The Vikings have been named finalists in two categories for the Webby Awards.
"Dear Kyle" is a nominee in Social: Sports for Social Video, and Skol Scribbles is a nominee in Social: Sports for Social Content Series & Campaigns.
The Webby Awards honor the best of the internet from around the world. The New York Times calls the Webby Awards "The internet's highest honor."
The Webby Academy selects winners from each category for the Webby Award, but each nominee is also eligible to win a Webby People's Voice Award, which is voted on by the public.
'Dear Kyle': Social Video
"Dear Kyle" centers around Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph and his work in the local community. Rudolph was named the Vikings nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, recognizes players' volunteer and charity work.
The "Dear Kyle" video **showcases the incredible work** Kyle and his wife, Jordan, do in the Twin Cities community and specifically at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital. Instead of asking Kyle to tell the story from his standpoint, the team decided to reach out to those who Kyle has helped throughout his career. Words from the Delgado family reminded Kyle of his small friend who faced indescribable challenges, fought hard but tragically passed away at age 5. Notes came from other patients and family members, people from his hometown of Cincinnati and Elder High School, former Notre Dame Head Coach Charlie Weis and Jordan. The ink — handwritten or typed — made the tattooed tough guy tap his feet and tear up. As the gratitude gushed from page to page, so did he.
Although Kyle was not named this year's Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, the "Dear Kyle" video generated enough social media conversation to help him win the Charity Challenge fan-voting aspect of the Man of the Year program. This victory resulted in an additional $25,000 for the Kyle Rudolph End Zone and the families who rely on the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital.
Skol Scribbles: Social Content Series & Campaign
In an increasingly saturated social media environment, the Minnesota Vikings are always in search of clever, unique ways to capture their fans' attention. On platforms like Snapchat and Instagram Stories, the Vikings have a matter of seconds to captivate someone and encourage him or her to interact back and forth.
After a successful first season of implementing Skol Scribbles on Snapchat, the team decided to expand the program to Instagram Stories and simplify the process for participation. Artist Evan Garber created drawings out of gameday photos and fans had the opportunity to do the same.
"Usually for the creative process, I take a look at a handful of images surrounding key plays from the game. Once we figure out which player and moment to highlight, that's when the fun begins!" Garber explained. "There are so many directions that both I and the fans can take. For the most part, I like to create illustrations that the audience can relate to. Creating a personal connection allows the fans to feel more involved."
When Tuesday came around each week, fans were excited and eager to submit their content for the chance to be featured on the Vikings accounts. Dozens of fans sent in their original artwork with drawings, stickers and funny sayings.
Skol Scribbles is also a finalist for a Shorty Award for Best Use of Snapchat Stories.
Fan Voting for the Webby Awards is open from now until Thursday, April 18 at 10:59 p.m. (CT).
Webby winners will be announced on Tuesday, April 23 and will be honored at the 23rd Annual Webby Awards on May 13 in New York City.
