Inside the Jury Room at The Drum Awards for Social Purpose
Judges share what went on behind the scenes as they deliberated entries to this year’s awards.
Heineken was nominated in the Inclusivity and Diversity category
The Drum Awards for Social Purpose celebrate the people and brands making a positive contribution through socially responsible marketing globally.
This year’s Awards were chaired by Cristina Macina, corporate affairs and sustainability director at Nestlé UK and Ireland and Graham Nolan, co-chair, storytelling and partnerships at Do the WeRQ. They led a jury that included representatives from the likes of IPG, Danone, WPP, Creative Equals and Diageo.
The Drum’s senior reporter Ellen Ormesher caught up with Macina and Nolan to talk about what went on inside the jury room as they deliberated the entries.
“A lot of what’s happened in the market set the tone for how we responded to the work. So in that sense, the trend was accountability,” says Nolan on what he noticed from this year’s entries. “There was a lot of great community impact and willingness to look at whether that was for the good of the brand or the community itself. All the discussions we had around CSR came down to who is the work for.”
That idea dominated conversations on which brands and agencies should be rewarded. Nolan and Macina revealed that the jury paid close attention to the motives of brands behind the work submitted.
“We had a lot of discussions around the brand’s right to play in this space. Why them? Do they have a place in this, and how do they offset other environmental issues? Does this feel like a commitment or a one-off?,” continues Nolan. "Ultimately, we were holding a lot of brands accountable for whether they had a right to be in that space or if you could switch them out for any other brand. And for all of the top contenders, you couldn't. You really needed the brand with that purpose.”
For more insights into this year's work and Nolan and Macina's advice for future entrants, watch the full video above. You can check out the nominations for The Drum Awards for Social Purpose here.
Winners will be announced during The Drum Awards Festival, taking place from November 27 to December 8. For more information on the Festival and how to attend, visit the website.