As a nonprofit organisation whose mission is to support the global creative community, The One Club has a long history of creative activism projects that invite creatives to use their talents to address important causes. These projects, such as the We Are One brief to promote messages of unity, hope and resistance against intolerance and xenophobia, have resulted in social media and billboard campaigns in major markets, says The One Club.

The latest such initiative is the Get Out the Vote brief, from the club's Young One Student Awards and Education department. The brief is global and nonpartisan in its politics, favouring no specific candidate, party, or belief. The only objective is to increase overall voter participation in elections around the world.

Top entrants win cash prizes totaling USD$15 000: the Grand Prize worth of USD$5 000, two runner-ups win USD$2 500 each, and five finalists each receive USD$1 000, adds The One Club.

The competition, which is free to enter, challenges students globally to develop print, video, social media or activation campaigns that address one of the following categories:

 Participation — Creating A Culture of Voting and Participation

  • Too many young people sit out elections because they feel like their vote won't change anything or the process is too confusing.  
  • Entries for this category should speak directly to the doubts that keep this generation from showing up, with the goal being increased turnout.

Relevance — Make Voting Relevant to Culture 

  • Voting is more than a civic act. It's a cultural one. The ideas, values, aesthetics and identities shaping this generation should also impact on how participation looks in the world. 
  • Entries for this category should define what belonging, influence and collective power look like, and make voting feel relevant to culture.

Community — Vote Early, Vote Together 

  • Voting early is not just about convenience. It’s about momentum. When people make a plan and show up together, voting becomes a shared act that builds energy and visibility.  
  • Entries for this category should go beyond just encouraging people to cast a ballot, and help turn participation into something people do with pride and intention with others.  By positioning early voting as an act that’s both social and contagious, the campaign should strive to turn a civic duty into a shared experience.

The competition is open for entry to students globally aged 18 or older who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate university programme, graduate programme, or portfolio programme. Recent graduates also are eligible, if their graduation date is no earlier than 13 March 2025. A complete list of eligibility and submission requirements is available on the entry website, says The One Club.

Deadline for entry is Monday, 31 August, with winners announced in mid-September. While the brief is a global initiative to drive voter participation in all countries, any winning work from the United States would run across digital and out-of-home placements during the final stretch of the country's November mid-term elections.

In addition to receiving cash prizes, winners will also have their work posted on The One Club's social channels and website, and considered for real-world placement through the club's Out-of-Home and media partners, including potentially on digital billboards in major high-traffic areas, adds The One Club.

Entries will be judged by a group of global creative leaders — Chief Creative Officers, Executive Creative Directors, and independent creatives from the world's leading agencies and studios — who served on juries for The One Club's 2026 One Show and Art Directors Club ADC 105th Annual Awards, two of the world's top advertising and design awards. By entering, students will have the rare opportunity to get their work in front of top-level senior creative professionals.

"This generation of young people has never been both more capable of shaping what their country looks like, but also never more uncertain about whether their voice actually matters," says Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club. "We want to hear from the next generation of creative talent, and see their recommendations for the most effective ways to connect with the public, build community, and get more people to the polls."

For more information, visit www.oneclub.org. You can also follow The One Club on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, or on TikTok.

*Image courtesy of contributor