The 2021 AICP Next Awards debuted last night, recognizing creative excellence in new and emerging media. Appropriately, a cutting-edge campaign that put virtual fans in the seats for NBA games, creating a global sensation while driving sales for its sponsor, was proclaimed as the Most Next winner.
Chosen from all the winners in the Next Awards categories, and serving as its Best in Show, the Most Next Award was presented to “Courtside” for Michelob ULTRA, in collaboration with Microsoft and the NBA. Created by FCB New York, it was produced by the design and production studio Ntropic.
“Courtside” also won in the categories of Digital Experiences, Experiential and Real Time Engagement.
“Courtside” utilized Microsoft technology to allow Michelob ULTRA drinkers a chance to win virtual courtside “tickets” that would place them alongside the digital ‘fans’ seen on video boards that surrounded the courts in the NBA’s pandemic bubble in Orlando, where all of the 2020 season games were played. These virtual fan boards were peppered with celebrities, former NBA stars and other notable names, along with everyday fans. The “Courtside” effort generated extensive media coverage and social media engagement, while also boosting ULTRA sales by double digits.
The AICP Next Awards recognizes work in 11 categories: Branded Content & Entertainment, Creative Data, Digital Experiences, Experiential, Influencer, Innovation, Purpose Driven, Real Time Engagement, Social, Web Film and Integrated Campaign. The Next Awards Judging Chair – Tiffany Rolfe, Global Chief Creative Officer at R/GA, who repeated her role from the 2020 Next Awards – and the Jury Presidents from each category, along with this year’s Curator At Large, chose this year’s Most Next from among these category winners.
Serving as AICP Next Awards Jury Presidents for 2021, along with their respective categories, were Lauren Connolly, Global Executive Creative Director BBDO (Integrated Campaign); Scott Donaton, SVP, Head of Marketing, Hulu (Branded Content & Entertainment); Bianca Guimaraes, Partner and Executive Creative Director, Mischief, (Real Time Engagement); Piper Hickman, Executive Creative Director (Web Film); Erin Lynch, SVP, Executive Creative Director, R/GA (Digital Experiences); Marc Maleh, MD, Technology and Emerging Experiences, Huge Inc. (Creative Data); Allen Mask, Managing Parnter, CōLab /Westcap (Innovation); Nina Mishkin, Director, North America Creative Strategy, Snapchat. (Social); Bill Oberlander, Co-Founder and Executive Creative Director Oberland (Purpose Driven); James Robinson, Chief Creative Officer North America, Momentum Worldwide (Experiential); Bekah Sirrine Director, Brand Creative, Airbnb (Influencer); and Mike Woods, ECD/Head of Immersive, m ss ng p eces (Curator At Large).
The AICP Next Awards is part of the AICP’s suite of juried competitions, which also includes the AICP Post Awards, presented on July 27, and the AICP Show: The Art & Technique of the Commercial, which will be presented on July 29. As with the AICP Show, the Next Awards honorees are preserved in The Museum of Modern Art’s Department of Film’s state of the art archives for future generations to study, and are available for use or exhibition by the museum’s curators. All individual works, and each year’s shows in their entirety, can be viewed exclusively at www.aicpawards.com, the AICP Awards Archive website.
The winner of the Most Next honor directs a $5,000 grant from the AICP Foundation to an institution of their choosing. FCB New York has directed the grant to Move United (https://www.moveunitedsport.org/). Founded in 1956, Move United’s vision is that every person, regardless of ability, has an equal opportunity to participate in sports and recreation in their community. Move United has been redefining disability by providing year-round sports and recreation opportunities to people with a wide range of disabilities, offering more than 70 different adaptive sports. Through its national network of more than 200 community member organizations, Move United serves over 100,000 individuals with disabilities of all ages each year.
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The opening titles and graphics for the AICP Next Awards were created by Ingenuity and Cosmo Street, with a score by RNDM ORDER. The AICP Next Awards Curators films were edited by Whitehouse Post, with music by MusicBed and audio mix by Heard City.
The sponsor reel screened prior to the Next Awards was created by The Colonie, with music by Noisefloor. The AICP Next Awards is part of the AICP’s suite of juried competitions, which also includes the AICP Post Awards, presented on July 27, and the AICP Show: The Art & Technique of the Commercial, which will be presented on July 29.
As with the AICP Show, the Next Awards honorees are preserved in The Museum of Modern Art’s Department of Film’s state-of-the-art archives for future generations to study, and are available for use or exhibition by the museum’s curators.
All individual works, and each year’s shows in their entirety, can be viewed exclusively at www.aicpawards.com, the AICP Awards Archive website.
A full roster of AICP Next Awards winners includes:
Branded Content & Entertainment
- Beats By Dre “You Love Me”
- Production Company: PRETTYBIRD
- Director: Melina Matsoukas
- Agency: Translation
- Cox Communications “Drawn Closer”
- Production Company: Nexus Studios
- Director/Script Writer: Patrick Osborne
- Agency: 180LA
Creative Data
Reddit “Up The Vote”
- Advertising Agency/ Production Company/ Editorial Company: R/GA California
- Verizon “Full Transparency by Verizon”
- Production Company/Media Distribution: MadNetwork
- Advertising/Digital Agency: Huge
Digital Experiences
- Michelob ULTRA, Microsoft, NBA “Michelob ULTRA Courtside”
- Production Company: Ntropic
- Director: Nathan Robinson
- Agency: FCB New York
- NAACP Atlanta “Invisible Hate”
- Production/Development Company: m ss ng p eces
- Director: Mike Woods
- Developer: Steel Jones
- Agency: 22Squared
Experiential
- Michelob ULTRA, Microsoft, NBA “Michelob ULTRA Courtside”
- Production Company: Ntropic
- Director: Nathan Robinson
- Agency: FCB New York
- Verizon “Verizon Fortnite Stadium”
- Advertising Agencies/Production Companies/Editorial Companies: R/GA + Momentum Worldwide
Influencer
- Dunkin’ “Dunkin’ x Charli”
- Production Company: Saugatuck Strategic
- Agency: BBDO New York
- Social Media Team: Charli D’Amelio
- Verizon “#NotDone”
- Production Company: The Mill
- Agency: Verizon
Innovation
- Mastercard “True Name”
- Production Company: Hungry Man
- Agency: McCann
- Patagonia Brewery “Comunal Gin”
- Production Company: Aire.Life
- Director: Fernando J Pérez
- Agency/Editorial Company: R/GA Buenos Aires
Purpose Driven
- Change the Ref “Unfinished Vote”
- Production Company: The Colony
- Director: David Gaddie
- Agency: McCann Health, New York
- Chief, National Museum of Women’s History “Glass Ceiling Breaker: Kamala Harris”
- Production Company: m ss ng p eces
- Director: Mike Woods
- Developer: Mike Bodge
- Agency/Editorial Company: BBH
- Courageous Conversation Global Foundation “Not A Gun”
- Production Company: Rakish
- Director: Kevin Foley
- Agency: Goodby Silverstein & Partners
Real Time Engagement
- Arby’s “$5 Missing Menu Meal-Tik Tok”
- Agency: Fallon
- Michelob ULTRA, Microsoft, NBA “Michelob ULTRA Courtside”
- Production Company: Ntropic
- Director: Nathan Robinson
- Agency: FCB New York
Social
- Ally Financial “r/Bank”
- Advertising Agency/Production Company/Editorial Company: R/GA New York
- Reddit “Superb Owl”
- Advertising Agency/Production Company/Editorial Company: R/GA California
- Verizon “#NotDone”
- Production Company: The Mill
- Agency: Verizon
Web Film
- Frida Mom “Frida Mom – Stream of Lactation”
- Production Company: ICONOCLAST
- Director: Rachel Morrison
- Agency: Mekanism
Integrated Campaign
- Kraft Mac and Cheese “Send Noods”
- Production Company: PlaytimeMedia.TV
- Director: Zach Math
- Agency: Mischief @ No Fixed Address
- Miller Lite “Farwell, Work Holiday Parties”
- Production Company: Arts & Sciences
- Director: Alex Prager
- Agency: DDB Chicago
Most Next
- Michelob ULTRA, Microsoft, NBA “Michelob ULTRA Courtside”
- Production Company: Ntropic
- Director: Nathan Robinson
- Agency: FCB New York