D&AD And Unilever Announce A Long Term Strategic Partnership And The Launch Of A New Award: The White Pencil

LONDON, April 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

D&AD, the world's leading body for the creative industries and Unilever, one of the world's largest consumer goods companies, are today announcing a major long term partnership. As a first embodiment of this new collaboration, Unilever has pledged to support The White Pencil, an award designed to celebrate an idea that will change the world for the better. This investment will help fund a programme of educational activities to get people talking, joining in and taking action to really make a difference.

The White Pencil is the first new award in D&AD's fifty year history. A D&AD Award, traditionally given as a black or yellow pencil, is considered the Oscar of the international design and advertising industries. The White Pencil builds on this tradition of rewarding excellence by driving the talent and skill of the world's creative community into an idea that will improve people's lives.

The White Pencil will be awarded annually to an idea that has been executed and demonstrated its ability to influence real and positive change. The first White Pencil will be awarded in November 2012 as part of D&AD's 50 ^th Birthday celebrations.

Unilever and D&AD are encouraging the international creative community to share their skills by participating in the inaugural White Pencil brief.

http://www.dandad.org/dandad/white-pencil

Marc Mathieu, SVP Marketing, Unilever, said: "On our mission to make sustainable living commonplace, our brands and our marketing have a great responsibility to inspire and stimulate positive change to people's lives. To achieve this, we fundamentally believe in the power of creativity, and so it's crucial that we work with the best creative minds in the world to help us. The challenge we have set ourselves is hugely ambitious; it's going to be far from easy. It will constantly require fresh perspectives, innovative thinking and a passion for believing in the almost-impossible. That's why our new long term partnership with D&AD and the White Pencil is so exciting, because it's these qualities that are inherent within the creative community, and these qualities that will be instrumental in helping us deliver on our sustainable growth agenda."

Tim Lindsay CEO D&AD said: 'D&AD and Unilever share the belief that marketing has the power to change the world. The White Pencil will reward an innovative idea that changes the way we behave for the better. The best brand propositions are built around real consumer needs, and the people who develop them are craftspeople of great skill. I can't think of anything we need more than a change towards safer, more sustainable lifestyles. And the best people to help us do that are the designers and advertising creatives who shape our behaviour on a daily basis.'

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