TBWA\ hands out inaugural Disruption Award to scientist and philanthropist Ray Avery
David Walden, CEO of the TBWA\ Group of Companies, announced last night that Ray Avery, the founder and driving force behind independent development agency Medicine Mondiale, has been awarded the inaugural ‘Disruption’ Award.
As part of the award, presented at a function at the TBWA\ offices in Auckland, he will also receive $20,000 worth of creative and business related consultancy services to help support the continued growth and development of Medicine Mondiale.
The award champions disruptive thinking, which is a key methodology for the global TBWA\ network which helps businesses fast track their growth strategies. It is awarded to people ‘who have succeeded in their chosen fields, moved New Zealand forward and, in turn, encouraged Kiwis to think disruptively and carve out successful niches for themselves and their fellow citizens’.
Avery was selected by a small group of TBWA\ judges for his effortsin creating a global network of experts who donate their knowledge andtime to help develop medical solutions with the reward of helpingchange the world. He was also voted the 2010 New Zealander of the Year.
“Medicine Mondiale is in the business of developing disruptivetechnology so there’s a lot of synergy between the way we work and thecreative, disruptive approach to business that TBWA\ takes,” says Avery.
“As an agency we’re in the business of creative thinking, and in manycases disruptive thinking. So the Disruption Award is a way for us torecognise and celebrate New Zealand’s other successful disruptivethinkers, like Ray,” says Walden.
“He’s clearly zigged when everyone else has zagged and has had aprofound and beneficial impact on millions of people’s lives, so for meand the other TBWA\ judges it was an easy decision to make. He’s aninspiring, remarkable and successful man,” he adds.
The Disruption Award judging process takes two stages: the first is apreliminary round of nominations from all employees within the TBWA\Group of Companies.
The final judging round is determined by the views of Walden,Andy Blood, TBWA\ Group creative director, and a guest judge. For theinaugural award this was John Hunt (left), worldwide creative director of theTBWA\ network.
The Disruption Award – which will be given to a worthy recipient everysix months – was created by renowned sculptor Grant Williams and theform is the TBWA\ ‘backslash’, a symbol of a ‘lightning rod for change’.
6 Comments
This is worthy of a special accolade for the use of the word disruption 97 times.
It’s a award that could have some merit for our industry if it marks the start of a move towards integration with ideas beyond traditional advertising.
Piggybacking. Ray Avery might have been more discerning about being used like that.
The shame, the shame. Disruption wankery. Fap fap fap fap.
Disruption = Doing things that your competitor doesn’t do.
It’s basic marketing. Sigh.
Looking forward to the hilarity that will occur when someone inevitably refuses to accept the award based on fappery.