Interpublic Celebrates 13th Annual RISE Awards

​Interpublic hosted its 13th annual RISE Awards, celebrating inclusive, innovative and impactful work from across its global network. Held at Interpublic’s New York office, this year’s event centred on the theme of rising above norms, challenging conventions and building a more inclusive and connected future.

“Our agencies’ efforts exemplify Interpublic’s values to RISE to the challenge in amplifying unheard voices, shedding a light on unseen communities and creating community in a time when it’s needed most,” said Channing Martin, global chief diversity and social impact officer at Interpublic. “Their work is a true reflection that reminds us that inclusion extends beyond just internal work cultures, but it has true economic impacts on our business adding value for our clients.”

This year introduced a new category, 'Most Effective Use of Technology,' with over 100 judges reviewing nearly 60 submissions across eight categories. Finalists represented 26 agencies across 11 countries. Award recipients included:

• Agency Inclusion Vanguard Award (Individual): John McCourt, VP, client experience (Weber Shandwick) and Shaheed Peera, global executive creative director (IPG Health)
  
• Agency Inclusion Vanguard Award (Team): FCB Group India, Before the Brief, Belonging
  
• Community Impact Award: FCB India, Building Better Communities
  
• Inclusion Campaign of the Year (APAC): McCann Erickson (Singapore) for Mastercard, 'Acceptance Matters'
  
• Inclusion Campaign of the Year (EMEA): FP7McCann (Dubai) for Puck, 'Selfless Shelves'
  
• Inclusion Campaign of the Year (LATAM): Cappuccino (Sao Paolo) for Mães da Sé, 'T-SEARCH: The #OutfitOfVisibility'
  
• Inclusion Campaign of the Year (NORTHAM): FCB Canada for Canadian Down Syndrome Society, 'Inployable'
  
• Inclusive Talent Retention Initiatives: Weber Shandwick, Explore Program
  
• Most Effective Targeted Campaign: McCann Poland for Mastercard, 'Room for Everyone'
  
• Most Effective Use of Technology: MullenLowe MENA (Dubai) for Aurora50, 'Fixing the bAIs'

In addition to opening remarks from Interpublic CEO Philippe Krakowsky, the RISE Awards ceremony featured four creative executives from across the network who shared personal reflections on the global impact of inclusion in the industry. Representing industry titans in advertising and marketing, these executives shared their personal reflections on the impact of global inclusion in the industry. Interpublic’s Creative Advisor, Susan Credle, showcased the importance of inclusive leadership and its impact on a creative’s final outcome through work examples; The Martin Agency’s CEO, Danny Robinson, recited a powerful poem 'The Audacity of Being Seen' to drill down on building with culture; McCann Worldgroup’s chief creative officer APAC, Valerie Madon, shed light on what gender barriers exist in the APAC region; and Jose Miguel Sokoloff, global creative council president at MullenLowe Global, highlighted how creative storytelling can be used for social good.

This event was streamed virtually for all employees globally with closed captioning for accessibility purposes, and agencies across the network, including Acxiom, Golin and IPG Mediabrands, hosted virtual watch parties