We are thrilled to announced we’ve been recognised as an honouree at the Webby Awards, for our work Polished Man.
We’re feeling pretty chuffed because the Webbys are kind of… a big deal. The New York Times has referred to it as the Internet’s Highest Honour, while some have nicknamed it the “Oscars of the Internet”.
The Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, with a judging body of over one thousand industry experts.
Polished Man was recognised in the Online Film and Video Animation category, alongside some pretty impressive names.
They include Google Creative Lab and gaming giant Electronic Arts, as well as works created for household brands Google Play, Bratz, Gatorade and YouTube.
Polished Man was designed to raise awareness for a campaign by non-profit organisation YGAP. It encourages men to paint one fingernail as a public show of support for ending violence against children during the month of October. So far, more than three thousand Polished Men have signed up, with over 370 thousand dollars raised.
YGAP’s CEO Elliot Costello came up with the idea for Polished Man after a visit to Cambodia.
One evening, he met Thea, a victim of abuse. Defying language barriers, the two played naughts and crosses and other games for hours. Then, at the end of the night, Thea drew a heart on Elliot’s palm and painted all of his nails blue.
In just five days, our team managed to create this remarkable depiction of Thea’s story. Presented in the style of a children’s storybook, it aims to dispel the myth that all children’s lives are fairytales. It uses detailed frame-by-frame animation to detail both Thea’s whimsical dreams as well as her dark nightmares.
The guys in the studio are pretty excited about this one. “The Webbys are one of the most prestigious, sought after awards in the biz," said Jumbla Head of Production Steve Bradshaw. "To be an honouree the first time we entered anything is a real, well, honour!”