There was no shortage of good will in the room at Cynopsis’ third annual Social Good Awards, March 2 in New York. Campaigns ranging from environmental initiatives, to empowering voters, to combating addiction were spotlighted, to an appreciative, and packed house including television and media execs and decision-makers from brands including American Express, AT&T, Nestle, Subaru, Toyota and Upworthy, whos co-founder Peter Koechley was a guest presenter.
In addition, Cynopsis premiered the inaugural Impact Award at this year’s breakfast celebration. As its name suggests, this esteemed recognition is awarded to a company, network, campaign and/or person who generates exceptional prosocial impact. In a presentation delivered by Katie Couric, journalist, author and creator of the new film Gender Revolution: A Journey, National Geographic picked up the Impact Award in the Network category for its commitment to programming that engages viewers in stories about the human condition and exploration of new frontiers. Courteney Monroe, CEO of National Geographic Global Networks, was on hand to accept. Viacom’s Listen Campaign, created to break down the stigma of addiction, promote resources to help the 21 million Americans struggling with substance use, picked up the Impact Award in the Campaign category. Viacom EVP/CCO Niels Schuurmans and actress Debi Mazar, star of TV Lands Younger, took the stage to talk about the importance of the campaign to the Viacom family. In the Brand category, Cynopsis recognized Impact Award honoree Dove for its continued role in elevating the conversation around the concept of beauty through a variety of cross-platform media campaigns. Dove Brand manager Lisha Perez shared the evolution of the Real Beauty campaign with our audience.
In addition, the SGA Legacy Award was presented to John Walsh, Founder of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and best known for his role on the television show America’s Most Wanted. The award was introduced by Justice Network CEO Steve Schiffman and accepted by Walsh’s son Callahan.
Cynopsis is extremely proud to salute those in the industry raising awareness and inspiring action. We look forward to seeing everyone’s 2017 entries this December and celebrating in the spring of 2018!
2017 Results
Awareness Campaign or Initiative
Winner: Univision Communications Inc. – Rise Up: Be Heard
The dedicated social impact unit of Fusion launched this journalism fellowship program that saw an initial group of 14 students engaged in a two-month training program in journalism. Their stories and videos have reached an audience of more than 6 million people.
Honorable Mentions:
- A+E Studios for HISTORY – Roots
- Intersport – #DoGoodWeek
- Logo – Global Ally
- NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations – Clear the Shelters 2016
- SapientNitro – Faces of Pride
- SapientNitro – SAVE THE FOOD
- The CW – The CW Launches CW Good
Awareness Campaign/Initiative – Children’s Issues
Winner: Blue 449 – GLSEN: Safe & Affirming Schools / LGBT Bullying Prevention
Blue 449 partnered with GLSEN to develop a campaign to raise awareness about the negative influence of LGBT bullying and harassment. Blue 449 was able to secure approximately $800K in media value for the campaign.
Honorable Mentions:
- DigitasLBi Whirlpool – Care Counts
- Girardville Miners’ Cooperative – SOS Children’s Villages “Picture”
- Nickelodeon – Nick Jr. Beyond the Backpack
- WFOR – Mentoring Matters
- WWE – WWE & The V Foundation for Cancer Research- Connor’s Cure Campaign
Awareness Campaign/Initiative – Civic Empowerment
Winner: Azteca America – Civic Engagement/Community Service
Azteca’s commitment to serve the community was reflected not only in their programming but also in the number of alliances formed with the various organization’s to create civic engagement campaigns promoting citizenship, voting rights awareness and guiding the community through the electoral process.
Winner: NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises – Telemundo’s El Poder En Ti
This robust community initiative was aimed at empowering viewers to take action for a better life in areas of key importance to U.S. Hispanics: education health, finance and civic engagement.
Honorable Mentions:
- 2016 Rock the Vote – Rock the Vote (Non-profit)
- BET Networks – BET “Vote Your Voice” Campaign
- Univision Communications: Univision Contigo’s Vote For Your America
Awareness Campaign/Initiative – Environmental/Weather
Winner: Volta Charging – Volta Charging/Kinetic Worldwide – Arrowhead 100% Mountain Spring Water “Naturally Different”
Arrowhead Spring Water’s “Naturally Different” campaign marketed its product via multiple Volta Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, which were positioned throughout the city of Los Angeles.
Honorable Mentions:
- AccuWeather Ready!
- National Geographic Channel – Before the Flood
- National Geographic Channel – National Geographic
Awareness Campaign/Initiative – Health & Wellness
Winner: The Drug Enforcement Administration and Discovery Education – Operation Prevention
Operation Prevention, started by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Discovery Education, focused on the dangers of opioid and heroin abuse. Since launch, program has reached 200,000+ students nationwide.
Honorable Mentions:
- BET Networks – BET Goes Pink 2016
- Spike – Veterans Operation Wellness Pull-Ups Challenge
- Spike – VOW Fights: Spike’s Veterans Operation Wellness and Bellator MMA
- Viacom – Viacom’s Listen Campaign
- WWE – WWE and Susan G. Komen More Than Pink Campaign
Best Anti-Bullying Initiative
Winner: Cartoon Network – Stop Bullying: Speak Up
Cartoon’s Stop Bullying Campaign has become as integral to the network as its kids programming.
Honorable Mentions:
- Blue 449 – GLSEN: Safe & Affirming Schools / LGBT
- Bullying Prevention
- Fullscreen – AT&T Later Haters
- Playworks – Rockstar Recess
- R&R Partners and R&R Partners Foundation – So
- Uncool Anti-Bullying Campaign
- WWE – Be A STAR
Best Episode with a Social Good Theme
Winner: The Players’ Tribune – The Players’ Tribune – First Step with Jimmy Butler
Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler illustrates the importance and impact of mentorship in a widely-shared episode that has received more than 1 million views.
Honorable Mentions:
- A&E – Born This Way
- CBS Sports Network – League of Hope
- FUSION / UNIVISION – No League of Their Own
- Grey’s Anatomy & The Brady Campaign – Prevent Gun Violence
- Litton Entertainment – Give
- Litton Entertainment – The Inspectors
- The Centsables – The Centsinnati 500
- Viacom – Listen: Facing Addiction in America
- Viacom International Media Networks – Nickelodeon’s Together For Good & UNICEF
Best Get out the Vote campaign
Winner: Fuse Media – Crash the Parties 2016
“Crash The Parties,” launched by Fuse to help inspire and empower Latino youth participation in the 2016 Presidential Election, held a competition to find two young adult Latinos to become embedded reporters for Fuse.
Honorable Mentions:
- BET Networks- BET “Vote Your Voice” Campaign
- MTV – Elect This
- NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises – Telemundo’s El Poder En Ti #YoDecido Campaign
- Univision Communications: Univision Contigo’s Vote For Your America
- Vulcan Productions – We The Voters
- Wise Entertainment – East Los High: Get Loud
Best Overall Marketing
Winner: WWE and Susan G. Komen Partnership
This past year, WWE and Susan G. Komen shifted their focus from generating awareness to inspiring action with the More Than Pink movement, celebrating the everyday heroes who have made a significant impact in the fight to end breast cancer.
Honorable Mentions:
- National Geographic & American Express — Partners in Preservation: National Parks
- NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises – Telemundo’s El Poder En Ti #YoDecido PSA Campaign
Best Spot (30 seconds or less)
Winner: Viacom International Media Networks – Nickelodeon’s Together For Good & UNICEF
Nickelodeon’s Together For Good and UNICEF spot encouraged positive social values, challenging inequalities and giving voice to all children.
Honorable Mentions:
- Girardville Miners’ Cooperative – SOS Children’s Villages “Picture”
- NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises – Telemundo’s El Poder En Ti #YoDecido PSA Campaign
- Viacom Velocity – BET “Vote Your Voice” PSA
- Viacom Velocity – WorkaLOLcats- American Legacy/Truth PSA
Best Spot (Over 30 seconds)
Winner: Discovery Communications – American Heroes Channel – 2016 Red Bandanna Hero Award
The Red Bandanna Award was created to pay tribute to 9/11 hero Welles Crowther. 2016 was the second year of the contest, and there was a remarkable 1,198% increase in entries from the prior year.
Winner: Fostermore – The Story of My Life
The FosterMore campaign helped spread awareness of the need for foster homes for orphaned children. Nearly 1.2 million residents of New York City and Los Angeles viewed the ads, generating more than 500 direct leads for area foster agencies.
Honorable Mentions:
- Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club – “True To Atlanta” Spot
- FOX SPORTS – “Rebuild” MVP & FOX Sports Supports
- MTV – Elect This Campaign
- SapientNitro – The Extraordinary Life and Times of Strawberry
- Viacom – Viacom’s Listen Campaign
Branded Campaign for a Digital or Mobile Platform
Winner: Logo – Fill in the Blank
Logo’s digital docuseries “Fill in the Blank” highlighted LGBT diversity, gathering 100K streams/engagements across YouTube/social platforms.
Honorable Mentions:
- AccuWeather Ready
- NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises – Telemundo’s El Poder En Ti Historias de Heroes
- Univision Communications Inc. – Univision’s Reto 28
Branded Campaign for a TV Series or Special Programming
Winner: Viacom – Listen: Facing Addiction in America
The objectives of the “Listen” program were to encourage dialogue to break down shame and stigma, drive awareness of resources, and celebrate the success found in recovery.
Honorable Mentions:
- Bloomberg Media/OMD/Cisco – “Big Problems Big Thinkers”
- Crown Media Family Networks – KITTEN BOWL III
- Discovery – Fins Up for Shark Week
- Intersport – Courage in Sports- The Mark Pollock Story
- Litton Entertainment – Vacation Creation
- MTV – True Life: We Are Orlando
- Viacom Velocity – MTV & Taco Bell’s Live Más Scholarship Experience
- WWE – WWE & The V Foundation for Cancer Research- Connor’s Cure Campaign
Digital Media Campaign
Winner: BET Networks – 2016 HBCU College Snapchat College Tours
BET Network’s Next Level education campaign partnered with Get Schooled to launch a program to connect high school students with Historically Black Colleges & Universities.
Honorable Mentions:
- Good Amplified – Our kittens are dropping their vote LIVE! Michelson Found Animals Facebook LIVE #election night voting with adoptable kittens
- Viacom Velocity – WorkaLOLcats- American Legacy/Truth PSA
Diversity Campaign or Initiative
Winner: Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club – Unity Weekend
Unity Weekend saw more than 300 employees volunteering with a variety of organizations; the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers joining arms as a sign of solidarity; and a team float for the city’s Pride parade.
Honorable Mentions:
- A+E Studios for HISTORY – Roots
- FabCom – Diversity is More Than Hue at ATSU
- FUSION / UNIVISION – The Root 100 Honorees Video Series
- Logo – Global Ally
- SapientNitro – Faces of Pride
- Viacom International Media Networks – Nickelodeon’s Together For Good & UNICEF
- WWE & Special Olympics – Play Unified Campaign
Environmental Campaign or Initiative
Winner: National Geographic – “Before the Flood” Campaign
The Before The Flood campaign was started by National Geographic to spread awareness of climate change through the film, Before The Flood. Coinciding with the global television premiere, the film was released commercial-free on a record number of digital/streaming platforms.
Honorable Mentions:
- Discovery Communications – Project C.A.T.: Conserving Acres for Tigers
- FUSION / UNIVISION – Parks Uncovered
- Fusion Project Earth – Vanishing
- National Geographic & Subaru of America — Find Your Park, Love Your Park
- Novelis and Discovery Education – Life of a Can – A Never Ending Story
- SapientNitro – Plantaria, The Green Ambulance
- Volta Charging – Volta Charging/Kinetic Worldwide – Arrowhead 100% Mountain Spring Water “Naturally Different”
Facebook Campaign or Initiative
Winner: Campfire at SapientNitro – Stand with Malala
Created to help drive viewership to National Geographic Channel’s airing of He Named Me Malala and raise awareness for the Malala Fund organization, this campaign executed big on social media, particularly Facebook. Let’s take a look.
Honorable Mentions:
- BET Networks- BET “Vote Your Voice” Campaign
- NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises – Telemundo’s El Poder En Ti Campaign
Green/Sustainability Campaign or Initiative
Winner: FUSION / UNIVISION – WASTED
Through short and playful animated videos in both English and Spanish, WASTED explores the reasons behind the massive growth in garbage and consumption. The videos have garnered more than 2 million views across platforms.
Honorable Mentions:
- SapientNitro – Plantaria, The Green Ambulance
- SapientNitro – SAVE THE FOOD
- Volta Charging – Volta Charging/Kinetic Worldwide – Arrowhead 100% Mountain Spring Water “Naturally Different”
Hash Tag Promotion
Winner: BET Networks – BET “Vote Your Voice” Campaign
The “Vote Your Voice” campaign was aimed at increasing voter turnout among African Americans during the 2016 election year, urging viewers to share their voices via social media using the hashtag #VoteYourVoiceBET.
Honorable Mentions:
- BET Networks – BET Goes Pink 2016
- Intersport – #DoGoodWeek
Integrated Campaign
Winner: Univision Communications: Univision Contigo’s Vote For Your America
Univision Communications Inc. launched the nonpartisan Vote For Your America campaign to help Latinos register and vote in November. The messaging was seen or heard more than 1 billion times.
Honorable Mentions:
- AccuWeather Ready
- Logo – Logo’s Global Ally: Day of Disruption
- MTV – Invisible Ads
- Univision Communications Inc. – Univision’s Health Week 2016
- Viacom International Media Networks – Nickelodeon’s Together For Good & UNICEF
Integrated Campaign for a TV Series or Special Programming
Winner: Litton Entertainment – The Inspectors
The television series The Inspectors helps raise awareness of individuals with mobility issues by depicting life as a United States Postal Inspector and life seen through the eyes of a young man living with paralysis.
Winner: Univision Communications Inc. – Prison Kids: A Crime Against America’s Children
Univision produced a 1-hour documentary on the subject of juvenile justice and built a coalition of 20+ diverse organizations – grassroots, academic, and private sector.
Honorable Mentions:
- Litton Entertainment – Chicken Soup for the Soul’s Hidden Heroes
- MTV – MTV’s “Sweet/Vicious”
- Spike – VOW Fights: Spike’s Veterans Operation Wellness and Bellator MMA
- VH1 – Behind The Movie: ‘Exploring Chicago with the Cast of ‘Barbershop: The Next Cut’
- WNET New York Public Media—American Graduate Day 2016
Integrated Social Campaign for a Brand
Winner: The Weather Channel and Ram Trucks – Helping Neighbors Weather the Storm
Helping Neighbors continues to be a perfect example of how partnering in times when disaster relief is needed can amplify the help victims receive.
Honorable Mentions:
- American InterContinental University / Warrior Poets – AIU Stories
- Viacom Velocity – WorkaLOLcats- American Legacy/Truth PSA
Nonprofit/Corporate Partnership
Winner: Call of Duty Endowment – The Race to Prestige, presented by Best Buy
The Call of Duty Endowment helps veterans find employment. With The Race to Prestige, the charity was able to raise $452K for the Endowment.
Honorable Mentions:
- Blue 449 – GLSEN: Safe & Affirming Schools / LGBT Bullying Prevention
- Discovery Communications – American Heroes Channel – 2016 Red Bandanna Hero Award
- Logo – GLAAD Media Awards on Logo
- National Geographic & DAVIDOFF Cool Water — Love the Ocean
- SapientNitro – Invisible
- UP TV – UPLIFT SOMEONE ART ON THE ATLANTA BELTLINE
- Viacom International Media Networks – Nickelodeon’s Together For Good & UNICEF
- Viacom Velocity – MTV & Taco Bell’s Live Más Scholarship Experience
- WWE – WWE and Susan G. Komen More Than Pink Campaign
Partnership with a Celebrity/Athlete/Character
Winner: Campfire at SapientNitro – Stand with Malala
Created to help drive viewership to National Geographic Channel’s airing of He Named Me Malala and raise awareness for the Malala Fund organization, this campaign executed big on social media, particularly Facebook
Honorable Mentions:
- Litton Entertainment – Ocean Treks with Jeff Corwin
- Viacom International Media Networks – Nickelodeon’s Together For Good & UNICEF
- We Are The Mighty – We Are The Mighty Presents: The Rob Riggle InVETational Golf Classic
Philanthropic/Human Rights Campaign
Winner: Blue Chalk Media – A Chance To See Again
Blue Chalk Media created a high quality short film about the work of SEE International, which provides aid to those affected by sight loss. Posted on The National Geographic Facebook Page, it was shared 2,185 times and received more than 15,000 reactions.
Winner: Logo – Trailblazer Honors
Logo’s Trailblazer Honors, the largest televised LGBT Pride event, also served as a memorial to the 49 lives lost in the Pulse Nightclub attack in Orlando, and was up 89 percent in viewership versus the year prior.
Honorable Mentions:
- Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club – Court Renovation Program
- Investigation Discovery – Inspire A Difference
- Logo – Global Ally
Public Service Announcement
Winner: Toyota and Discovery Education – Toyota TeenDrive365 Video Challenge
The TeenDrive365 Video Challenge encouraged students in grades 9-12 to create original videos describing what they could do in their communities to inspire their peers to become safer drivers.
Winner: Viacom International Media Networks – Nickelodeon’s Together For Good & UNICEF
Nickelodeon’s Together For Good and UNICEF tackled complicated issues in a fun and engaging way that children could relate to. The program aired in more than 150 countries and was translated into 13 languages.
Honorable Mentions:
- WE tv – 2016 Black History Month PSA Campaign
- BET Networks – BET Goes Pink 2016
- BET Networks- BET “Vote Your Voice” Campaign
- Blue 449 – GLSEN: Safe & Affirming Schools / LGBT Bullying Prevention
- FOX SPORTS – “Stigma Free” FOX Sports Supports – National Alliance on Mental Illness
- NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises – Telemundo’s El Poder En Ti Superhero PSA
- Viacom – Viacom’s Listen Campaign
Social Good Leaders of the Year
Winner: HITN – Tu Momento
Spanish-language network HITN-TV launched a campaign to help teach viewers about the American electoral process. The initiative included a series of segments that aired on TV and online.
Honorable Mentions:
- Azteca America – Civic Engagement/Community Service
- Kids That Do Good – Connecting Kids with Ways to Give Back No Matter what Age
Social Good Shining Stars
Winner: We Are The Mighty – We Are The Mighty, The Media Brand for America’s Military-Veteran Community
We Are The Mighty is a media brand for the 133 million “mega-niche” community of America’s military, veterans and their families. WATM’s veteran creators capture this community’s voice with original, multi-platform media, branded campaigns and high-profile events that are committed to making a positive impact in the community.
Honorable Mentions:
- Azteca America – Civic Engagement/Community Service
- Discovery Communications – American Heroes Channel – 2016 Red Bandanna Hero Award
- FOX SPORTS – FOX Sports Supports
- Justice Network – Justice Network “BeSafe” Societal Mission to Make Communities Safer
- LeadDog Marketing Group
- Propper Daley – A Social Impact Agency
- The Players’ Tribune – The Players’ Tribune
- Viamedia – EATEL Louisiana Flooding Initiative
- WWE – WWE Community Relations CSR Efforts
Useful Resources
View past winners: 2015 // 2016
View event photos: 2015 // 2016
Questions?
For questions please contact:
Jenn Ocampo: 203.906.4603
