For 20 years, the Multicultural Excellence Awards have celebrated inclusivity and diversity in advertising, showcasing why committing to creating a better and more equal world is necessary and how influential marketing can truly be. Let’s take a look at what made those campaigns so powerful and inspiring.

1. WHAT 20 YEARS OF
THE MULTICULTURAL
EXCELLENCE AWARDS
CAN TEACH US

2. For 20 years, the Multicultural Excellence Awards
have celebrated inclusivity and diversity in advertising,
showcasing why committing to creating a better and more
equal world is necessary and how influential marketing can
truly be. Beliefs and behaviors are shaped by what we see,
and what better way for brands to promote positivity and
social change than through highlighting brand achievements.
Over the past 19 years, the awards have had 410 total winners,
including 131 for grand prizes and six for Best In Show.
Nike, Proctor & Gamble, and Duracell are three brands that
have won Best in Show in recent years for shining a light on
racial, gender, LGBTQ+, and disability rights. Let’s take a look
at what made those campaigns so powerful and inspiring.

3. Nike’s Fight for What’s Right
In 2019, Nike won Best In
Show for its “Dream Crazy”
campaign, which celebrated
athletes and their crazy
dreams as a response to its
30th anniversary of “Just
Do it.” The campaign was
led by Colin Kaepernick, the
controversial NFL quarterback
who sacrificed his dream for a bigger one when he knelt during
the national anthem to protest police brutality.
Ultimately, Nike wanted to inspire young athletes and youth overall
to take the risks and chances needed to reach their goals. As a result,
Nike created $6 billion in brand value, making it the most successful
campaign in the brand’s history.
3© Copyright 2020 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.

4. Procter & Gamble won Best In
Show in 2018 for its film Love
Over Bias, which highlights
a mom’s role as a child’s first
and greatest advocate. The
film shows moms encouraging
and supporting their child
athletes in a world that isn’t
always accepting — a Japanese
mom protects her son in light of his physical disability; a Black mom
realizes the racial biases her daughter will have to face; a Korean mom
approves of her daughter’s choices in the face of gender bias; a Saudi
mom proudly stands behind her daughter against religious bias.
Each scene reveals how the world presents obstacles and how moms
push their kids to persevere and overcome and how bias impacts
everyone negatively.
Procter & Gamble Strives
for a More Inclusive Future
4© Copyright 2020 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.

5. Duracell Makes the World
More Accessible for Everyone.
In 2016, Duracell won Best
in Show for its campaign
“Stay Connected,” which
raised awareness about the
struggles of those suffering
from undiagnosed hearing
loss. The brand created a
short film to inspire people
with hearing loss to seek help
and encourage those already using hearing aids to power them with
Duracell batteries.
Did you know that up to 80 percent of people suffering from hearing
loss actively avoid treatment? The film showcased how untreated
hearing loss can be isolating, and how a hearing aide helped improve
a man’s daily interactions with his loved ones.
5© Copyright 2020 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.

6. To move and inspire people through
marketing, brands need to remember a few
key tips: promote diversity and inclusivity,
be authentic, and find actionable ways
to find solutions to issues. The companies
with the best strategies and campaigns
understand that to make real, positive social
change, taking a powerful stand is necessary.