Custom Media Wins Gold and Bronze at London Awards

Gonged for children’s cancer charity project and artist video

TOKYO, JAPAN, Nov. 24, 2022—Creative marketing and communications agency Custom Media won two top prizes at the annual Digital Impact Awards Asia.

The London-based Digital Impact Awards was launched in 2010 and expanded to Asia last year. Run by Cravenhill Publishing, the awards are an industry-wide benchmark for excellence in digital stakeholder engagement in the region.

Custom Media won the Gold prize for “Best Use of Digital to Aid a CSR Campaign” in recognition of its vital fundraising for Shine On! Kids (SOK), and the Bronze prize was awarded for “Best Use of Online Video” to promote the David Hewett Studio & Gallery.

Custom Media CEO Robert Heldt said: “We’re truly honored to be recognized by the Digital Impact Awards Asia. These accolades wouldn’t have been possible without our creative and passionate team members who helped make both of these projects possible.”

Custom Media developed an engaging, effective and simple-to-use gaming app to raise funds at the sell-out Executive Fight Night (EFN) in Tokyo to support SOK’s innovative Facility Dogs Program at children’s hospitals around Japan. Using the app, EFN guests tried to pick the winning boxer in each bout, with all proceeds going to SOK. Overseen by Custom Media volunteers on the night, the app raised ¥6.2 million at the event in May.

Kimberly Forsythe-Ferris, co-founder of SOK, said: “We’re so happy to hear that Custom Media has received a Digital Impact Award through their work with Shine On! Kids! They’ve been a long-time partner of our organization, and the app they designed for Executive Fight Night was not only fun to use, it helped drive our proceeds on the night to new heights! We’re looking forward to working with them again next year.”

For David Hewett, one of Japan’s most celebrated foreign artists, Custom Media visited his studio in Karuizawa, Nagano-ken, to produce a compelling video that put a spotlight on his award-winning work and illustrious career. Custom Media’s in-house video team created a voiceover script in English and Japanese and skillfully edited the images to give viewers a keen sense of the breadth of Hewett’s projects over the years and his originality as an artist.

Hewett said: “I am thrilled to learn that the video that Custom Media created to introduce my art to the world has been honored with a Digital Impact Award. It was no easy task to create something that clearly and movingly depicted a 30-year career in just a few minutes, and they did an incredible job. I have received many compliments on the video, and it has helped me share my work with potential collaborators around the world.”

“The pandemic has meant that companies have needed to engage with stakeholders through digital touch points,” said Andrew Thomas, founder and publisher of Communicate magazine in an article about the 2022 awardees. “What we didn’t expect was that they would do so with such creativity, ingenuity and flair.”

Custom Media Publisher Simon Farrell said: “Our CSR projects are among the most rewarding work that we do, and we also really enjoy working with such inspiring professionals as David Hewett and Kimberly Forsythe-Ferris.”