Eye-Popping Work by MullenLowe Design Studio for ADC 104th Annual Awards

Every year, the ADC Annual Awards - the world’s longest-running awards program for creative excellence - launches a bespoke campaign designed to drive entries while capturing the spirit of the creative community. For its 104th edition, they turned to the newly formed MullenLowe Design Studio (MLDS) to craft a campaign that speaks to all creatives - freelancers, independent studios, and large agencies alike. 

The concept MLDS delivered, 'Be Seen by the Best Eyes,' cuts through the noise of likes and retweets by focusing on what truly matters: recognition by industry experts whose opinions shape careers and define what’s next in the creative world.

In an era where validation often feels like an endless buffet of empty calories, the ADC Annual Awards offer something far more substantial: the discerning eyes of the best creative minds in the world. These are eyes that don’t just glance but see deeply, evaluating work with the same craftsmanship and care that went into creating it. MLDS captured this ethos in a campaign that dares creatives to make work that’s impossible to look away from.

The campaign’s centrepiece? A series of surreal and humorous animated shorts where Pixar meets 90s MTV, brought to life in collaboration with ROOF Studio Brooklyn. Through a blend of craftsmanship and disruptive design, these animations tell the story of those “best eyes” and invite creatives to create work that demands to be seen.

“This campaign was a chance for us to craft a love letter to the industry we love so much,” said Fabio Brigido and João Paz, heads of design at MullenLowe Design Studio. “It’s a celebration of bold, ambitious work and an invitation to the creative community to show us something we’ve never seen before. That’s what inspires us, and that’s what this campaign is all about.”

With nine bespoke film vignettes, 40 poster executions, 275 unique jury posts (each with the jurors’ own eyeball), and countless social and digital assets all combining humour, surrealism, and nostalgia, the campaign is already capturing the attention of creatives worldwide and will continue rolling out until the final submission deadline at the end of February