Announcing the winners of the 2021 Adobe Government Creativity Awards

The Adobe Government Creativity Awards (AGCA) saw another strong year for submissions in 2021, receiving more than 600 entries from seven countries.

Founded in 2015, the awards celebrate the talent of creative and design professionals working in the public sector. The entries set a high bar, highlighting the capacity for government agencies to engage audiences with the same level of creativity as the private sector.

Recognizing creative public service

A panel of industry experts evaluated submissions on four criteria: design, effectiveness, creativity, and skill. Projects are recognized in six categories: photography, graphic design, video, web and mobile design, multi-channel campaign, and a new visual communications category. Also making its AGCA debut this year is a special award for an in-house creative team or individual working within a government agency, across any of the six categories.

“It’s not often that our public sector creatives get the recognition that they deserve,” says Elyjah Wilbur, video and multimedia specialist, City of Roseville, California. “AGCA is an incredible opportunity to highlight these creatives and give a glimpse into the hard work that goes into government marketing and communications.”

In all, 56 submissions were recognized, including the seven award winners and 49 finalists.

View the 2021 winners and finalists.

Out-of-this-world winners

Two of this year’s award winners inspired audiences and fostered enthusiasm for U.S. space exploration programs.

The winning multi-channel campaign for NASA Launch America Brand Identity & On-Air Graphics Package built excitement for the first launch of American astronauts to the International Space Station from the U.S. in nearly a decade. The creative team used Adobe Creative Cloud video and design applications to create a visual identity that was applied throughout the broadcast package, animations, social and print graphics, and even the on-air uniforms.

February 2021’s landing of an advanced rover vehicle with a helicopter on Mars was commemorated by the winner in the AGCA graphic design category. The NASA Ames Research Center Exchange Poster Series – Jet Propulsion Labs (Mars Perseverance Rover) celebrates the landmark occasion with a high-quality, limited-edition collectible poster.

Conveying the value of special places

Depending on the medium, it can be difficult to describe and do full justice to unique places in the world. That is where visual communications and videos play a valuable role, delivering more sensory experiences to engage an audience.

Koa Talking to Me, the video category winner created for the National Park Service, increases awareness about the cultural and environmental importance of Haleakala National Park in Maui, Hawaii. The visually stunning video edited with Adobe Premiere Pro features impressive animations and simple titles to tell a compelling story.

In the new AGCA visual communications category, The Utah Office of Tourism’s Let’s Talk Utah: Season 1 was recognized as the winner. The team filmed in a vertical orientation optimized for Facebook and Instagram, using Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects to achieve high post-production values.

Informational and impactful craftwork

In the web and mobile design category, the Pima County Government Intranet Redesign Project garnered the AGCA award for its inclusive, modern design. The web UX/UI team used Adobe XD to create wireframes, mockups, and interactive designs, with web development done using Adobe Dreamweaver.

#LightCABlue won in the photography category for its initiative to capture local landmarks illuminated in blue light to thank frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project’s photographers organized and edited images using Adobe Bridge, Photoshop Lightroom, and Photoshop. The team also created a compilation video using Premiere Pro, easily transferring work from Lightroom and Photoshop to Premiere Pro.

Rounding out the awards with a project spanning the globe, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) was recognized with the inaugural in-house award for its COVID-19 “Take Responsibility” Sing-along. The inspiring and uplifting video features ECA alumni joining in a sign along promoting peaceful relations.

View all 2021 submissions at the AGCA Virtual Gallery.