The 38th edition of the ADCI Awards, hosted for the first time in the context of Intersections 2024, has just drawn to a close. The initiative, organised by the Italian Art Directors Club, aims to celebrate creative excellence in the field of Italian advertising communication. This year, no fewer than 15 juries have presented awards to the projects and campaigns that have excelled most in their respective fields. Students from the three-year degree in Communication Design at IED Milano and IED Roma won a total of six awards.
Winning gold was “The Last Hangover” by the students of IED Milano. The project was developed for the food company NotCo and consists of the launch of a probiotic supplement designed to alleviate hangover symptoms, NotHangover. Imagining a sponsorship idea for Super Bowl Monday (the National Post-Super Bowl Day, the day on which around 19 million Americans miss work or go on sick leave) the young designers also came up with a survival kit that includes water, sleeping masks, earplugs, chewing gum, eyepatches and sunglasses. The project was undertaken by Chiara Bellini, Matilde Daida Cargnino, Federica Ferrari, Mariamaguette Maragno and Marianna Santonicola.
'Meanwhile, “Thankfools”, in collaboration with GiffGaff, won silver. The primary goal of this innovative project by the guys at IED Milano was to thank Apple buyers who exchange their new Apple products every year for the newly released device. It is thanks to these buyers that GiffGaff customers have the opportunity to buy completely new Apple phones or other items, taking advantage of the company's core concept: circularity. After leaving the shop, every Apple consumer will be confronted with billboards thanking them for buying a new iPhone, so another consumer can have their “old” phone. The project was undertaken by Chiara Bellini, Matilde Daida Cargnino, Federica Ferrari, Mariamaguette Maragno and Marianna Santonicola.
Also for IED Milano, the bronze was won by the “Hot Tea Time” project realised in collaboration with Durex, where sex is intertwined with the classic grandmother's tea time. Condoms and lubricants are placed inside an elegant tea box and the idea is to place the box on the shelves designed for the purchase of tea in supermarkets, thereby stimulating a spontaneous dialogue on the subject of sexuality. The students who were part of the team include: Pietro Benedini, Iside Casagrande, Camilla Merlini, Alessandra Osilieri and Luca Ramponi.
While for IED Roma, silver was awarded to the “Dirty Candle” project for Velveeta. The campaign is based on an insight: there is nothing better than junk food after sex, hence the “Dirty Candle”, the first candle made of Velveeta cheese that is lit to create atmosphere and left to melt while the intimate moment is enjoyed. The cheese drips directly onto the food underneath, creating a perfect after-sex food. In this way, the candle becomes a reward for performance: the longer you can hold out, the more tasty the food will become. This project was created by Lorenzo Notarangelo and Giorgia Parisi.
Another silver for “I don't give a f*ck to f*ck” by the young designers at IED Roma, Lorenzo Notarangelo, Claudia Arganese and Francesca Chicca, in collaboration with Durex. The multi-subject campaign was created to raise awareness of asexuality.
A bronze went to “Unmatchable Leftovers”, again by students from IED Roma, for Velveeta. The campaign is aimed at Gen Z and seeks to combat food waste. In fact, we often find ourselves with a refrigerator full of bland, mismatched leftovers. Velveeta becomes the answer to this: it makes even the most inedible leftovers tasty. The project was developed by Massimiliano Rossi Mandatori, Daniele Stecconi and Roberta Salvia.
Finally, IED Roma students William Galeone and Daniele Stecconi were also shortlisted for two projects: “Origins” for AirB&B, a campaign that takes people on a journey to discover their origins through DNA analysis; “Refurbox” for Giffgaff, which tells the story of a brand's services through the use of the iconic London telephone box.