Recognition
Awe, curiosity and wonder
AKQA has been announced as the inaugural Network of the Year Winner and People’s Choice Winner in the 2024 Creativepool Annual. This honourable achievement marks AKQA’s 82nd and 83rd Agency of the Year award since its founding, highlighting the unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries, creative prowess and visionary leadership over the decades.
Now entering its 11th year, the Creativepool Annual is a testament to creative excellence across a diverse spectrum, recognising the pinnacle of creative achievement. The AKQA family has also won two People’s Choice, Gold and Silver awards and three Bronze awards across AI, Animation, Application, B to B, Digital and Graphic categories.
As the Winner and People’s Choice Winner of Network of the Year, AKQA is celebrated for igniting progressive change through inspiring narratives. Notable recognition is also given to AKQA’s commitment to diversity through employee-led initiatives and educational endeavours, such as Future Lions, that aim to illuminate the vision of young people and their imaginative application of cutting-edge technologies.
Commenting on the win for AKQA, the Creativepool jury said: “Outstanding focus on employees and fostering an open and inclusive culture with a commitment to DE+I, as seen with their internal and external initiatives to support, mentor, nurture and give back to future leaders and the wider creative community. The results of this global focus are reflected in the accolades and metrics relating to workplace culture and employee engagement scores. This engagement and commitment clearly comes through in the work.”
Awe, curiosity and wonder are an invitation to explore — they are the combined forces that expand our minds, transform us and enrich our souls.
People’s Choice and Bronze, Application
Gold, Digital
ai.io, Talent, meet opportunity
Millions of young sporting talent never get a chance to achieve their potential due to a lack of opportunity. ai.io equips the world with game-changing knowledge by simplifying complex AI technology. The refreshed digital user interface accesses vast amounts of data, ensuring sport is democratised and no talent is undiscovered. The intuitive platform accelerated the growth of aiScout, opening the door for opportunities with some of the world’s leading clubs and organisations.
People’s Choice and Silver, Graphic
Gold, Animation
Bethesda Softworks, Starfield
As the studio’s first new franchise in over 25 years, Bethesda Softworks joined forces with AKQA to develop a comprehensive content campaign called The Settled Systems, introducing a taste of Starfield’s planets and cultures through three animated short films. Stories expanded on existing world lore, hinted at the adventures players could create on their journeys among the stars and Starfield’s depiction of humanity’s future in space.
AKQA also defined Starfield’s visual identity. A distinct brand spirit, inspired by the being “forever in adventure”, informs the art direction, logo, animation, key art and supporting materials. Connecting the work was a set of guiding principles that ensured all materials were scientifically inspired, grounded in warmth, unapologetically optimistic and ambitiously daring.
Silver, Artificial Intelligence
Fixmas, AKQA
Every holiday season, consumerism soars as people are drawn to the allure of the new and shiny at a significant cost to our wallets and the planet. By way of a festive antidote, AKQA celebrates rejuvenation with Fixmas, a digital platform featuring an intuitive AI assistant called Fixie. Powered by GPT 4.0, Fixie provides troubleshooting assistance and guides users through an array of repair processes that best suit their needs, prolonging the lives of their belongings and merrily reuniting with the spirit of sustainability.
Grey was also recognised in the Animation and B to B categories with two Bronze awards for the North American studios.
Bronze, B to B
Hoffman, Hoffman, Hoffman & Hoffman, PracticePanther
PracticePanther collaborated with Grey to star Rick Hoffman in their latest film. Lawyers Should Be Lawyering highlights their solutions that improve productivity, centralise management and streamline client communication. The narrative features Hoffman as a lawyer juggling multiple roles, emphasising the chaos without PracticePanther.
Bronze, Animation
A Beautiful Sight, Vabysmo
Nearly 20 million people in the United States live with wet age-related macular degeneration, a serious eye disease causing vision loss, primarily affecting older adults. To communicate the importance of vision and Vabysmo’s efficacy, a heart-felt film engages with viewers, emphasising that 95% of retina specialists would trust Vabysmo for their loved ones.
