VMLY&R announced today that the agency has won the Global Agency Network of the Year at the New York Festivals International Advertising Awards. VMLY&R was also named Regional Network of the Year in APAC and North America.
“I’m so proud of the teams and the effort that has gone into all this amazing work over the past year. Earning 2022 Global Agency Network of the Year and Regional Agency of the Year for both North America and APAC from the New York Festivals is absolutely the icing on the cake,” said Debbi Vandeven, Global Chief Creative Officer at VMLY&R. “It takes passion and drive, and teams trusting and pushing each other. It also takes brave clients — I’m happy we work with so many and thank them because they share these honors with us, too.”
VMLY&R’s New York office continued to take home awards for the global award-winning campaign “I Will Always Be Me,” which the agency created on behalf of their clients Dell Technologies and Intel, in partnership with Rolls-Royce and the MND Association. This campaign is a first-of-its-kind book for people living with motor neurone disease (MND) because it banks their voices as they read aloud. In addition, the New York City office took numerous awards for their groundbreaking work for the New York mayor in the “New York Says Gay” campaign, which denounces Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. VMLY&R is behind this year’s most purposeful, driven campaigns.
The agency network swept at this year’s festival, bringing home wins in the following categories:
- 4 Grand — For Dell/Intel/Rolls-Royce/MND Association “I Will Always Be Me” and Berlin Cameron’s work with Under Armour “The First Meta Sneaker”
- 9 Gold — Maxx Flash “The Killer Pack,” “Smart Fill” with VMLY&R COMMERCE, For Johanniter for “Anti Look” the life-saving QR design with Scholz & Friends; Dell/Intel/Rolls-Royce/MND Association “I Will Always Be Me,” Wendy’s “National Roast Day,” New York Office of the Mayor “NYC Says Gay,” Unilever, “Anti Look” the life-saving QR design with Scholz & Friends
- 8 Silver — “Young Sachin,” “The Killer Pack,”, Johanniter for “Anti Look” the life-saving QR design with Scholz & Friends, “McDelivery Doorbell” with Scholz & Friends, “Preserving the Glaciers: The Card Cover” with Berlin Cameron, New York Office of the Mayor “NYC Says Gay,” Wendy’s “Boomberbook,” and Dell/Intel/Rolls-Royce/MND Association “I Will Always Be Me”
“NYF has set out to award that #NYMADE-type of brand work that is strong, bold and will endure, like the city itself,” said Scott Rose, Executive Director, New York Festivals Advertising Awards. “VMLY&R this year with their work catalyzed some of the most interesting discussions in the jury room, and their medal count shows it. From the emotional power and ingenuity of ‘I Will Always Be Me,’ to the groundbreaking ‘The First Metaverse Sneaker,’ which was described as trailblazing for Web3, to the Wendy’s work, which year-after-year is funny and strong, VMLY&R showcased great work done for brands in 2022 NYFA. And let’s not forget “New York Says Gay” winning the New York City Award. VMLY&R is NY MADE in 2022.”
Chosen out of entries submitted from 60 countries, the 2022 Grand Jury, composed of 400-plus industry innovators from 65 countries, determined the shortlist. Shortlisted entries were judged by the 2022 Executive Jury led by Jury President and BCW Global Chief Creative Officer Fede Garcia. The Executive Jury sessions included the return of a Live EJ in NYC and multiple digital juries all populated with industry leaders.
