Progressive sports storytelling won out at the 2024 Gerety Awards with three Grand Prix winning campaigns leaning into the power of sport to connect with consumers.

Long-form content was at the top of the agenda for WhatsApp. We are Ayenda tells the gripping story of the Afghan Youth Women’s National Football Team and their incredible escape from Afghanistan after the Taliban took power.

The half-hour documentary, which debuted during the Women’s World Cup, is streaming on Prime Video and YouTube, and was directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Amber Fares. Created by CreativeX, Meta US the gripping story picked up the Grand Prix in the Entertainment cut.

Runner 321 for Adidas, from FCB Canada, was also awarded a Grand Prix in the Work for Good Cut. The fully integrated campaign calls on every marathon to hold bib 321 to ensure neurodivergent people’s representation in mainstream sport.

Adidas 321 was born from the insight that 95% of people with Down syndrome have trisomy 21 - a full copy of chromosome 21, leading to three copies instead of two. This is the reason that World Down Syndrome Day is recognised on 03/21. The campaign features Chris Nikic, a Triathlete and Marathon Runner. He is Adidas’ first sponsored athlete with Down syndrome. The campaign is born from the insight that when you don’t see yourself represented in sports it is hard to imagine what is possible.

The power of representation was also at the forefront of the WoMen’s football campaign from Orange, from Marcle Paris, which achieved a Grand Prix in the Communication Cut. The ad begins showing French football stars such as Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann wowing with wonder goals and footballing prowess. Then halfway through, the ad pulls the rug from under viewers by revealing the actual people behind the moments of football magic – players from the women’s French team.

Other Grand Prix winners included: The Square Meter for Hornbach by Heimat from TBWA\Germany in the Craft Cut. The 100th edition for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung by Scholz & Friends Berlin, which picked up two Grand Prix’s in the Craft and Communication Cuts. My Japan Railway for JR Group by Dentsu Inc. Japan also picked up a Grand Prix in the Craft Cut.

Over 200 judges from 47 countries that participated this year in the 2024 Gerety Awards have awarded 7 Grand Prix, 24 Gold, 94 Silver and 71 Bronze, with 198 entries remaining on the shortlist. Juries were celebrated this year in 15 different locations around the globe.

The most awarded countries in this edition were Germany, the USA, the UK and France. Jung von Matt Germany wins the Global Agency of the Year with powerful campaigns such as Rights against the Right  that stops trading Nazi merchandise for Laut Gegen Nazis, Merry Easter for Edeka, The Bigger Draw for Hamburg Marketing, Tramway to Love for BVG, Father & Son Film for BMW and Goals everywhere for Adidas, among others.

The campaigns that were awarded Gold in different categories in the UK include Waiting to Live for NHS Blood & Transplant by VML UK, The Gravy Race for Sheba by AMV BBDO, Aldidas for Aldi UK by McCann Manchester,  The Move to -15 for DP World by Edelman, Up In Smoke for WWF by NOMINT and The Everyday Tactician for Xbox by McCann London.

Rights against the Right - The first trademark that stops trading Nazi merch was also the most awarded campaign overall, followed by The Square Meter for Hornbach and A Holiday to Remember from Chevrolet. Other top awarded brands include WWF, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, McDonald’s, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Wisp x Abortion Freedom Fund.

See all of the 2024 UK and global winners at www.geretyawards.com.