Motiv startup team (From left to right) Ara Soudjian, Diran Yanikian, and Anthony Wiktor
HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—At this year’s Webby Awards— the Academy Awards for website design — a team of up-and-comers is taking on the corporate giants. Motiv, a San Francisco-based venture that makes an award-winning smart ring, received a nomination in the Advertising, Media & PR Products and Services category. Their competitors in this category are Adidas, Uber, Google, and Project Muze (a collaboration between Google and fashion retailer Zolando).
What makes this nomination even more atypical is that Motiv’s website was not produced by a large agency, but by a tight-knit coalition of up-and-coming creative professionals and boutique shops. The team includes Marketing Strategist David Sperry, independent Creative Director Anthony Wiktor, web development team Dirango led by Diran Yanikian, and video production studio Friendly Filmworks led by Ara Soudjian. Operating out of a converted studio in the Hollywood Media District, the team set out to “capture Motiv’s combination of fashion and technology in a responsive interactive site,” says Wiktor. “It took a lot of sleepless nights, but we created a digital experience with the same feel and polish that the big agencies deliver,” says Yanikian.
David Sperry, principal of marketing consultancy, Mutant Unicorn, the agency responsible for selecting the trio of shops, noted that he originally reached out to Wiktor and his team because of their “visionary, modern aesthetic. I trusted them with bringing the Motiv brand from idea to reality and it paid off.” Sperry notes that the team’s work was singled out as one of the five best in the world in its category (and among the top 9% of all work entered).
As a nominee, Motiv is also eligible to win a Webby People’s Voice Award, which is voted online by fans across the globe. From now until April 20th, Motiv fans can cast their votes at voteformotiv.com “We enjoy working with companies like Motiv that are trying to challenge the status quo because that’s part of our DNA too. We’re looking forward to earning the votes from all those who like supporting the underdog,” adds Soudjian.
Winners will be announced on Tuesday, April 25, 2017, and honored at a star-studded ceremony on Monday, May 15, 2017, at Cipriani on Wall Street in New York City. There they will have an opportunity to deliver one of The Webby Awards’ famous 5-Word Speeches. Past 5-Word Speeches include: Steve Wilhite’s “It’s Pronounced “Jif” not ‘Gif’; Stephen Colbert’s “Me. Me. Me. Me. Me.”; and Björk ‘s “A E I O U.”
Founded in 2013 and based in San Francisco, Motiv Ring is the first highly advanced wearable device that changes the way people measure activity and sleep. The Motiv Ring won Best of Innovation at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show. For more information, see http://mymotiv.com.
About Mutant Unicorn: A collaborative marketing consultancy consisting of designers, developers and If you have any questions regarding information in these press releases please contact the company listed in the press release. Our complete disclaimer appears here strategists with a passion for building unique product experiences. They exist to help brands grow by understanding, attracting, and connecting with their people. For more information, see mutantunicorn.com
Twice featured in Web Design Magazine’s Hot 100, Wiktor has award-winning experience in visual design and brand development. For more information, see anthonydesigner.com.
About Dirango: Consisting of engineers and developers, Dirango specializes in creating websites for a diverse array of clients, from startups to public agencies. For more information, see dirango.com.
About Friendly Filmworks; Founded by award-winning director Ara Soudjian, this L.A.-based studio produces commercials, music videos, webisodes, and reality TV for clients ranging from major record labels to Fortune 500 companies. For more information, see friendlyfilmworks.com.
Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, Film & Video, Advertising, Media & PR, Mobile Sites & Apps, Social and Podcasts & Digital Audio. Established in 1996, The Webby Awards received 13,000 entries from all 50 states and 70 countries worldwide this year. The Webby Awards is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: Google, Vitamin T, EY, YouTube, WP Engine, Advertising Age, Billboard, Creativepool, Daily Pnut, Digiday, FITC, General Assembly, It’s Nice That, Mashable, Northside Festival, NUMA, Protein, RGD, Social Media Week, SoDA, Springwise, Sysomos, Taste Talks, The Hollywood Reporter, TubeFilter, WeRSM, WNYC.
Source: Asbarez
Link: Soudjian, Yanikian Nominated in Webby Awards