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Category
Typography / Typeface Design
Annual ID
OS24_DE003G
About the Work
The U.N. predicts that 90% of the world’s languages could be extinct within the century. Pulaar, the language of the Fulani people, a West African community of 60 million people spread across the world, was one of them. Pulaar had no writing system. In 1989, two brothers, Abdoulaye and Ibrahima Barry, wanting to change that, began working on an alphabet for Pulaar.
The brothers called it, ADLaM – an acronym translating to: “the alphabet that will prevent a people from being lost.”
Microsoft worked closely with the Barry Brothers, their community, typeface experts and cultural specialists to revise, optimize and digitize their alphabet – bringing their people to the digital age and preserving their culture for generations to come.
Microsoft’s singular goal was to increase access to ADLaM and increase the chances for the language to thrive. Microsoft launched it and made it accessible on over 1 billion devices running Microsoft 365 applications. This newfound access was embraced by local businesses. It resulted in new schools opening in Guinea, Sierra Leon and the Gambia. It inspired the community to begin co-creating the first ADLaM dictionary in social media with #ADLaMRe. And it was adopted by Google who incorporated the typeface into Google Fonts.
Microsoft didn’t stop with expanding access alone. Learning tools, children’s books, instructional workbooks and school posters were also developed to help teach the alphabet in West Africa and celebrate Fulani culture.
With this global support from Microsoft, governments took notice. Mali is in the process of recognizing ADLaM as an official alphabet in their constitution. And Guinea has recently integrated it in their Sustainable Development Strategy with the goal of teaching ADLaM to 2 million children within 5 years. A vast increase to the 30,000 new ADLaM students already seen as a success in 2023.
The brothers called it, ADLaM – an acronym translating to: “the alphabet that will prevent a people from being lost.”
Microsoft worked closely with the Barry Brothers, their community, typeface experts and cultural specialists to revise, optimize and digitize their alphabet – bringing their people to the digital age and preserving their culture for generations to come.
Microsoft’s singular goal was to increase access to ADLaM and increase the chances for the language to thrive. Microsoft launched it and made it accessible on over 1 billion devices running Microsoft 365 applications. This newfound access was embraced by local businesses. It resulted in new schools opening in Guinea, Sierra Leon and the Gambia. It inspired the community to begin co-creating the first ADLaM dictionary in social media with #ADLaMRe. And it was adopted by Google who incorporated the typeface into Google Fonts.
Microsoft didn’t stop with expanding access alone. Learning tools, children’s books, instructional workbooks and school posters were also developed to help teach the alphabet in West Africa and celebrate Fulani culture.
With this global support from Microsoft, governments took notice. Mali is in the process of recognizing ADLaM as an official alphabet in their constitution. And Guinea has recently integrated it in their Sustainable Development Strategy with the goal of teaching ADLaM to 2 million children within 5 years. A vast increase to the 30,000 new ADLaM students already seen as a success in 2023.
2024 Awards
Total Points: 45
Gold Pencil
Credits
Agency
McCann / New York
Client / Brand
Microsoft
Chief Creative Officer
Pierre Lipton
Shayne Millington
Chief Marketing Officer
Chris Capossela
Chief Strategy Officer
Emily Portnoy
Erica Yahr
Composer
John Chris Barnes
Creative Director
Steve Foyle
Design Director
Mook Phoungbut
Designer
Chocho Han
Malik Dupree
Executive Producer
James Dean Wells
Group Creative Director
Christiano Abrahao
Luke Flynn
Photographer
Khadija Farah
Producer
Kaity Butcher
Strategist
Steve Wiens
ACD, Art Director
Kazuo Kubo
ACD, Copywriter
Lucas Ribeiro
Associate Strategist
Kyla Jackson
Chief Creative Officer, North America
Sean Bryan
EVP, Global Executive Creative Director
Pete Johnson
EVP, Global Executive Creative Director & Head of Art NA
Cristina Reina
EVP, Head of Design
Matt van Leeuwen
GCD Art Director
Guilherme Racz
GCD Copywriter
Lucas Casao
Global Creative Director
Sven Seger
Partner / Executive Producer
Jeff Church
Senior Creative Technologist
Alicia Foor
Sr. Art Director
Mikey Bready
Sr. Copywriter
Sarah Wagner
Sr. Creative Director
Phyllis Murphy
Sr. Designer
Shyla Lindsey
Typeface Designer
Andrew Footit
Mark Jamra
Neil Patel
VP, Strategy Director
Amadeo Plaza
Account Executive
Toyin Lanade
Account Manager
Mama Kane
ADLaM Co-Creator
Ibrahima Barry
Announcer
Sahlima N/a
Audiovisual Production Director
Jean Didi
Brand Content Director
Karina Reck
Business Director, MRM
Adrian Hincu
Business Manager
David Halberstadt
CEO
Amber Guild
Chief Brand Officer
Kathleen Hall
Chief Communications Officer
Anaka Kobzev
Co-Creator of ADLaM
Abdoulaye Barry
Communications Manager
Meredith Luerssen
Creative Lead
Morgan Visconti
Director / Photographer
Andrew Zeitner
Director of Advertising
Steve Simmons
Director of Global Brand Marketing
Aleksey Fedorov
Director of Music, BA Licensing
Jamie Jou
EVP, Head of Communications
Mikaela Liboro
General Manager
Carol Phillips Hutchinson
Lori Gross
Global Brand Experience Director
Krystofer Glover
Head of Production
Aaron Kovan
Jr. Music Producer
Madison Rowe
Junior Producer
Travaé Davis
Managing Director
Kevin Nelson
Music + Audio Mix Company
Human Music
President McCann Worldgroup, North America
John Dunleavy
Principal Product Manager
Andrew Glass
Principal Program Manager
Si Daniels
Senior Account Executive
Rachel Zambernardi
Senior Integrated Producer
Jory Sutton
Mj Soler
Senior Music Producer
Colleen Dahlstrom
Senior Project Manager
Catalina Condon
Lauren Kosche
Sr. Comms Manager
Hannah Westing
SVP, Director of Creative Excellence & Operations
Stella Warkman
SVP, Executive Account Director
Socrates Papazoglou
SVP, Executive Integrated Producer
Stacy Flaum
SVP, Global Director of Marketing Communications
Scott Berwitz
SVP, Group Account Director, Global Operations
Karla Kruger
Talent Payment Manager
Lisa Schneider
Textile Expert
Duncan Clarke
Video & Post Production
Craft New York
Video production
Spirit McCann
Videographer
Katie Henry
VP Director Talent Payment
Terry Marcello
VP, Account Director
Gabriella Dickens
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