Sid Lee Projects Among Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas for Second Year Running
Today, Fast Company announced the winners of the 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards, including two projects by creative agency Sid Lee. The awards honour the businesses, policies, projects and concepts that are actively engaged and deeply committed to pursuing innovation in solving health and climate crises, social injustice or economic inequality.
Build the Vote, a custom educational tool developed by Sid Lee in collaboration with non-partisan non-profit Rock the Vote, is a finalist in the Advertising, Education, and Politics & Policy category. The aim is to inform and enlighten first-time voters and future voters by recreating the US voting experience in a world they understand: Minecraft. Players are invited to go through the same steps American voters go through in real life, from registering to casting a ballot. To emphasize the importance of making their own political decisions, young people voted not on candidates, but on the 10 most important issues at the core of the real election, including gun laws, criminal justice reform, healthcare access, climate change, racial equality, and immigration. The popular video game provides an ideal environment for Rock the Vote to engage and educate a young audience in a fun and compelling way across multiple platforms.
The for Tomorrow digital platform co-created by Sid Lee, Hyundai Motor Company and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) earned an honourable mention in the Advertising and Corporate Social Responsibility category. for Tomorrow’s ecosystem allows users to access and share community-based innovations to bring to bear solutions that address the world’s escalating environmental and social crises. To broaden the scope of the initiative, Sid Lee forged a wholly unique partnership that aligns public and private sector interests and marries the reach, resources and influence of Hyundai Motor Company—the world's fifth-largest mobility company and a global leader in clean fuel energy—and the expertise and credibility of the UNDP Accelerator Labs, the world's premier development organisation.
A panel of eminent Fast Company editors and reporters selected winners and finalists from a pool of thousands of entries across transportation, education, food, politics, technology and more. The 2021 awards feature entries from across the globe, from Brazil to Denmark to Vietnam, that showcase some of the world’s most inventive entrepreneurs and companies tackling exigent global challenges.
“We are truly honoured to be among such an inspiring group of change makers and trailblazing organisations for a second year in a row,” said Vito Piazza, global chief executive officer at Sid Lee. “Our projects are driven by our mission to propel bold ideas and creativity to build a better world for everyone. This recognition is a reminder that, as a business, we have the power to evolve toward a thriving future.”
“There is no question our society and planet are facing deeply troubling times. So, it’s important to recognise organisations that are using their ingenuity, impact, design, scalability and passion to solve these problems,”said Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief at Fast Company. “Our journalists, under the leadership of senior editor Morgan Clendaniel, have discovered some of the most groundbreaking projects that have launched since the start of 2020.”
Rock the Vote has integrated the Build the Vote educational tool into its annual Democracy Class program. Microsoft Corporation, which publishes Minecraft, is looking to bring the model to classrooms around the world.
The for tomorrow platform continues to highlight sustainable living solutions submitted by grassroots innovators around the world. Visit here to learn more or submit your solution.
