and a little less in-your-face extreme than the last direction. 2. Also I didn’t know that #SoberOctober was a thing, but Packaging Digest took a look at Non-Alcoholic beer can designs to celebrate. Interestingly enough, most of these also lean into Mountains and Streams and Nature…hmmm. AB InBev, Michelob and Corona cans are all featured. - I LOVE this headline: “Ford Motor Company and VML introduce game-changing seatbelt solution for mastectomy patients. Featuring real-life testimonials and expert insights, the ‘For Her Journey’ campaign illustrates how the innovative SupportBelt alleviates discomfort for breast cancer patients, enabling them to drive safely post-op” Apparently VML’s Creative Dir .herself is a breast cancer survivor who went through a mastectomy, so is informed by very personal insight into the challenges. Go see the full story on The Drum. - DTC Powerhouse and Podcast-ad stalwart, MeUndies, has launched a new integrated brand campaign (with new brand studio Unentitled Studio), called “Welcome to the Underworld”, which aims to get people to reexamine the role their underwear plays in their day-to-day, See more at ADWEEK (or @MeUndies cheeky IG feed). That's it for me this week. I can’t wait to see you right here  next week for the Weekly SOW! Keep your eye out for that and some other exciting announcements coming up very soon!

💼 At your company, what is your remote work policy? A lot of companies are implementing new return-to-office policies. For The Communicator Awards Jurors, the hybrid model is the most common work style. How do you think this will change? 💬 Want to discover the full 2024 "Scope of Work" Report? It is just here: https://vist.ly/3mihmzv. And don't forget the Communicator Awards Early Entry Deadline is November 8th!

📢 Our world is changing, and so is the professional landscape for marketing, communications, and creativity. There has been a worldwide pandemic, economic ups and downs, political movements and advancement in tech. To that end, The Communicator Awards’ inaugural 2024 “Scope of Work” Report seeks to gauge the impact of these shifts to our professional lives through a comprehensive survey of the members of the Communicator Awards' jury. Download the report at the link here to discover how the expert jurors are navigating the challenging market and how they might connect you to your next career move: https://vist.ly/3mifadg

Happy w3 Awards Winner’s Week! The AIVA team has been working diligently to set up content to properly honor & showcase our winners. We don’t really have a say on the scores, so each season, our team members pick out their own personal favorites. I want to make sure that they get to shine here (the faves &  my teammates), so without further ado: ➡️ Lauren’s Picks: I cheated & picked 1 extra, but these are my talking points & I can do what I please! - Vitiligo Product Animation by Random42 Scientific Communication - Go for amazing animation & stay to learn abt this wild syndrome (my husband has it) - Innovation Norway Website by Simpleview - The stunning visuals & dreamy UX make this pick very åpenbar (I’m basically Norwegian just from looking at this site) - Crayola Adventures by Red Games Co. - I’ve always deeply loved Crayola & any game that fuels creativity is great with me. I’m an unrepentant color-snob, which I attribute at least partially to my box of crayola crayons (RIP Raw Umber) - Coke AI Studio by Tool of North America - perhaps another obvs choice given my background in music experiential, but this is next-level fun for fans ➡️ Josh is the AIVA’s content producer & is behind every stitch of evidence of our awards out in the world. So his picks should be flattered: - SASAICHI SAKE BREWERY – The Way of Kannagara by SPROUT inc - Josh lived in Japan & spent a lot of time in Yamanashi Prefecture. “This video completely captures that essence& presents a raw look into how sake brewers dedicate their lives to crafting the drink.” - Yosemite Website by Noble Studios - Peridot by Battenhall ➡️ Kari is our Jury Producer, so she’s closer to judging &  scoring than the rest of us. W so much to wrangle, you know that her stand-outs must be good: - Cartier Love Collection by BORN: “Whoever said money can’t buy happiness clearly hasn’t seen BORN Group’s stunning website for The Cartier Love Collection. If Santa’s taking notes, I’ll happily accept the Love Bracelet in white gold.” - A Question of Care Podcast: Kari would know that this podcast scored VERY highly with our jurors. ➡️ Aurore is our new Social Media Mgr & I’m keen to get her fresh perspective on the winners. She came here from Paris, so you know she has great taste: - Hope & Healing by WVPBS - “I find this campaign impactful because it addresses taboo subjects with authenticity, helping break the silence around mental health & addiction, which are national issues. By sharing these stories, it humanizes the statistics & makes global issues relatable on an individual level.” - A Family Denied by What Is Productions - This is another one that CRUSHED with the jurors. I’m also suspecting that Aurore may be our resident activist. - Celebrate the Unexpected by Sparkloft Media - ahhhh HERE’S that “French Girl Style” that I’ll never attain. This fun Marketing Campaign earns those fleurs. Check out the projects of all of the wonderful w3 Awards honorees in our winners’ gallery at w3award.com!

🎉 Congratulations again to all of the Winners this season! After reviewing entries, some of the AIVA jurors shared their thoughts, judging experience and the creative projects that left a lasting impression. Take a look at what Matt Dean, Jiayuan Wang, and Adam Romano had to say! To learn more about the AIVA or how to become a Juror: https://vist.ly/3mhztqe

In our LinkedIn live series, AIVA Live: In Session, Managing Director, Lauren Angeloni, gives a glimpse behind the massive effort and heart put into evaluating the creative projects submitted into the AIVA awards season after season. Join us to learn more about the lives and careers of our expert jurors and get some award-winning advice along the way. AIVA Managing Director Lauren Angeloni will be joined by the Creative Director and Editor, Martin Bihl. Born on an island off the coast of America, Martin is the third generation in his family to work in advertising. He has created campaigns and creative across a staggering number of client categories – from banks to beers to B2B and beyond - and marketing channels – from traditional print/tv/radio to guerilla to digital to sales promotion to event to things-that-don’t-have-a-name-yet.

Our new series, Champions’ Circle, explores how some of the most honored Communicator Award winners connect us to information, ideas, products, experiences and beyond. NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration TV’s award-winning docuseries ‘The Color of Space’ supports NASA’s mission to connect people to hard-to-reach experiences and opportunities. 🎥🚀 Looking ahead, Jori Kates, Senior Producer and Director for Special Projects and Live Events at NASA TV and NASA’s new streaming platform NASA+, is thrilled about NASA’s future missions: the Artemis II launch, the Europa Clipper mission... NASA continues to push boundaries while ensuring diverse representation in space exploration. 🧑🏿🚀 Discover the full ITW: https://bit.ly/3MRZDW5

Exciting news: the Winners of the 19th w3 Awards are finally here! 🏆 The creativity, quality, and spectrum of work witnessed this year were truly inspiring. Be sure to check out all of the Best in Show Winners, including AARP, Raw Materials, ŌURA, GoodRx, Paramount, SVA Masters in Branding, Work & Co, EverGame Media and more! Explore all the winning digital creators in the w3 Awards Winners Gallery: https://vist.ly/3mhuizm

"The most fascinating stories, the best quotes, and the truly inspiring moments can come from anyone and anywhere." 🎭✨ For 45 years, American Theatre Wing has showcased the heart and soul of theatre thanks to its award-winning documentary series Working in the Theatre. Discover how their team keeps the series fresh season after season. It's no wonder the show took home a Communicator Award of Excellence. Read the full story: https://vist.ly/3mhs3uz 📸: Stephanie Berger

Hi, Lauren here, with the Communicator Awards a week in and just warming up. There are some exciting community resources we’re going to be launching in the coming weeks, many around MarComm careers, and you KNOW that is going to be useful in this wild time for so many. Speaking of… the NYC mayor may soon need to avail himself of these services. What a mess! But let’s focus on the positive… IT’S FALL! October is easily my  favorite month in NYC and it’s about to get spooky. This week’s talking points brought to you by Trick-or-Treating in the rich neighborhoods: - A clever campaign from Sour Patch Kids (a Mondelēz International brand) ties together candy and helping Gen Z navigate the workforce. From Marketing Dive: “Sour Patch Kids, known for advertising where its mischievous gummies wreak havoc, takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to helping Gen Z jump into the workforce with its Sour Translator. The application converts corporate chatter, including veiled passive-aggressive messages, into plain terms.” Go to sourtranslator.com to check out the good work done by the agency VML. - The Washington Post reports on public libraries getting into spooky season by loaning out ghost hunting kits, which are flying off the shelves! The kits feature special spirit-detecting electronic and electromagnetic tools and have had great results in driving library card applications. They seem to be on neverending hold… kind of like ghosts. Enter your marketing activations: Eager Free Public Library, Coventry and Clark County Public Libraries! - Autumn brings nostalgia, so here’s a blast from my past: The Onion! The spoofy pub is reviving its print version, which was a staple way back when I was in college. I mourned the shift to digital and am happy to see it back, but… the pricey membership? As told to Marketing Brew by parent, Global Tetrahedron, the pub isn’t changing its TikTok presence, but is excited to be able to pull from their print archives and go back to the Onion’s goofy DNA. - We love branded content and see a lot of entries from the medical field. So, I’m very excited to see the level-up from Northwell Health as they launch their own in-house movie studio, Northwell Studios, “to humanize health care and spark meaningful social conversations. To help advance this mission, Northwell Studios has entered a new development deal with award-winning television production company, CreativeChaos vmg, to develop and co-produce both scripted and unscripted films.” - A tech-y round up: Lots of news this week about early peeks at PlayStation’s new PS5 Pro Console and how games are harnessing the performance mode, geared toward pro gamers. There's also an advanced visual mode for those who are in it for the aesthetics. ION, Meta unveiled their new holographic AR glasses, Orion, which they have been working on for a decade. It’s only available to developers atm. I know… we’ve been here before, but the word is that this mixed-reality experience is stunning.