Special NZ wins top Asia Pacific title at AME Awards

AUCKLAND, Today: Special NZ has won the NY Festivals’ Asia-Pacific AME Awards for Motor Neurone Disease David’s Unusables – a campaign that’s already earning global accolades.

Bringing home the only Platinum title for the Asia Pacific region, the work by Special also attracted two Golds – in Best Use of Discipline (across two categories – Creative Use of Technology, and Media Partnerships Platinum and Gold).

The recognition follows recent One Show Best of Discipline Gold Pencil and Cannes Gold Lion wins.

David’s Unusables showcased the impact of Motor Neuron Disease on New Zealander David Seymour who is living with the effects of MND. The little-understood disease causes the muscles that enable movement, speech, and the ability to swallow and breathe to deteriorate and eventually stop working.

“We want to thank David Seymour for his bravery in letting us tell his story to raise much-needed awareness. It’s a cause very close to our heart at Special.”

Seymour’s story inspired Special’s campaign, which hijacked Trade Me to sell the everyday items that he no longer has the ability to use, to raise vital funds and awareness for MND NZ.

Special founder/ceo Tony Bradbourne said: “Motor Neurone Disease is brutal and absolutely heartbreaking.

“We want to thank David Seymour again for his bravery in letting us tell his story to raise much-needed awareness. It’s a cause very close to our heart at Special.”

With a jury of more than 150 industry leaders across strategy and creativity from five regions around the globe, the AME Awards honour the best in advertising and marketing innovation and effectiveness.

• ameawards.com

About Special
Special is a global independent creative group with offices in Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Los Angeles, Wellington and London.

• specialgroup.com/nz