Palau Pledge honored with Black Pencil award of the decade

PALAU—The Palau Pledge, which means every visitor to Palau must promise to act in an ecologically responsible manner, has again been honored with a prestigious international award, winning Black Pencil of the Decade in a virtual ceremony that took place in London last week.

The awards, presented by the British D&AD (Design & Art Directors), recognize and celebrate the best of global creativity and design in communications, and are considered the pinnacle of excellence by the marketing industry. D&AD Black Pencils are extremely rare, with judging rated the toughest in the world. Palau Pledge received two of these prestigious awards in 2018, making it one of only two projects in the world ever to do so.

This latest accolade was awarded after an online public vote of the best creative work of the last decade. Out of 17 Black Pencils awarded globally in the last 10 years, just three projects were recognized as Black Pencil of the Decade, with Palau Pledge being one of them.

The Palau Pledge means that, upon entry to Palau, visitors need to sign a passport pledge to act in in an ecologically responsible manner on the island, for the sake of Palau’s children and future generations of Palauans, making Palau the first nation on earth to change its immigration laws for the cause of environmental protection.

When the original Black Pencils were awarded in 2018, D&AD judges said Palau Pledge won because it was “an idea that drives positive change and has the potential to impact the world.”

Tim Lindsay, D&AD chair, said, “Palau Pledge is a striking example of the importance of creativity and creative people in addressing the planet’s problems. The campaign unifies environmental consciousness with beautiful design, and marks a new chapter for country branding and identity. Every nation should be inspired. It is no surprise that the industry chose this as their favorite Design Black Pencil of the Decade. It really is one of a kind.”

First lady Debbie Remengesau, who chairs the Palau Legacy Project, said, “We are grateful to everyone who voted for Palau Pledge to receive this incredible honor. In doing so, they have helped us shine an international light on the cultural and environmental challenges facing our children here in Palau, and around the world. We are proud that Palau Pledge has again started a global movement; continuing our tradition of conservation world firsts (in the vein of the Palau National Marine Sanctuary and our Nuclear Free Constitution). As a mother and grandmother myself, passing on a home that can sustain our children is very important to me. Now, more than ever, we must all come together: governments, corporations and citizens to protect and preserve our children’s future.

“I would especially like to thank our partners at host/Havas in Sydney for all their dedication, hard work and commitment in bringing Palau’s culture of conservation to life through the Palau Pledge. And, also the Australian government grant, helping us continue the important private sector education work in Palau.

Australian Ambassador to Palau, Richelle Turner said, “Palau Pledge is an incredible initiative and this latest award is testimony to the strong conservation culture of the Palauan people. As a fellow Pacific island nation, Australia shares Palau’s commitment to ocean health and supports Palau’s important conservation initiatives. It’s wonderful that our two countries are again collaborating on the creation of the second phase of Palau Pledge, via the work of Host/Havas in Sydney. We hope this important work, and continued international recognition, will help contribute to the recovery of Palau’s tourism economy post COVID-19.”

For more information about the Palau Pledge, visit palaupledge.com. (PR)