London — November 28, 2012 – The winners of the 2012 EthicMark® Awards for advertising that “uplifts the human spirit and society” were announced today at the Sustainable Brands London conference, a gathering of sustainable brand innovators and thought leaders from around the world.
TOMS won in the for-profit category for its video, “One Day without Shoes 2012 Trailer,” which builds on its business model of giving one pair of new shoes to a person in need for each pair sold. “One Day without Shoes” encourages people to go barefoot for a day to raise awareness about the less fortunate.
Ten Thousand Villages, a company that helps artisans around the world earn a fair income “by bringing their products and stories to our markets through long-term fair trading relationships,” was voted a co-winner in the nonprofit category for its video, “World Fair Trade Day 2011.” The video highlights the power of fair trade to change the world for the better. Doug Dirks, CEO of Ten Thousand Villages, said, “We are thrilled and humbled to be recognized for the work we do. Ten Thousand Villages is rooted in the mission to provide sustainable income opportunities to artisans in developing countries. So, it is incredibly fulfilling when our work is seen and appreciated on a stage such as this.”
The World Resources Institute was named a co-winner in the nonprofit category for “Sunita,” a video created by WRI’s project, the Access Initiative. The video teaches the value of access to information through a story about a poor woman who faces the loss of her home and livelihood. “We are grateful to the organizers of the EthicMark® Awards for recognizing this short video which shows the impact one person’s story can have in raising awareness and changing the world,” said Lalanath de Silva, director of the Access Initiative at the World Resources Institute. “Millions of women have stories like Sunita’s, and we need to start incorporating their voices into our planning and decision making if we are going to live in a more sustainable and equitable world.”
The winners were announced by Hazel Henderson, founder of the EthicMark® Awards and Ethical Markets Media, LLC; Tony Manwaring, Chief Executive of Tomorrow’s Company; and Thomas Kolster, author of Goodvertising (2012).
Founded in 2004, the annual EthicMark® Awards are co-sponsored by Ethical Markets Media, LLC, the World Business Academy, and the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business Marketing Department.
Hazel Henderson said, “Advertising drives our mass media globally, playing a huge role in either educating and informing people to exercise free choice and democracy…or in mis-educating and mis-informing! EthicMark® Awards honor the best and most responsible—raising the ethical bar worldwide. We are thrilled that so many wonderful campaigns were nominated and we salute our 2012 winners!”
Media Contacts
Madeleine Austin, World Business Academy, + 011 805-892-4600 or 805-570-9793; madeleine[at]worldbusiness.org