Socially enterprising star Halle Berry crowned the winners of Chivas Venture’s $1 million prize fund last week at an exclusive event in Los Angeles. Berry, a judge on the night, and Josh Gad, the evening’s host, were both secured by entertainment marketing agency, ITB. For the third consecutive year, the Chivas alcohol brand partnered with ITB to bring talent to the project who felt a genuine passion and connection to what the icnitiative is trying to achieve.
A live audience of business experts, influencers and changemakers saw “Neil” Peetachai Dejkraisak of Siam (below) take home the majority share of the $1 million prize pot. Running since 2014, the initiative is Chivas’ global search for the next big social enterprise, with over 6,000 entrants applying for the chance to receive a share of the fund.
Emma Gregson, ITB Managing Director, comments: “We want to find authenticity and genuine common business sense with the talent that we work with on this project - it’s about finding talent that also believes and supports social entrepreneurship. In the first year, we partnered with Adrian Grenier for the judging panel, and last year it was Eva Longoria, both of whom are very aligned with social causes. When casting, we’re seeking talent with business credentials; talent with business acumen, a level of entrepreneurship and social consciousness. Of course, reach is also important in order to communicate for the brand, but having a conscience and business mind are crucial for catalysing action and activity from participants.”
Halle Berry with Don Cheadle (left) and Javier Bardem (right)
The cause-based partnership is a prime example of an increasing trend in passionate, socially responsible talent aligning themselves with brands that share mutual beliefs, in order to inspire and accelerate social good. Other recent examples of ITB’s work in this space include celebrity social posts for The Body Shop’s recent #ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting campaign and Pharrell Williams and Bionic Yarn’s partnership with GStar Raw for #RawforTheOceans.
When looking to secure talent for a cause-based partnership, ITB Managing Director, Gregson, adds: “Going deeper than just finding the face of a brand, these types of partnerships are about finding talent that is passionate about the cause and using their strength of influence to impact social change. The Venture is a fantastic example of a brand going beyond traditional advertising and doing its part for social good by engaging, utilising and leveraging talent in a more meaningful way.”
