D&AD has unveiled the Pencil winners for entries across the Advertising, Culture and Design categories, in the second round of Pencils for the 2020 D&AD Awards. 

371 Pencils have been awarded across the categories, with Apple, Africa, Mother London, Dentsu Inc., Droga 5 New York, INGO Stockholm/ David Miami/Publicis and Jung von Matt AG amongst the top ranking companies so far.  

Round 2 of the D&AD Awards was topped by 48 Yellow Pencils. Also bestowed were 91 Graphite and 232 Wood Pencils. The aforementioned INGO/Stockholm/David Miami/Publicis triumvirate scored five Yellow Pencils for Burger King’s “Moldy Whopper” campaign--one for Art Direction for Outdoor Advertising, two in PR for Integrated Campaign and Multi-Market Campaign and two in Press & Outdoor for Press Advertising and Press Posters campaign.

“Moldy Whopper” heralds Burger King’s decision to eliminate artificial colors, flavors and preservatives from its Whoppers (the preservative-free burgers are scheduled to be available throughout the U.S. by year’s end). The campaign, which includes a high-profile commercial, shows an appetizing burger being assembled and then left to rot for several weeks, decomposing via time lapse photography until it’s a mass of a mess with a layer of thick green mold, reflecting “The Beauty of No Artificial Preservatives.”

Among other multiple Yellow Pencil winners were:

• The Female Company’s “The Tampon Book: a book against tax discrimination” won three Yellow Pencils (Media: Use of Direct, PR: Public Affairs Campaign, Direct Product & Service) for Scholz & Friends, Berlin. “The Tampon Book” shines a light on a financially onerous policy in Germany where female sanitary products are classified as “luxury goods” and taxed at 19%. This is 12% more than the tax applied to caviar, truffles and even oil paintings. In response to this economic injustice, The Female Company, an online store selling female healthcare products, worked with Scholz & Friends to package 15 organic tampons inside a 46-page book, which was taxed at the lower 7% rate for daily necessities. In addition to the tampons, the book includes stories and illustrations about menstruation. The first printing of The Tampon Book sold out in a day, the second in a week.
• UNESCO’s “History Blocks” from agency Africa took three Yellow Pencils (Entertainment, Art Direction for Branded Apps & Games, Art Direction for In-Game Advertising). Whether as collateral damage or as direct targets of cultural cleansing, wars and armed conflicts are destroying historic monuments around the world. These historic places are now in danger of being left out of history. Some might never be reconstructed, and we may never be able to set foot in them again. With this in mind, this UNESCO initiative sets out to keep the legacies of these endangered and destroyed heritage sites alive by rebuilding them in Minecraft.
• Sandy Hook Promise’s “Back-to-School Essentials” out of BBDO New York, took a pair of Yellow Pencils (Social Commercial over 30 Seconds, Writing for Film Advertising). The PSA debuted as students prepared to return to school after the summer holidays of 2019 when the possibility of yet another school shooting was on everyone’s mind. At first “Back-to-School Essentials” appears to be a typical back-to-school ad. But things soon take a darker turn when it becomes clear that a shooter is active in the school, and the pupils have use their new school items to save their lives. The commercial closes by pointing out that the only back-to school essential is learning to spot the signs of a potential shooter.
• IKEA’s “Silence the Critics” garnered a couple of Yellow Pencils (TV Commercial 61-120 Seconds, Audio) from Mother London. This Xmas ad offers a wonderfully ridiculous take on the state of our homes over the holidays. The film shows a crew of everyday household objects come to life to perform a scathing diss track about a place that clearly isn’t ready for festivities - before each one is silenced by the ultimate comeback: some smart IKEA solutions. The track was made by legendary Grime emcee, D Double E.
• Black & Abroad’s “Go Back To Africa” from FCB/Six in Canada won two Yellow Pencils (Use of Digital, Creative use of Social Media). The pan-African tourism campaign turns the racial slur “go back to Africa” into an uplifting call to action.

The top ranking countries by number of all Pencils so far are: 

• United States - 143 Pencils 
• United Kingdom - 99 Pencils 
• Brazil - 33 Pencils 
• France - 31 Pencils 
• Japan - 27 Pencils

The top ranking companies by number of all Pencils so far are: 

• Apple - 15 Pencils 
• Africa, Mother London, Dentsu Inc. and Droga 5 New York - 11 Pencils each 
• INGO Stockholm/ David Miami/Publicis and Jung von Matt AG - 10 Pencils each

The total number of Pencils in each category are: 

Advertising: 229 Pencil Winners

• Art Direction: 8 Wood, 9 Graphite, 5 Yellow 
• Digital: 26 Wood, 10 Graphite, 5 Yellow
• Direct: 20 Wood, 6 Graphite, 4 Yellow 
• Experiential: 11 Wood, 4 Graphite, 3 Yellow 
• Film Advertising: 15 Wood, 6 Graphite, 3 Yellow
• Integrated: 2 Wood, 3 Graphite, 1 Yellow
• Media: 19 Wood, 8 Graphite, 5 Yellow 
• PR: 12 Wood, 4 Graphite, 5 Yellow 
• Press & Outdoor: 16 Wood, 4 Graphite, 3 Yellow 
• Radio & Audio: 8 Wood, 4 Graphite

Culture: 39 Pencil Winners 

• Entertainment: 10 Wood, 5 Graphite, 5 Yellow 
• Music Videos: 13 Wood, 6 Graphite

Design: 103 Pencil Winners 

• Branding: 35 Wood, 12 Graphite, 4 Yellow 
• Design Transformation: 8 Wood, 2 Graphite
• Digital Design: 10 Wood, 3 Graphite
• Product Design: 11 Wood, 4 Graphite, 2 Yellow 
• Spatial Design: 8 Wood, 1 Graphite, 3 Yellow

For information on the Pencil winning entries from across these categories, click here.

Today’s Pencil announcement includes a further 17 out of the total 34 categories. Additional Pencil winner announcements are scheduled for July 16, September 8 and September 10. 

While hosting a 2020 ceremony is not possible due to coronavirus, D&AD will be announcing this year’s Pencil winners via their website and in a social campaign designed by Studio Dumbar.

To celebrate the winners in the absence of a physical awards show, D&AD and Studio Dumbar have created a custom Instagram Stories augmented reality filter that reveals virtual Wood, Graphite, Yellow and White D&AD Pencils to the winners. While they can’t take to the stage this year to accept their Pencils, winners can enjoy a moment of celebration by being virtually awarded through the D&AD Pencil Unboxing filter, accessible through a private link that is being emailed to the winners.

Tim Lindsay, D&AD chairman, commented: “We are excited to announce the Pencil winners across the Advertising, Culture and Design categories. Our juries were blown away by the high caliber of work entered this year, meaning it has been another challenging yet rewarding process of selecting the 2020 Pencil winners. Our industry never ceases to push boundaries, challenge expectations and adapt to new circumstances. D&AD are delighted to be able to continue celebrating and stimulating the best work, even in these most trying of times.”

D&AD this year continues to platform the most exceptional work from the past 12 months, following the same rigorous judging process that holds creativity to the highest standards. Famously tough to win, there are no quotas for D&AD Awards, meaning that the number of awarded entries fluctuates each year. In some years, no Black Pencils--the highest creative accolade--are awarded. The highest ever awarded in one year currently stands at seven. 

Winning work will not only receive a D&AD Pencil, but will also be featured in the D&AD Annual and online archive.