2024 Winners

With a staggering 95% of airline pilots in the world being men, chances are you’ve never heard or seen a female pilot. So, easyJet has been on a drive to shift the dial and drive greater diversity within the pilot community by tackling misconceptions about who could have the potential within them to become a real high-flyer and encourage more women to join the profession. The public was put to the test with a real-life pilot aptitude quiz to uncover and inspire a whole new generation of aviators. And where better to grab people’s attention, taking out-of-home advertising to a new level with a real-life female easyJet pilot strapped to a billboard in central London? This head-turning campaign sparked important conversations about diversity in aviation and a slew of earned media.

The judges said: “I liked the simplicity of the execution, using the iconic branding for the audience to easily connect with, while still changing the perceptions of what it takes to be a pilot.”

49% of British farmers expect to be out of business within the next 12 months. The cause? The behaviour of the ‘Big Six’ supermarkets and their suppliers – a lack of commitment, long payment terms and unnecessarily wasted produce – driving British farmers to the brink of extinction. So, organic veg box company Riverford took action. Riverford’s #GetFairAboutFarming campaign led to over 112,000 signatures on a government petition, a response in the House of Lords, the backing of farmers, celebrities, MPs and industry bodies, and a Parliamentary debate on the issue on January 22nd 2024, along with unmissable media headlines.

The judges said: “A powerful advocacy effort that effectively mobilised support from a wide range of stakeholders. The high level of media coverage and significant public support evidenced by over 113,000 petition signatures demonstrate the campaign's impact.”

To spark a new, less scary public health conversation about hearing loss with zero paid budget, Specsavers turned one of the most famously misheard songs into the world’s first mass hearing test by re-recording Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up with the lyrics people have been mishearing for years, then ‘Rick-Rolling’ the nation by releasing it without explanation to make Brits question their ears. Driving a national conversation around hearing loss, over 20 million organic social plays in 8 hours, blanket media coverage and a 1220% above target increase in Specsavers hearing test bookings.

The judges said: “Brilliant campaign - grounded in one of the best strategic insights I've seen.”

We were tasked to create an impactful campaign for ‘Testicular Cancer Awareness Month’ on behalf of the OddBalls Foundation charity. Testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer to affect men between the ages of 15-49. 2,300 men are diagnosed each year – six every day. And testicular cancer is on the rise. Diagnosed cases have more than doubled over the past three decades. Working to a very challenging budget (to deliver a very important message) we harnessed a naturally occurring phenomenon to deliver a simple but impactful message – ‘men, check yourselves.’ The outcome? We delivered the most impactful campaign in the charity’s history, delivering a 375% increase in visits to the self check page.

The judges said: “Brilliant campaign, grounded in one of the best strategic insights I've seen.”

We were tasked to create an impactful campaign for ‘Testicular Cancer Awareness Month’ on behalf of the OddBalls Foundation charity. Testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer to affect men between the ages of 15-49. 2,300 men are diagnosed each year – six every day. And testicular cancer is on the rise. Diagnosed cases have more than doubled over the past three decades. Working to a very challenging budget (to deliver a very important message) we harnessed a naturally occurring phenomenon to deliver a simple but impactful message – ‘men, check yourselves.’ The outcome? We delivered the most impactful campaign in the charity’s history, delivering a 375% increase in visits to the self check page.

The judges said: “A campaign I remember seeing at the time, great campaign and a real conversation starter.”

To encourage the government to change the legislation governing sunbeds, we developed a highly creative and disruptive visual asset to get media and consumers talking about the dangers of melanoma and brought together a panel of spokespeople, patients and sector experts who resonated across multiple media channels. We chose the anniversary of the law being passed as our media hook to increase relevance, and found compelling statistics and data points to provide the why, and the why now. We positioned modern social platforms (notably TikTok) as the enemy, giving traditional media channels a chance to prove their pedigree and respectability.

The judges said: “A well thought-out and brilliantly executed awareness campaign.”

Thanks to modern technology, scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and difficult to spot. But despite this, people still don’t think they’d ever fall for one! And, if they do get stung, they rarely want to admit it — getting scammed is still a taboo subject. To get more families talking about financial fraud, and exchanging inter-generational knowledge, we leveraged the festive family tradition of playing board games to create ‘All Mod Cons’ – a brand new game that was entertaining, educational, and importantly, rooted entirely in NatWest owned-data and research. The results were enough to fill anyone with festive cheer - over 500 pieces of earned coverage, 40M+ in editorial reach and, most importantly, a 17% uplift in visits to the NatWest security hub – where expert help and information was on hand.

The judges said: “Well thought through, properly researched, novel, timely, relatable, unexpected, creative. Great!”

Working with Beavertownn & CALM, Here Be Dragons created ‘Open Up’ - a new range of crisps designed to be shared to enable difficult conversations and support better mental health for mates in the pub. Using the known behaviour of opening up a bag of crisps for the table at the pub, each packet of crisps contained conversation starters, co-created with CALM, to guide conversations with your mates and tease mental health into an environment - and audience - that is notoriously difficult to engage with this topic.

The judges said: “Love the insight, idea and relevance. A simple but refreshing and impactful idea.”

Our campaign – in which missing people alerts were served within the Trainline app – delivered 368 pieces of national and regional media coverage. It reached 87% of the regular traveller core audience for the campaign 2.8 times. Research showed 71% of existing Trainline users felt more favourable towards the brand and traffic to the Trainline app doubled in the week after launch. However, we’re most proud that, in the time the campaign was live, ten families were reunited thanks to our activity.

The judges said: “The impressive media coverage and tangible impact on reuniting families were standout achievements.”

Our campaign – in which missing people alerts were served within the Trainline app – delivered 368 pieces of national and regional media coverage. It reached 87% of the regular traveller core audience for the campaign 2.8 times. Research showed 71% of existing Trainline users felt more favourable towards the brand and traffic to the Trainline app doubled in the week after launch. However, we’re most proud that, in the time the campaign was live, ten families were reunited thanks to our activity.

The judges said: “The brand film was incredibly emotive and the fact ten families have been reunited is just amazing!”

The Meet Your Digital Self campaign for Lenovo and Shout! explores the digital divide between generations and its impact on young people’s mental health. Zeno brought two people’s online personas to life as real time AI-powered 3D avatars. In a world-first, these avatars were capable of having human conversations, meaning a loved one could ask this virtual version anything they wanted to help better understand this side of them. The campaign, framed as a social experiment because it was unscripted, was led by two four-minute online films featuring our chosen protagonists meeting their digital selves, and the avatar also interacting with a relative; someone close to them. It highlights the role that technology can play in facilitating meaningful conversations in the real world and addressing the global youth mental health crisis.

The judges said: “Very impressive and refreshing to see AI being used as a force for good.”

More than two billion eyes were predicted to tune in to the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 hosted in Australia. This presented the perfect opportunity to show off the country as more than just a tournament host but as a destination, full of spirit, sights to see and incredible people. We needed an idea that would drive media attention in the UK and take Australia beyond the sports pages. We decided to invite "That World Cup Guy" Down Under to deliver a destination cut through amongst a lot of football noise. Introducing Andy - the most recognisable fan in British football.

The judges said: “Great fun, great results!”

This was a bold and innovative campaign. We are not experts in this area, but we have a team that understands the role football clubs can play and that has a sincere desire to do good. There was no agency involvement, the outstanding creativity of the idea was matched by the brilliance of the video edit which has created something incredibly powerful. More than 7,500 inbound messages to The Samaritans and countless anecdotal feedback from viewers has shown this campaign has helped save lives. What can be more powerful than that?

The judges said: “So well-crafted, well thought out, and clever. Hats off to the creators. It's great!”

Our campaign for “Partygate” stands out as a bold and brilliantly executed publicity stunt that perfectly captured the essence of Channel 4’s new show. By turning a small budget into a big spectacle, we successfully translated the scandalous and satirical nature of “Partygate” into real-world buzz. Our inventive approach not only caught the eye of leading publications but also created an unforgettable moment.

The judges said: “Brilliant creative, I can see why it would generate some great PR.”

By 2026, it is estimated more than 90% of online content will be generated by AI, posing a threat to real beauty. Ogilvy PR raised awareness of AI’s imminent threat creating a ‘stunt in the feed’, leveraging powerful voices from Dove’s global influencer communities. Influencers showed side-by-side shocking comparisons of their “real” and AI selves, explaining the issue through educating and inspiring users to remove bias from AI tools. To date, the campaign has over 279K engagements, 40.6 million video views, 17.1 million impressions, an estimated reach of 26.2 million and 5,069 downloads of Dove’s ‘Real Beauty Prompt Guidelines’.

The judges said: “A superb, reactive, smart, creative way of ensuring Dove's mission statement remains at the forefront during a period of technological and cultural change.”

To spark a new, less scary public health conversation about hearing loss with zero paid budget, Specsavers turned one of the most famously misheard songs into the world’s first mass hearing test by re-recording Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up with the lyrics people have been mishearing for years, then ‘Rick-Rolling’ the nation by releasing it without explanation to make Brits question their ears. Driving a national conversation around hearing loss, over 20 million organic social plays in 8 hours, blanket media coverage and a 1220% above target increase in Specsavers hearing test bookings.

The judges said: “One of the best insights I've ever seen, which is beautifully brought to life through the creative.”

To spark a new, less scary public health conversation about hearing loss with zero paid budget, Specsavers turned one of the most famously misheard songs into the world’s first mass hearing test by re-recording Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up with the lyrics people have been mishearing for years, then ‘Rick-Rolling’ the nation by releasing it without explanation to make Brits question their ears. Driving a national conversation around hearing loss, over 20 million organic social plays in 8 hours, blanket media coverage and a 1220% above target increase in Specsavers hearing test bookings.

The judges said: “Every time I see this campaign I smile inside. Absolute perfection in concept and execution.”

​​Imagine a world in which Winnie-the-Pooh didn’t have the Hundred Acre Wood. No homes for Owl, Eeyore or Piglet. Christopher Robin, wandering through a baron landscape. This is the alternate telling of the classic tale of Winnie-the-Pooh which we showed the world to frame the problem of deforestation from non-recycled and non-bamboo toilet paper. In this award entry, you’ll read about how this re-telling of the classic story sparked discussion around the globe from NPR to the Washington Post, The Australian, The Guardian and beyond, and inspired 3,000 households to make the switch to eco-friendly toilet paper.

The judges said: “This campaign is so clever, the execution here was exceptional.”

The quick-service restaurant (QSR) category in the UK had moved forward and KFC was viewed as being “past its prime”. As a result, penetration was in decline particularly amongst younger consumers. To drive penetration, our challenge was to modernise the brand and establish KFC as being the iconic leader of chicken.

The judges said: “A simple idea but such bold creativity.”

Imagine not being able to afford basics to keep yourself or your loved ones clean. That's Hygiene Poverty, and it has a heart-breaking impact on children's health, wellbeing and in particular, their education leading to absence, bullying and loss of self-esteem. Based on insight and research amongst teachers and parents in the UK, smol’s Suds in Schools project provided free mini-laundrettes in schools across theUK, installing a washing machine/dryer and providing all the laundry detergent needed to launder uniforms and sports kits for however long families and schools need it. Timed with the start of the new 23/24 school year, an earned media driven crowdfunder campaign raised enough money in just two weeks to fund over 35 Suds in Schools and has opened conversations between smol, TheRoyal Foundation and Donate to Educate about its ongoing development as it looks to reach 75 schools by the end of 2024.

The judges said: “Brilliant. Often we make campaigns to pat each other on the back but THIS was more than that. Tackled the issues we see daily in the news and did something about it. Bravo!”

Soup Kitchen, a London-based independent charity, has been a beacon of hope for the homeless and vulnerable. Its annual Christmas dinner is a highlight, offering patrons not just a meal but an experience of warmth and community. This event stands out as a special occasion, providing hot, nourishing meals complete with all the traditional trimmings, as well as gifts and a carol performance. This is made possible solely through donations to Soup Kitchen. It is the closest thing to a ‘real’ Christmas dinner those attending will experience during the festive period and this makes donations ahead of the event crucial. The primary goal of this campaign was to raise awareness of Soup Kitchen’s vital services - particularly its annual Christmas dinner - while attracting support, volunteers and donations for the charity.

The judges said: “Incredible campaign and approach - brought me to tears reading the entry.”

It’s okay not to be happy all the time. Even more so with kids – have you ever encouraged a child to “stop crying” or “not to be sad”? It’s a common reflex many adults have. The idea that we can’t always be happy is a simple insight and, remarkably, came from a junior creative. A very junior creative, in fact. One night over dinner at home, the 13-year-old daughter of Ready10 founder David Fraser said, “the thing about Happy Meals is, you’re not always happy”. She was right. And that sparked a creative thought, which eventually led to a global, conversation-leading PR campaign. A campaign which drove nearly 2,000 pieces of coverage across five continents. The campaign in question? The Meal, a multi-channel, integrated campaign which saw McDonald’s remove the iconic smile from its Happy Meal boxes.  

The judges said: “A topic that is so important and has been executed brilliantly.”

To spark a new, less scary public health conversation about hearing loss with zero paid budget, Specsavers turned one of the most famously misheard songs into the world’s first mass hearing test by re-recording Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up with the lyrics people have been mishearing for years, then ‘Rick-Rolling’ the nation by releasing it without explanation to make Brits question their ears. Driving a national conversation around hearing loss, over 20 million organic social plays in 8 hours, blanket media coverage and a 1220% above target increase in Specsavers hearing test bookings.

The judges said: “The strategy is one of the clearest articulations of an insight I've ever seen!”

It’s okay not to be happy all the time. Rationally, we know that must be the case, and yet our daily pressures, busy lives and social norms mean that sometimes we forget to be mindful of every emotion. Even more so with kids – have you ever encouraged a child to “stop crying” or “not to be sad”? It’s a common reflex many adults have. The idea that we can’t always be happy is a simple insight and, remarkably, came from a junior creative. A very junior creative, in fact. One night over dinner at home, the 13-year-old daughter of Ready10 founder David Fraser said, “the thing about Happy Meals is, you’re not always happy”. She was right. And that sparked a creative thought, which eventually led to a global, conversation-leading PR campaign. A campaign which drove nearly 2,000 pieces of coverage across five continents and saw its creative in every McDonald’s in the country. The campaign in question? The Meal, a multi-channel, integrated campaign which saw McDonald’s remove the iconic smile from its Happy Meal boxes for the first time ever to spark family conversations about emotions during Mental Health Awareness Week.

The judges said: “Love it. So simple. Super powerful.”

Imagine not being able to afford basics to keep yourself or your loved ones clean. That's Hygiene Poverty, and it has a heart-breaking impact on children's health, wellbeing and in particular, their education leading to absence, bullying and loss of self-esteem. Based on insight and research amongst teachers and parents in the UK, smol’s Suds in Schools project provided free mini-laundrettes in schools across theUK, installing a washing machine/dryer and providing all the laundry detergent needed to launder uniforms and sports kits for however long families and schools need it. Timed with the start of the new 23/24 school year, an earned media driven crowdfunder campaign raised enough money in just two weeks to fund over 35 Suds in Schools and has opened conversations between smol, TheRoyal Foundation and Donate to Educate about its ongoing development as it looks to reach 75 schools by the end of 2024.

The judges said: “Powerful cause and ​​good use of product. It’s lovely that it truly did impact schools, with real results.”

The Restaurant of Imagination wasn't just about Play-Doh launching a new product; it was about reimagining mealtimes and connecting with parents and kids on a deeper level, to ensure Play-Doh maintained positive sentiment in their minds a long time after the event. Transforming the launch into a theatrical and interactive event, we ensured that parents and children alike experienced the magic of Play-Doh's Busy Chef’s Kitchen first-hand. The campaign not only met but EXCEEDED KPIs. The impressive statistics, such as 3.05M estimated coverage views, 934K content views via influencer marketing, and a sold-out experiential event, shows the effectiveness of the campaign. This substantial increase in press mentions and social media metrics ensured Play-Doh reached and resonated with its target audience.

The judges said: “A lovely piece of IRL experiential combined with an online presence.”

To spark a new, less scary public health conversation about hearing loss with zero paid budget, Specsavers turned one of the most famously misheard songs into the world’s first mass hearing test by re-recording Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up with the lyrics people have been mishearing for years, then ‘Rick-Rolling’ the nation by releasing it without explanation to make Brits question their ears. Driving a national conversation around hearing loss, over 20 million organic social plays in 8 hours, blanket media coverage and a 1220% above target increase in Specsavers hearing test bookings.

The judges said: “Fantastic idea, fantastic execution, epic campaign.”

To encourage the Government to change the legislation governing sunbeds, we developed a highly creative and disruptive visual asset to get media and consumers talking about the dangers of melanoma and brought together a panel of spokespeople, patients and sector experts who resonated across multiple media channels. We chose the anniversary of the law being passed as our media hook to increase relevance, and found compelling statistics and data points to provide the why, and the why now. We positioned modern social platforms (notably TikTok) as the enemy, giving traditional media channels a chance to prove their pedigree and respectability.

The judges said: “A highly impactful, creative campaign that successfully engaged both media and the public, resulting in extensive coverage and significant increases in awareness of sunbed-induced skin cancer.”

It’s okay not to be happy all the time. Rationally, we know that must be the case, and yet our daily pressures, busy lives and social norms mean that sometimes we forget to be mindful of every emotion. Even more so with kids – have you ever encouraged a child to “stop crying” or “not to be sad”? It’s a common reflex many adults have. The idea that we can’t always be happy is a simple insight and, remarkably, came from a junior creative. A very junior creative, in fact. One night over dinner at home, the 13-year-old daughter of Ready10 founder David Fraser said, “the thing about Happy Meals is, you’re not always happy”. She was right. And that sparked a creative thought, which eventually led to a global, conversation-leading PR campaign. A campaign which drove nearly 2,000 pieces of coverage across five continents and saw its creative in every McDonald’s in the country. The campaign in question? The Meal, a multi-channel, integrated campaign which saw McDonald’s remove the iconic smile from its Happy Meal boxes for the first time ever to spark family conversations about emotions during Mental Health Awareness Week.

The judges said: “The type of idea that everyone wishes they had thought of - love it even more now I know that it was sparked by a 13 year-old and that a PR agency drove the integrated machine.”

A campaign turned around in about eight working hours, we created IKEA UK’s most successful ever post. There were 49,900 engagements, it was saved over 3,000 times and it reached over 655,000 unique users on the platform. We delivered 60,000 posts across social channels reaching over 40 million unique users with over 5.7 million engagements. We prompted 1,000 pieces of editorial coverage reaching 900 million people with those editorial articles being shared over 2,000 times. Research discovered that 57% of our GenZ UK consumer audience saw the campaign and 87% said it improved their impression of the brand.

The judges said: “This was so quick, genuinely funny and really well executed. The results are fantastic.”

How do you keep teens playing with NERF? How do you make Gen Z men want to have a NERF battle with their mates? NERF had to show up differently and taking cues from adult immersive play experiences and shooter games, we enrolled YouTube titans Beta Squad in a content partnership to create a heart-pounding, adrenaline pumping NERF "Hide n Seek" battleground. Infiltrating TikTok, we partnered with a dynamic cast of influencers who injected their own energy, from football trick shots to hilarious pranks. The result? NERF dominated online and trended on YouTube. The creative, engaging content resonated deeply, sparking excitement for NERF Pro Gelfire blasters.

The judges said: “The choice of influencers, production and results were great. I wanted to go and take part!”

How do you inspire Black audiences – which are diverse, disparate and often historically distrustful of medical institutions and governments – to give blood? NHS BT tasked Havas Red with recruiting blood donors from Black communities to satisfy demand for rare blood types. We found individuals from Black communities who give blood regularly - “Giving Types” - and partnered with Ghanaian-British street artist, Dreph, to put these incredible donors on a national stage by painting them on a 20ft mural in London’s Stockwell. The result? Over 10,000 new registrations to donate blood and new registrations by Black donors up 153%.

The judges said: “An excellent, integrated campaign that directly addressed an important real world issue. Amazing!”

The Meet Your Digital Self campaign for Lenovo and Shout! explores the digital divide between generations and its impact on young people’s mental health. Zeno brought two people’s online personas to life as real time AI-powered 3D avatars. In a world-first, these avatars were capable of having human conversations, meaning a loved one could ask this virtual version anything they wanted to help better understand this side of them. The campaign, framed as a social experiment because it was unscripted, was led by two four-minute online films featuring our chosen protagonists meeting their digital selves, and the avatar also interacting with a relative; someone close to them. It highlights the role that technology can play in facilitating meaningful conversations in the real world and addressing the global youth mental health crisis.

The judges said, “Stunning campaign videos, authentic and brilliantly executed.”

In 2024, Golin made creative history – becoming the first PR agency to win Cannes Lions PR Grand Prix for idea creation and the UK’s first creative agency to win the Audio & Radio Grand Prix, alongside a host of gold and silver Lions. Completing Golin’s journey to redefine the possibilities of PR creative, having put earned-led integrated creative thinking and creative craft at the centre of the agency and the client marketing mix. We expanded the creative function, engaged diverse talent to drive some of the industries most progressive work; and delivered outstanding commercial momentum for the agency and our clients.

The judges said: “This has been Golin's year in terms of creative mettle and a total reinvention of the agency. The agency has reinvigorated its reputation as a creative powerhouse - showing how building trusting and collaborative client and agency relationships can deliver amazing work.”

We set up just under four years ago, the only agency in the world combining behaviour design (Stanford smarts) with earned creativity. We do three kinds of creative work: core, communications and campaigning. This year, our work has saved lives with an annoying earworm, driven hundreds of thousands to recycle, enlisted Britain’s biggest fraudster to keep people safe and given the best manager England never had his shot with one of the world’s most exciting sports entertainment companies. We’ve got a client list we’d be jealous of if it wasn’t ours and a record of pitching against - and beating - agencies ten, twenty and a hundred years older. We’re proudly flying the flag for the power of the small, indy creative agency. And we’re making work that shakes the world…

The judges said: “Shook’s commitment to impactful and socially responsible campaigns demonstrates its dedication to purpose-driven work. Its efforts in providing a supportive and inclusive workplace are noteworthy.”

Our greatest challenge has been laurels, and not resting on them. We are the most awarded agency of the year once again and the most awarded agency of the last four years. We lead the way in our workplace policies. We’re Sunday Times’ Best Place to Work and industry journals award us frequently. So this year has been about pushing further. Refusing to rest on laurels. We’re driven by a fear of being the agency about which people say “do you remember when they were brilliant?”. We challenge mediocrity at every turn and strive to improve on every front. We’ve doubled-down on the quality of our work and we’ve reviewed policies across the board to ensure they are industry leading. Because laurels are to be won, not to be rested upon.

The judges said: “They've got the full package. Hats off!”

Our greatest challenge has been laurels, and not resting on them. We are the most awarded agency of the year once again and the most awarded agency of the last four years. We lead the way in our workplace policies. We’re Sunday Times’ Best Place to Work and industry journals award us frequently. So this year has been about pushing further. Refusing to rest on laurels. We’re driven by a fear of being the agency about which people say “do you remember when they were brilliant?”. We challenge mediocrity at every turn and strive to improve on every front. We’ve doubled-down on the quality of our work and we’ve reviewed policies across the board to ensure they are industry leading. Because laurels are to be won, not to be rested upon.

The judges said: “It seems apparent that Hope&Glory is in its meteoric phase and that should be celebrated.”

Our greatest challenge has been laurels, and not resting on them. We are the most awarded agency of the year once again and the most awarded agency of the last four years. We lead the way in our workplace policies. We’re Sunday Times’ Best Place to Work and industry journals award us frequently. So this year has been about pushing further. Refusing to rest on laurels. We’re driven by a fear of being the agency about which people say “do you remember when they were brilliant?”. We challenge mediocrity at every turn and strive to improve on every front. We’ve doubled-down on the quality of our work and we’ve reviewed policies across the board to ensure they are industry leading. Because laurels are to be won, not to be rested upon.

The judges said: “You can't have much higher of an accolade than staff that want to continue working for you - the retention is truly inspiring.”

LOOP Agencies, a new agency that specialises in building dedicated Creative Hubs for financial services clients. Its Hub for Royal London (running for 6 months since January 2024) is a shining example: turnaround times went from months to weeks, budgets saw a 75% reduction, and the volume and brand consistency of assets created scaled. It leveraged GenAI for some content and image creation and prioritised employee wellbeing with a 9-day fortnight.

The judges said: “A new agency making bold moves. Love the idea of client contracts and allowing the agency’s values to drive all it does, commendable at such an early stage in its lifecycle.”