Lucy Sundberg’s The One Show Diary Wrap-Up: Judging the work that really walks the talk
Impact Strategist Lucy Sundberg, part of the founding team at Regan Labs and Fractional Chief Innovation Officer at Unless, was one of two Australian representatives on this year’s The One Show Green Pencil jury. In this exclusive recap for Campaign Brief, Sundberg reflects on her first time judging at a major awards show, and how the best work in sustainability didn’t just talk purpose, it restructured systems.
As someone who hasn’t spent much time in the world of advertising awards, judging the Green Pencil category at The One Show for the first time was eye-opening. I was pleasantly reminded by the industry’s ability to take on big, messy issues and distill them into moments of clarity that can genuinely land in culture. That’s a superpower we desperately need in the climate and sustainability space—where eco-anxiety is real, and most people feel more powerless than powerful. Great creative can flip that.
The entries that stood out weren’t just greenwashing campaigns wrapped in a slick typeface—they were bold, heartfelt, and designed with long-term community and planetary resilience in mind.
While judging, I held two big questions alongside the formal criteria:
1. Is this tackling a root cause — or just applying a shiny band-aid?
The strongest work looked at solving problems as part of a bigger system, not in isolation. These entries explored the interconnected nature of environmental, social and economic issues, and worked deeply with communities rather than offering surface-level fixes that risked unintended consequences.
2. Is the business walking the talk?
Great creative is only half the story. Where I could, I tried to understand what sat behind the work—was the organisation aligned in what they said and what they did? Or was this just a feel-good moment while business-as-usual continued in the background? Authentic transformation isn’t neat, linear or easy—but it does need to stretch beyond the comms team.
For me, one stand-out entry was Seeding Songs. Seeding Songs tackled a root cause of deforestation — economic dependency on harmful work — by reviving local traditions to teach agroforestry through music. This creative, culturally grounded approach created the conditions for Amazonian communities to shift to regenerative livelihoods, providing income while restoring the forest, for the long-term. Crucially, the project didn’t just communicate purpose – it restructured supply chains. Veja, one of the businesses behind the project, embedded social justice and sustainability into multiple aspects of the business model: from their sourcing strategy to repair and reuse circular economy practices and fair production processes. That’s what it means to truly walk the talk.
Grateful to have been part of this year’s judging, and hopeful for what the industry might seed next as it deepens its work with communities and dives into our complex systemic challenges.