Celebrating Excellence in Technology and the Web at the 18th Annual Webby Awards

2014 is certainly a year of milestones. As Dell marks its 30th anniversary this month, we’re also excited to don our party hats for another momentous occasion. The web turned 25 on March 11, and as spring blooms in New York City, it’s finally time to celebrate.

Photo of several Webby awards sitting on a tableWe’ve partnered with the Webby Awards to host the 18th Annual Webby Awards on May 19th, honoring the entrepreneurs, innovators and developers who have achieved excellence in technology and the web. And we couldn’t be prouder of our 50+ customers who used Dell technology to power their inspiring ideas that connect our online culture.

And the day before the Webby’s, Sunday, May 18, we’re excited to host many of those Webby winners and power the famous 5 Word Speeches at the latest #DellVenue pop-up experience in New York’s hip Soho neighborhood.  The winners will film their acceptance speeches and have any opportunity to check out Dell’s latest Venue tablets, XPS laptops, including the Developer Edition, and All-in-Onesand Dell Precision workstations and UltraSharp displays to edit and produce the winners’ video interviews. 

The speeches will be played throughout the ceremony, and we can’t wait to hear what memorable sentiments the web’s wittiest are able to convey in just five words. 

Curious whether your favorite app, website or YouTube series made it into the winner’s circle? You can view the 2014 winners here, but in the meantime, here’s a snapshot of a few Dell customer campaigns that wowed the judges:

National Geographic Society – Found and The Serengeti Lion

This year The National Geographic Society will be awarded for two visually-striking campaigns. Found is a curated collection of photography from the National Geographic archives. Started in 2013 to honor the society’s 125th anniversary, the blog showcases photographs that reveal cultures and moments from the organization’s past. The Serengeti Lion is a digital storytelling experiment that allows users to explore the world of the Serengeti lion, getting up close and personal with the Vumbi pride via an interactive compilation of never-before-seen photography and videography.

Google Inc. – Google Zeitgeist – Here's to 2013

Google Zeitgeist is a year-in-review montage showcasing the most popular web searches in 2013.  The commercial provides a moving cultural snapshot spanning the Make-a-Wish Foundation’s Batkid, Nelson Mandela, and the Harlem Shake, among other personalities, trends and news that captured the attention – and search engines – of the world.  

Creative Artists Agency – The Scarecrow

Created for Chipotle Mexican Grill, The Scarecrow is a short animation about a dystopian future ruled by overly processed food, following a scarecrow who despairs at the state of food production and attempts to change the status quo by opening a stall selling fresh produce. The film's soundtrack features Fiona Apple singing 'Pure Imagination' from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and the animation is done by Oscar-winning animators at Moonbot Studios. The Youtube video currently has over 12.5 million views.

Microsoft – Atari Arcade

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer team has partnered with Atari to re-think what the web can be, re-launching Atari Arcade as a free-to-play website hosting classic Atari arcade games. The portal delivers a jolt of nostalgia along with its gameplay, featuring Centipede, Asteroids, Missile Command and half a dozen more classic games, all re-written using HTML5 and JavaScript.

Funny or Die – Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: Justin Bieber

Premiering in September of 2013, Zach Galifianakis sat down with “Baby” singer Justin Bieber in his hilarious interview series Between Two Ferns. Bieber took a beating from the comedian, resulting in an unforgettable video that has since gone viral, currently registering over 20 million views on the Funny or Die site alone.

How would you congratulate our winners if you were limited to just five words? Feel free to post your own 5 Word Speeches in the comment section below.  And be sure to stay tuned for our upcoming ‘Catching up with the Webby Winners’ blog series, to be here on Tech Page One starting in June. 

Logos of all the Webby-winning businesses that are Dell customers

About the Author: Lauren Mauro