USU’s Military Traumatic Brain Injury Initiative Wins 3 Silver 2024 ADDY Awards

The Military Traumatic Brain Injury Initiative (MTBI2), a research program at the Uniformed Services University, won three Silver American Advertising Awards at the 2023-2024 competition for their public service announcement video.

With the bombardment of advertising on television and social media, you may not give second thought to a public service announcement lasting just over one minute and 40 seconds long. Unless that video is an award-winning announcement produced by the Military Traumatic Brain Injury Initiative (MTBI2).

As narrated by Bob Woodruff, ABC news correspondent and a recipient of care from the military health system after suffering a severe head injury while reporting in the Middle East, the video in question exemplifies MTBI2’s mission: to study TBIs not for the sake of science, but for the sake of those who serve our Nation.

A testament to the power of their mission is MTBI2’s win over thousands of competitors. In this year’s ADDY awards, part of the American Advertising Federation Ad Club competition, they won three Silver awards.

The awards were for “Best Video Editing & Sound Design,” “Best Online Video, longer than 60 Secs”, and “Best Public Service Video.” Their competition: multi-billion dollar brands like Dove, Freddie Mac, and the United Way.

The 2024 Washington, D.C., American Advertising Award, referred to as ADDY, is bestowed at the largest and most prestigious competition in the advertising industry. Recognition goes to the very best in the market and entries considered outstanding and worthy of recognition are awarded Silver ADDYs. The event took place March 6th in Washington, D.C.

Originally named the Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, the research program began in 2008. A congressional mandate formed the program as a response to the elevated number of traumatic brain injuries sustained by service members during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

MTBI2, a center within the USU’s Department of Neurology, is a collaboration between USU, the National Institutes of Health, and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

MTBI2 launched their rebrand in August 2023. The drive behind the rebrand was two-fold: the new name better reflects the program’s unique position as a joint federal research program within the U.S. Department of Defense, and the new name highlights the program’s specialized expertise in traumatic brain injury.

Since their establishment, MTBI2 has funded 145 studies and enrolled 10,402 research participants, the majority of whom were service members. MTBI2’s clinical and translational research studies focus on traumatic brain injuries of all causes. With a specialized focus on the crucial minutes, hours, days, weeks, and months after injury, the program seeks to lessen the long-term impact of TBIs.

“MTBI2’s ultimate goal is to develop scientific solutions that help service members impacted by traumatic brain injuries live their healthiest and fullest lives. And, for me, that’s deeply personal. I’ve treated countless service members with traumatic brain injuries stateside and abroad. I’ve seen the lasting effects service members can experience with these injuries,” said MTBI2 Director Army Lieutenant Colonel (Dr.) Bradley Dengler.

“We’re focused on quick, easy-to-use, and accurate scientific tools and treatments that’ll help medical personnel advise commanders on when service members can return to duty, and when far-forward providers should initiate treatments,” said Dengler.

Every single aspect of MTBI2’s rebrand was meticulously planned and crafted with painstaking detail, according to Dengler. The final product is a culmination of thousands of hours of work, 100+ hours of meetings, feedback gathered from 50+ subject matter experts, and countless edits.

The rebrand had 30+ key deliverables that included everything from a revitalized organizational vision to a variety of elevator pitches for MTBI2 staff and investigators to memorize.

“These three awards pay homage to the blood, sweat, and tears shed by the millions of service members, veterans, caregivers, and families who have been impacted by traumatic brain injuries,” says Carly Larkin, a Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine communications manager supporting MTBI2.

“Whether they’re aware of it or not, their advocacy built a legacy of knowledge that made MTBI2’s research possible. MTBI2 would not exist without them. MTBI2 proudly accepts these awards on their behalf,” she continues.

MTBI2’s rebrand will advance to the second tier of the competition. There, ADDY winners from local clubs compete against each other in one of 15 district competitions. If they win the district competition, MTBI2 will then advance to the third tier, the national stage of the American Advertising Awards.