Civilian Agency wins BIG at the Shorty Impact Awards!

On November 20, Civilian had a huge night amid the rococo vibes of The Belasco theater in Downtown LA at the Shorty Impact Awards.

The Shorty Awards celebrate agencies and brands from around the world — from India to Brazil to the UK to the US — who are creating daring campaigns that improve people’s lives, especially those who are marginalized or at risk. Causes include mental health, period poverty and stigma, elder abuse, melanoma detection, driving while Black, and the climate crisis.

What did we win? 

• The website we created for Never a Bother won a Shorty Impact Award in the “best micro-site or blog” category.

In recent years, California’s youth have been facing rising suicide rates, especially in BIPOC communities. Our statewide campaign for the Office of Suicide Prevention, Never a Bother, set out to build a supportive digital space that empowers youth to ask for help, and intervene when worried about a loved one. Our goal was to develop a website that felt like a friend.

We co-created it with youth. Since its launch in April 2024, Never a Bother has already set a new standard for engaging with Gen Z about their mental health.

The website has made a big impact: 1.5 million page views, 1.2 million active users, and 3.6 events per session, indicating high engagement and meaningful interaction with content, a partnership with Megan Thee Stallion, and a notable increase in click-through rates for crisis resources.

• And our own Director of Media Services and our illustrious GOAT, the one and only Lisa Welborn, won Media Planner of the Year!

Lisa led a comprehensive media strategy for Live Beyond, our Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs) awareness campaign for the Office of the California Surgeon General.

Lisa’s forte? Reaching so-called “hard-to-reach” audiences. Using census data, ACEs screening data, and social determinants of health (SDOH), Lisa was able to reach key audiences, including BIPOC and Native communities.

She strategically placed media in high schools, movie theaters, and concert venues in partnership with Live Nation, and more. Live Beyond also had key partnerships with Twitch, Refinery29, and the Drew League, a foundation providing mentorship for Black and Latine youth in South Central LA.

This all led to 900MM total media impressions to youth, caregivers, and impacted communities and 1MM+ website visits, with 25% engaging with the Spanish-language site in the campaign’s first year.

 Plus, Civilian won Audience Honors in every category we were finalists in!

Here’s our full list of wins:

• Never a Bother website
  • WINNER
  • Audience Honor

• Lisa Welborn
  • Media Planner of the Year

• Never a Bother campaign
  • Gold
  • Audience Honor
    
• Live Beyond campaign
  • Audience Honor
    
• Live Beyond user-generated content
  • Gold
  • Audience Honor
    
• Live Beyond partnerships
  • Silver
  • Audience Honor

And yes, if you’re wondering… the statuettes are heavier than they look. During the show we passed them around our two tables of Civilians. Taking pictures of them against the theater backdrop, onstage, in selfies, and on the step-and-repeat were things that never got old.

Check out the winners across all categories; we’re honored to be in such visionary international company. And we’re looking forward to creating more life-changing positive impacts, driven by equal parts solid strategy and creative audacity, in 2025.

Interested in working with us? Send us an email or give us a call — check out our contact page and let’s see how we might be able to help. And follow us on Instagram!