The ADCC Awards is one of the bigger shows on the calendar, creating an opportunity for an organization like NABS to get in front of creatives and other advertising pros.

But how does the non-profit fit its message – which is to support individuals in the media, marketing and communications industries who are faced with mental health struggles and unemployment – in between the parade of winners and speeches?

Amid the winners announced at last week’s awards gala was Symmetry Design Group, for a campaign called “Mindworks Labs.” As someone from the agency came to the stage, it became clear that he was going far beyond the standard acceptance speech. He explained how the project came around the same time as the death of his father, which made him realize that he wasn’t seeing the people closest to him and that anxiety and depression had been creeping up on him. As he tells the audience that he eventually turned to NABS for help, the number for the organization’s helpline came across the screen behind him.

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The design firm and campaign were, of course, made up, though the story he told may have resonated authentically with the audience. Cossette enlisted an actor to deliver the speech, part of a campaign in support of NABS during what is both a busy awards season and a time of year when agency staff can feel stretched particularly thin. At the Agency of the Year awards last month, NABS slipped its own video into the traditional, industry-spoofing show reels created by shortlisted agencies.