The Advertising Specialty Institute^® (ASI) has been honored with an international Hermes Creative Award for its Diversity & Inclusion campaign.

“I am particularly honored that ASI was recognized for its response in the wake of last summer’s worldwide social reckoning,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of ASI. “My ultimate hope is that each of us continue these important discussions with our own friends, family and co-workers so we can keep asking the hard questions and listen – really listen – to the answers. All of us need to listen and grow all year long, and not just during national holidays or times of public awakenings.”

ASI’s Diversity & Inclusion Campaign earned a platinum award in the category of Public Relations/Communications/Strategic Programs/Corporate Social Responsibility Program.

ASI’s months-long efforts started with a four-part series of mandatory, all-company discussions on racism and injustice led by a local therapist, Dr. George James. The initial goal was to provide a forum for employees to learn, share and ask sometimes uncomfortable questions of themselves and each other. The discussions led to the establishment of four corporate-wide guiding principles: Leadership, Recruitment, Education and Equality, as well as the launch of a Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) blog and a reinvigorated D&I employee-led council – the latest initiatives in a years-long effort to live up to the principles of fairness and inclusion at the heart of ASI.

ASI employees receiving the award include Carol Albright, Lorianne Harris, Jamaal Jackson, Virginia Lucas, Shelby Kay, Miranda Doane, Eva Kailian, Stephanie Turner-Scott, Cristina Alcine, Sara Lavenduski and Dawn Shurmaitis.

The Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition for creative professionals involved in the concept, writing and design of traditional and emerging media. The 2021 competition received about 6,000 entries from throughout the U.S. and 30 countries, with 15% of entries winning platinum, 20% gold and 10% an honorable mention award. ASI competed against companies and organizations like Nestlé, Airbnb and the American Medical Association.

Hermes Creative Awards recognizes outstanding work in the industry while promoting the philanthropic nature of marketing and communication professionals. The awards are administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP), an international organization of several thousand marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, digital media production, and freelance professionals.