AKQA picks up Agency of the Year award while Profero scoops Campaign of the Year.
AKQA was named the most consistent agency in 2010 at last night’s Creative Showcase Grand Prix awards. The agency was recognized for its performance throughout the year with award winning campaigns for Code Red, Nike Grid, Pot Noelde and Nike True City.
Profero picked up the highly prized Best Creative Campaign of 2010 award for its Mini World Record campaign to promote the launch of the Mini Countryman.
Tasked with engaging one million people with the Mini Countryman, Profero challenged the British public to help smash the world record for the number of people squeezed into one of their cars - digitally.
The agency installed a life-size fiberglass replica of the new Countryman in shopping centres and train terminals in eight major cities across the UK. With the latest in digital technology they enabled people to create video footage of themselves in onsite video capture booths, to upload that footage and then immediately see it projected onto the inside of the car, as if they were packed tightly inside.
Unit 9’s Piero Frescobaldi praised the campaign for its “use of technology that is immediate, seamless and fun and mostly creates a connection. What most experiences claim to do without achieving it”.
FreshNetworks picked up the Creativity in Social Media award for its work with Jimmy Choo. The agency used Foursquare to create the Jimmy Choo Trainer Hunt, an innovative campaign which invited Foursquare users to follow Jimmy Choo trainers across the web.
Luxury brands are often reluctant to trial new technology but Jimmy Choo successfully used a new social media tool to support the launch of a new product, and increase sales from the new range. This led Foursquare's Head of Business Development, Tristan Walker, to describe the Jimmy Choo Trainer Hunt as “probably my favourite campaign that I’ve seen in social media. Period.”
Visit England’s Constandina Milios praised the campaign, saying: “It’s great to see how a luxury brand can interact with its audience in such a creative, innovative and surprising manner, particularly to launch a new product.”
Other recognised entries in this category were: 1000 heads with their Tron Legacy campaign for Nokia; OMD UK with their blogger challenge for easyjet; and AKQA with their football social campaign for Nike.
Lucidity and OMD UK were awarded the Creativity in Mobile award for their Can Catch Augmented Reality campaign for Carlsberg. OMD UK and Lucidity Mobile collaborated to create a UK first – mobile markerless augmented reality gaming which featured an interactive on-pack game triggered by the existing Carlsberg packaging.
Consumers were invited to download an iPhone app which was promoted via mobile media and Facebook. They then could play “Can Catch” in 3D on their device.
Campaign magazine’s Sara Kimberley praised the campaign, saying: “The app is unique and highly innovative. On-pack promotion matched with augmented reality is brilliantly creative and is a first for a UK drinks brand which shows great innovation. The game is not only hugely engaging for its male target audience but pushes the boundaries of mobile communication.”
Other entries recognised in this category were: Agency Republic with the Great Niggle Nobble campaign for O2 and Dare with the My Fry campaign for Penguin.
Adjust Your Set won the Creativity in Video award for their work with Marks & Spencer. As part of the M&S TV campaign, Adjust Your Set created a range of unique formats to drive a number of different business objectives including: makeover shows with Myleene Klass; fashion trend edits; buying guides for electrical goods; cooking shows; guides to styling your home; wine buying guides; and corporate social responsibility films.
Bill Gash, IAB Video Council Chair and Regional Sales Director at Ooyala praised the campaign stating: “M&S has invested in useful, quality content which has to serve as a beacon for many more businesses that, to be noticed and be relevant, have to offer engaging, useful, rewarding experiences through video content.”
Double Fusion took top prize in the Creativity in Game category for their work on the Nike World Cup campaign. Jack Wallington, IAB Games Steering Group Chair, praised the campaign saying: "Nike has carefully planned and seamlessly executed an innovative use of in-game advertising to reach a mainstream audience with live updates from World Cup matches within virtual football matches. This perfect pairing of brand, audience and a worldwide event within a game is an example other brands should follow."
O2 picked up the IAB Unthink Your Brand Advertiser Award, a contest judged by the IAB which recognises advertisers who have embraced digital, celebrating them for bravery within digital communications as well as innovative execution.
Through the Great Niggle Nobble campaign created by Agency Republic, O2 set out to recognise the frustrations of thousands of home broadband users. They listened to consumer’s niggles and wanted to show that they are determined to champion these issues on behalf of customers. O2 characterised these broadband niggles in a fun and engaging multi-channel campaign, highlighting the lengths they were going to nobble them.
LBi’s Simon Gill praised the campaign for being “a simple fun packed idea that proves intelligent game play really helps a brand engage over and above normal expectations. Integrating the mobile app with the physical world adds to its addictive nature.”
Other notable advertisers singled out for praise were Nike, Green Party and Fosters.
To view pictures from the night, click here.
Thanks to all our judges:
Dave Bedwood, Lean Mean Fighting Machine
Ben Carter, Betfair
Rich Coggin, Greenroom Digital
Joseph Fernandez, Pitch Digital
Piero Frescobaldi, unit9
Jeremy Garner, Weapon 7
Bill Gash, Ooyala
Simon Gill, LBi
Craig Goode, Brahm
Geoff Gower, AIS London
Dan Harrison, Dare
Nick Jones, the COI
Laura Jordan-Bambach, LBi
Sara Kimberley, Campaign
Martin Lorraine, AMV BBDO
Gordon MacMillan, Brand Republic
Jon Mew, IAB
Constandina Milios, Visit England
Oliver Newton, Starcom Mediavest
Guy Phillipson, IAB
Stephen Reed, Beattie McGuinness Bungay
Matt Ross, Tribal DDB
Jon Sharpe, Play
Stefan Shaw, The Creative Partnership
Phil Townend, Unruly Media
Jack Wallington, IAB
Jonny Watson, Dare
James Woods, Grand Union
