WINNER
Build a Life
by Uncommon Creative Studio, for B&Q
Build a Life is the first in a series of campaigns by Uncommon for B&Q that look to reinstate the UK’s emotional connection with the brand. The campaign looks to celebrate “the power of home improvement to change lives,” according to Uncommon, and nods to the fact that lockdown has made home even more significant to people.
The new campaign and brand purpose is brought to life using a film created from real people's home videos from 69 families across the 69 cities that make up the UK “to represent a genuine portrait of British homes and how they have been improved across the years,” says Uncommon. The film features nostalgic home moments such as birthday parties, “cups of tea catchups” and slammed doors from family rows.
The film was followed by 17 further individually designed executions including an OOH campaign used across the UK. The designs use imagery of everyday DIY products alongside words and statements inspired by life at home and home improvement, such as a dimmer switch paired with “First kiss”. The look and feel celebrates the famous B&Q orange colour while using a fresh, stripped-back style.
The judges said: “Brilliant idea and execution across all platforms. Really stands out from competitors.”
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Britain Get Talking
by Uncommon Creative Studio, for ITV
Uncommon built on its mental wellness campaign Britain Get Talking with ITV to encourage the UK to keep talking during an unpredictable year. The minimalist print campaign prompted people to consider those who may not have been a priority to check in with during the lockdown periods. Its ambition was to remind people that “merely speaking might be the most powerful weapon we have in the fight against Covid-19”, the studio says. Using the framework of a contact list on a mobile phone, Britain Get Talking featured stories of a “social media shy dad”, a vulnerable ex and a real-life doctor working at a Bristol A&E department. The print material was accompanied with a TV spot by presenters Ant and Dec who encouraged some 9.5 million viewers to share messages of love and support across social media. These messages were played for a month on the TV channel. According to Uncommon, since the campaign relaunch in March 2020, over 6 million people have made calls or sent messages as a result of Britain Get Talking.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Lights On
by Leo Burnett London, for McDonald’s
When the UK entered its third national Covid-19 lockdown in 2021, Leo Burnett created a strategic response to the fact that people were spending more time indoors than ever before by reminding McDonald's customers that the brand delivers.
The team created a series of outdoor posters which showed customers that “as long as their lights were on at home, [McDonald’s] lights would be on too,” says Leo Burnett. These had to be eye-catching, simple and beautifully executed to be impactful. The agency identified five different examples of homes which aimed to represent the whole of the UK: modern apartments, terraced houses, tower blocks, 1960s townhouses and 1980s flats.
Each type of building was illustrated using a perspective grid that looked to give the imagery sharp, straight vertical lines and edges in contrast to the curve of the McDonald’s Golden Arches. The night-time colour palette also contrasted the golden glow of the arches, which contained the 'We Deliver' message. For simplicity, one colour is used for each poster, with tonal variations to create detail and depth. To give a sense of authenticity and quality, the posters show a subtle graininess to demonstrate the natural textures of printed paper.
IBM Be Equal
by Athletics, for IBM
In 2019 IBM launched the Be Equal campaign to promote gender equality within the organisation and its partners. In 2020 it partnered with Athletics to expand the campaign outside of the company to “include and celebrate the many dimensions of diversity by amplifying the many voices, perspectives, identities, and experiences of IBMers”.
Athletics discovered a century's worth of stories from IBM including developing a pocket-sized braille printer and its recent support for the passage of the Equality Act. The designers looked to build a platform for the present and future that reinforced IBM's commitment to gender equality and built “authentic allyship to support the many dimensions of diversity,” says Athletics.
Be Equal was recontextualised from a campaign focused on gender equality to become “the engine of diversity and inclusion within IBM”, a strategy which led to the new slogan: "Be Equal is an endeavor to expand, enable, and ensure equality for everyone."
The new identity uses the iconic bumblebee graphic from Paul Rand's 1981 IBM design and a variety of stacked colour bands, all divisible by eight; meaning compositions can vary to adapt to representing numerous groups.
Playstation 5 Launch: TfL Takeover
by Diva Agency / Red Consultancy / MediaCom / TfL / AJ Wells / Links Signs, for PlayStation UK
For the launch of the PlayStation 5, PlayStation UK partnered with TfL on a campaign that took London Underground signage and paired it with PlayStation's brand iconography—the shapes that have represented PlayStation since 1994.
The shapes were subtly incorporated throughout the Oxford Circus signage, while four Underground station takeovers were completed across London with playful names inspired by fan favourite franchises, including the likes of 'Ratchet and Clankaster Gate' and 'Miles End'.
The result was a set of striking images that aimed to capture the importance of the launch and spark conversations worldwide. PlayStation UK's reveal social post generated almost 9 million impressions and coverage across all major national titles, broadcast, online and print, collectively delivering nearly one billion media impressions.
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