Araneta City wins big at this year’s International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Global Awards after earning two Visual Victories honors for campaigns that championed inclusion and representation.
At the awards ceremony held in Las Vegas on Monday, May 19, the City of Firsts clinched top prizes under the Most Creative Media/Sponsorship Campaign – Local Brand category: a Gold for its 2024 Pride Month activation and a Silver for its 2024 World Autism Awareness Month initiative.
“Our hearts are filled with happiness and gratitude as we accept these recognitions. It means a lot to see that our advocacy campaigns are being appreciated and recognized on a global stage. It reminds us that the City of Firsts is a place where people connect to build communities and tell stories that matter,” Marjorie Go, Vice President for Marketing of Araneta City, said.
The ICSC’s Visual Victories Awards Program honors excellence in visual merchandising and promotional campaigns mounted by retail merchandising units, kiosks, and temporary retailers from around the world.
Araneta City’s 2024 Pride Month campaign transformed Gateway Mall 2 into a vibrant venue of celebration for LGBTQIA+ identity and visibility. Informative panels that featured and explained various LGBTQIA+ flags were craftfully placed at the mall’s activity area, paired with immersive visuals on the Quantum Skyview LED ceiling to help raise awareness and understanding. The campaign, which was held in partnership with TLF SHARE, offered both a celebratory and educational space that drew thousands of visitors throughout June and generated wide organic engagement across social media.
Meanwhile, Araneta City’s 2024 World Autism Awareness Month celebration put a spotlight on the creativity of individuals on the autism spectrum. Held in collaboration with the Philippine Association for Citizens with Developmental and Learning Disabilities, the J. Amado Araneta Foundation, and other organizations, the exhibit showcased artworks created by neurodiverse artists alongside their personal stories. The event was enhanced by a dynamic visual display on the Quantum Skyview LED ceiling, which helped cement the message of empathy, learning, and reflection that the City of Firsts espouses.
“Every now and then, we reimagine our retail spaces as more than just places for shopping, dining, or entertainment. We transform them into community hubs—spaces where people come together to be with family and friends, where relationships are built and strengthened. That is why these recognitions mean something very special for us,” Go concluded.
