SoStereo is honored to have won awards for not one, but three separate films in the D&AD Awards 2021.
Design and Art Direction, or D&AD, is an organization seen as the most prestigious benchmark for creative excellence in design and advertising. Each year, the work of notable agencies, companies, and brands around the world undergo a rigorous judging process, and the best in commercial creativity is awarded by D&AD.
“Maurice and the Black Bear School”
Hennessy x Droga5 New York
Graphite Pencil – Sound Design & Use of Music / Audio Composition
Wood Pencil – Editing / Film
Wood Pencil – Art Direction / Film
Shortlist – Casting / Film
Shortlist – Direction / Film
Shortlist – Entertainment / Non-Scripted Long Form
This latest chapter of Hennessy’s Wild Rabbit campaign tells the story of Maurice Ashley, the world’s first Black chess grandmaster – a story of Black brilliance and, above all, the power of the mind. The film depicts Maurice’s ascent from wide-eyed rookie to grandmaster, transporting us into the world of ’90s Brooklyn as he hones his skills among the Black Bear School of Chess. But what begins as a chronicle of the harsh lessons of defeat becomes a voyage into the different layers of Maurice’s mind and a story of the journey he must take deep within himself to become a champion.
Song Credits: Ivy Sole Lovely Fiction, Mister T. Sibling, Sweatshop DRUG (Instrumental)
“It’s NBA on ESPN Time”
NBA x Arts & Letters Creative
Wood Pencil – Editing / Film
The NBA is one of the most dynamic sports properties in the world. Such an ever-changing league can be difficult to follow. And the impact of COVID-19 created a crowded live sports calendar. As the league’s top broadcaster, ESPN needed to remind fans nothing matches the unscriptable excitement and drama of the story that is the NBA season. ESPN developed the campaign It’s NBA on ESPN Time, a platform designed to elevate the NBA as sport’s great unscripted story and help fans navigate what happens everyday on the path to the NBA Finals.
Song Credits: Tyrone Briggs Champion
“Beer Me”
Miller Lite x DDB Chicago
Shortlist – Visual Effects / Practical Effects
Shortlist – Film / TV / VOD Commercial Campaigns
“Beer me.” It’s what Americans say to their friends when they really, really need a beer. A beer has the power to pull us right out of uncomfortable situations: places we don’t fit, events we aren’t comfortable at. To make a deeper point about authenticity, DDB Chicago focused on practical effects to bring the feeling of saying “Beer Me” to life.
Song Credits: kooii Come Listen
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Congratulations to everyone who contributed to these three spectacular films!
