fluent360, Nissan and TGI Fridays® Receive Multiple Honors at the 7th Annual Shorty Impact Awards

fluent360, a cultural hub and industry-leading multicultural advertising agency, has been named a 7th Annual Shorty Impact Awards Honoree in the Black-Owned Business and Media Partnership categories for the “Driving the Beat” and “Behind the Dish” campaigns, created for clients Nissan North America and TGI Fridays™ respectively.

“Driving the Beat” is an original song created for Next Up, Nissan’s award-winning campaign. Next Up’s goal was to offer original branded content that gives dimension to the untold stories of Black innovators who are impacting American culture in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM).

“Innovation and creativity are at the heart of Nissan. When given an opportunity to highlight the ingenuity of the African American community, we embraced it and are immensely proud of the outcome,” said Allyson Witherspoon, vice president and U.S. chief marketing officer, Nissan Motor Corporation. “Behind the Dish” is TGI Fridays’ first Black History Month social campaign that showcased and championed lesser-known African Americans who create culinary dishes that are now staples of American cuisine.

“Sharing stories about how African American creations positively influence society was the goal behind “Driving the Beat” and “Behind the Dish,” because their creations are often enjoyed, but not always credited as their own,” said Jose Suaste, fluent360 Chief Creative Officer.

The Shorty Impact Awards honor the very best of digital and social media by the most purposeful and influential brands, agencies and organizations, whose work makes the world a better place.

“Receiving not one, but multiple honors from the Shorty Impact Awards informs us we are not just excelling in our industry, we are doing the multicultural voice justice,” said Danielle Austen, fluent360 CEO.

The 7th Annual Shorty Awards winners and honorees were announced on November 16th in an in-person ceremony at the iconic iHeartRadio Theatre in Burbank. With over 200 attendees from all over the world and some of the most distinguished Real Time Academy members.

Shorty Impact Award winners and honorees are chosen by the Real Time Academy (RTA), prominent experts and leaders in digital and social media who have been hand-selected on the basis of their deep industry knowledge, professional reputation and outstanding achievements, including previous Shorty win.

Members of the Academy include Stacey Hoppe (VP, Social Responsibility + Sustainability, Warner Bros. Discovery), Adu Adu (Global Head of Social Media, Logitech), Adrianne C. Smith (SVP and Senior Partner, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, FleishmanHillard), Naz Nazli (Creative Director, Creative X, Facebook), Harjot Singh (Global Chief Strategy Officer, McCann), Dionna Dorsey Calloway (CEO, Creative Ladder), George Walker (Chief Equity Officer, Planned Parenthood Federation of America), Paul Marvucic (Head of Global Responsibility & Creator Product Marketing, TikTok), among others.

ABOUT THE SHORTY AWARDS

The Shorty Awards (also known as “The Shortys”) honors the most innovative work in digital and social media by brands, agencies, and organizations. Founded in 2008, the Shortys’ notable previous winners include Malala Yousafzai, Trevor Noah, Michelle Obama, Conan O’Brien, Lady Gaga, Lizzo, and brands such as Marvel Studios, HBO, Red Bull, Airbnb, Nestle, and BMW. The Shortys’ mission is to celebrate, inspire and push the boundaries of excellence in digital storytelling. Entries are judged on the merits of creativity, strategy, and engagement by the Real Time Academy, a body of hand-selected industry experts and leaders. The public can also weigh in and select their favorite Shorty Awards contenders during Audience Honor Voting. Currently, the Shortys have two annual competitions, the flagship Shorty Awards and Shorty Impact Awards dedicated to honoring the best work with a positive social impact.