Gold Awards

Trident - (Grand Prix) - Metropolitan Police Service - MCBD & MediaCom

E4 Skins - (Best Media/The Charles Chnnon Award for Best New Learning) - Channel 4 - 4 Creative

Scottish Executive Organ Donation - (Best Small Budget) - Scottish Executive - The Union Advertising Agency

Waitrose - Waitrose - MCBD

Silver Awards

Magners - (Best Idea / Best New Client awarded to C&C) - C & C - Media Planning Group

Original Source - (Best Dedication to Effectiveness awarded to PZ Cussons) - PZ Cussons - BDH\TBWA

Direct Payment - (Best Read) - Department of Work & Pensions/COI - MCBD

Brother - Brother UK - BDH\TBWA

Ryvita Minis - Ryvita - MWO

Scottish Executive Drugs - Scottish Executive - The Leith Agency

Bronze Award

Carex - (Best Dedication to Effectiveness awarded to PZ Cussons) - PZ Cussons - BDH\TBWA

Aqua Optima - Strix - BJL Group

Coca Cola- Coke Zero - Cola Great Britain - VCCP

Erskine - The Bridge

Historic Scotland - The Union Advertising

Pilkington Activ - Pilkington - BJL Group

Subway Stores - Subway/Doctors Associates Inc - Frame Agency

Weetabix - The Weetabix Food Co. - WCRS

Overview of the awards

The winners of the IPA Effectiveness Awards, the most prestigious awards scheme worldwide that rewards campaigns that have proved the effectiveness of their ideas, were announced at a black-tie gala ceremony held this week at 'Dynamic Earth' in Edinburgh. This year the Awards were limited to UK agencies with an income of up to £20m (see Notes to Editor).

MCBD and MediaCom were awarded the Grand Prix for their highly effective, creative and multi-media campaign for Trident, the Metropolitan Police operation to curb black community gun crime in London. The campaign, which also won a Gold Award, lead to an 86 per cent rise in calls providing intelligence on gun crime, and a reduction of 15 per cent on actual gun crime.

London Effectiveness Agency of the Year went to MCBD, who won a further Gold Award for their Waitrose campaign, a Silver Award and Special Prize of 'Best Read' for their Direct Payment campaign for the Department of Work & Pensions/COI.

Scottish Effectiveness Agency of the Year was awarded to The Union Advertising Agency. They won a Gold Award and a Special Prize for 'Best Small Budget', for their Organ Donation campaign for the Scottish Executive, and a Bronze Award for their Historic Scotland campaign.

Effectiveness Agency of the Year in the regions went to BDH\TBWA. Their campaigns for Brother and Original Source were both given Silver Awards and their campaign for Carex won a Bronze.

Said Lord Gordon of Strathblane, CBE, Chairman of Judges, "In reading all the entries, I have been impressed not only by the high standard of work, but by the efforts made to ensure that the success achieved was measured and attributable to the advertising campaign. Congratulations therefore to everyone, but particularly to MCBD and MediaCom for their highly effective campaign to tackle the serious issue of gun crime."

Says Richard Storey, Chief Strategy Officer, M&C Saatchi and Convenor of Judges, "In this competition we saw examples of how advertising can rescue a failing business, launch a successful brand extension and insulate a brand from increasing competitive threat. However, what inspired the judges most was the proof that it can be successfully and creatively engaged to reduce an endemic social problem like gun crime. Congratulations to all the winners, but especially to MCBD and MediaCom."

Says Tess Alps, CEO, Thinkbox, "Thinkbox is dedicated to effectiveness which is why we continue to support the IPA Effectiveness Awards. We are delighted to see that TV features in 15 of this year's 18 winning papers and are particularly impressed with the thoroughness of all the case studies that truly highlight the value of investing in building brands. Congratulations to all the winners."

In total 4 Gold Awards, 6 Silver Awards, 8 Bronze Awards, and 11 Special Prizes were presented.

Special Prizes

• Grand Prix – MCBD and MediaCom for Trident, Metropolitan Police Service
• London Effectiveness Agency of the Year - MCBD
• Regional Effectiveness Agency of the Year – BDH\TBWA
• Scottish Effectiveness Agency of the Year – The Union Advertising Agency
• Best Dedication to Effectiveness – PZ Cussons
• Best Media – 4 Creative for E4 Skins, Channel 4
• Best New Learning – 4 Creative for E4 Skins, Channel 4
• Best Small Budget – The Union Advertising Agency for Organ Donation, Scottish Executive
• Best Read – MCBD for Direct Payment, Department of Work & Pensions/COI
• Best Idea – Media Planning Group for Magners, C&C
• Best New Client – C&C

The 2007 IPA Effectiveness Awards were held on Tuesday 13th November and were presented by TV presenter Kaye Adams, and sponsored by Thinkbox, WARC, Royal Mail, Xtreme and Campaign magazine.

For further details about the Effectiveness Awards, visit: www.ipaeffectivenessawards.co.uk

To view the creative work of the winning entries, visit the Xtreme website: www.ads.xtremeinformation.com

Winning campaign summaries (in alphabetical order of brand)

Gold Awards

E4 Skins by 4 Creative – 'How generation "Why should I care?" came to care about E4's Skins'.
This paper is an example of a campaign that 'got it right' with 'Generation why should I care?' As Medialife 2006 put it, this is a generation that "embraces technology as an essential part of their lifestyle. You are a guest in their attention span, bore them and they will ruthlessly filter you out. Get it right and they will actively market to each other". Rather than just promoting the show, the campaign brought the characters and their lives to life through social networking sites, virals, targeted outdoor, TV, press and PR activities. In the short term, the campaign generated £1.6m incremental revenue. Longer term it is projected that it will generate £4.6m, a return of £1.80 for every £1 spent.

Organ donation, Scottish Executive by The Union Advertising Agency – 'Life after death – the difficult business of signing people up for organ donation'.
Most people are 'in favour' of organ donation, but few of them sign up themselves. If individuals are not on the register, the likelihood that their organs will be used for transplant is greatly reduced. Using an inventive and brave approach to communications planning and powerful creative, this paper shows how Scottish people signed up faster than the rest of the UK. A rolling road-show took the campaign to regional towns, with media coverage and direct response activity 'hot-housing' areas of Scotland on a rolling basis. The campaign produced an ROMI of £1.9m on a spend of £340k and has shown why future investment in communications will be crucial if the UK is to address the shortage of organs available for transplantation.

Trident, Metropolitan Police Service by Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy and MediaCom – 'Making a small budget go a long way'.
This paper tells how the Metropolitan Police Service used communications to tackle black community gun crime in London. Working together, MCBD and MediaCom developed a three-year strategy for engaging streetwise black males, aged 14–24, in selected London boroughs. Using the rallying cry "Stop the guns", communications dramatised the devastating effects of gun crime, encouraged people to come forward with information and challenged the glamorous imagery surrounding guns. Creative media was central to the strategy, incorporating everything from petrol pumps to a music video. As a result of all this activity, calls with intelligence on gun crime were boosted by 86 per cent and hundreds of thousands of young people were engaged with the campaign. Overall, there has been a sea-change in community attitudes, helping reduce gun crime in London by 15 per cent since the campaign began.

Waitrose by Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy – 'David vs Goliath: The rematch'.
This paper reveals how Waitrose evolved its quality-driven communications strategy, to include an ethical dimension. Using television, press, radio, advertiser-funded programming and in-store advertising, amongst others, the campaign set out Waitrose's product quality stories within a bigger, ethical picture. For example, one of their ads promoted Waitrose's citrus fruit by highlighting their support for the South African farmers who grow them. This evolutionary communications approach has generated £99.2m incremental profits over five years and an ROMI of £5.57 per £1 spent, proving that an ethical approach can be financially rewarding too.

Silver Awards

Brother by BDH\TBWA – 'Taking on the big boys by thinking small'.
As a challenger brand up against large competitors with deep pockets, finding a way to make a smaller budget deliver standout was difficult. This paper demonstrates how Brother was able to achieve this by focusing on a target audience that was overlooked by its competitors; the growing market of small businesses and homeworkers. Furthermore, it shows how when used together, television advertising and sponsorship can achieve a big impact amongst a focused audience. In total the campaign generated £15.2m in incremental retail sales and paid for itself 2.3 times over.

Direct Payment by Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy – 'Giving it to you straight'.
For years, millions of Britons had become used to receiving social security benefits and pensions through paper-based methods. However, the Government announced that from 2003, electronic payments would become the norm. This move, unprecedented in its scale and complexity, was met with widespread hostility. This paper shows how an integrated communications campaign neutralised the emotionally charged atmosphere, by providing a stream of straightforward, non-threatening information about the new scheme. After two years, 95 per cent of claimants had switched to electronic payments, compared to 43 per cent previously. Furthermore, over seven years, the campaign is estimated to have delivered an ROMI of £29 per £1 spent.

Magners by Media Planning Group – 'The Magners Effect'.
This paper demonstrates how the successful Magners campaign was founded on the combination of a solid product and proposition, which identified an opportunity in the market for 'premium' cider, and an integrated sales and marketing programme. Using a high-impact and engaging communications strategy the advertising was used aggressively on a regional 'colonise and conquer' basis to generate mass consumer demand. In the three years since it launched, Magners has become the No. 1 selling packaged, long, alcoholic drink in the UK on-trade and has rejuvenated the cider category. The advertising delivered an ROMI of up to £26.93 for every £1 invested and the Cantrell & Cochrane (C&C) share price rose from €2 to €12, by the end of 2006.

Original Source by BDH\TBWA – 'It takes 2,997 words to make one zesty case study for original source'.
This paper explores how BDH\TBWA stimulated the growth of Original Source without diluting its values, nor the strength of the relationship it had with its consumers. They achieved this by creating an original campaign that retained the brand's 'cult' feel. The strategy enabled consumers to discover the brand as they had always done, but discover it in significantly greater numbers. This was done via a bold, disruptive creative idea, exposed in an unconventional manner via a conventional medium – television. The TV advertising generated incremental retail sales of £657k by December 2006, with the eventual total impact of advertising reaching £1.6m over three years. This paper demonstrates that a disruptive approach can make a measurable difference for smaller brands, both in terms of development goals and, ultimately, financial payback.

Ryvita Minis, Mortimer Whitaker O'Sullivan Advertising – 'How the Ryita 'Big taste mini waist' campaign featuring Fern Britton created larger than expected benefits for Ryvita'.
aper demonstrates the power of a creative idea to re-engineer a brand's destiny, turning the fundamental premise of the brand's diet heritage upside down. The Ryvita 'Big taste mini waist' TV campaign achieved this by using a celebrity well known for being big, Fern Britton and positioning Ryvita Minis as an enjoyable snack you can celebrate eating. By generating consumer reappraisal, Minis exceeded their targets. Following the launch, Minis has grown into a £9m business with over 25 per cent market share, bringing over two million new consumers back in to the Ryvita brand. The campaign generated a £1.91 return for every £1 invested and £4.07m additional profit for Ryvita.

Scottish Executive by The Leith Agency – 'Continuing the fight against drug dealers'.
Scottish Executive and Crimestoppers wanted to attack the menace of drug dealers by encouraging the public to provide actionable information about dealing in their local area. Using innovative qualitative research, the campaign theme 'Drug dealers don't dare' was identified as the most powerful approach. The campaign consisted of local and national press, bus sides, 48-sheets, 6-sheets, underground posters, bus ticket media, beer mats and washroom posters. Overall, the campaign prompted 73 per cent recall, 5,600 actionable calls, a 429 per cent increase in call volumes over the campaign period, and the seizure of over £2m of drugs. Leads generated have so far led to over 700 arrests and a significant step towards a better quality of life for people living in hard-hit communities.

Bronze Awards

Aqua Optima by BJL Group – 'How crystal clear thinking stopped a drought'.
Aqua Optima, a manufacturer of the filters used in water filter kettles, was a component brand in a small product category. This category was facing a difficult future with both host brands and key retailers losing interest. Talk of delisting and withdrawal from the market provided the context for difficult sales meetings with partner brands and retailers. By identifying and communicating the key health benefits of drinking filtered water for consumers, the 'crystal clear thinking' campaign allowed a component brand with a small budget to make a significant impact on a category with unrecognised potential. The campaign led to the rise of Aqua Optima's share of the water filter kettle category, taking it from 20 per cent to 55 per cent between summer 2006 and January 2007.

Carex by BDH\TBWA – 'The same old story? Why the best long- term advertising doesn't always have to tell the same old story'.
This paper reveals how a long-term commitment to advertising ensured the maintenance of Carex as the UK's No. 1 hand washing brand and enabled category growth. This campaign also challenged the widely accepted belief that long-term advertising must have a consistent message. Carex has used six phases of successful, but different, creative ideas between the years 1996–2006, but continually gave the market new messages about the brand. It has given customers new reasons to remain loyal and non-users reasons to reconsider. The advertising for this campaign has generated an estimated £35.9m incremental retail sales through an advertising investment of £10.4m.

'Coca-Cola' Zero by Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest and Vizeum UK – 'A new product launch without the downside'.
Coca-Cola Great Britain identified growing consumer demand, particularly from young men, for more choice in the light/no calorie sparkling soft drink/beverages category. In June 2006, Coca-Cola Great Britain launched 'Coca-Cola' Zero targeting men aged 20–35. This paper outlines how VCCP and Vizeum UK produced a concentrated national media strategy, a clear engaging communication of 'Great Coke taste zero sugar' and a motivated trade launch. The 'Coca-Cola' Zero launch advertising built great awareness and demand for 'Coca-Cola' Zero and, according to ACNielsen figures, is the most successful new food and beverage launch in the past three years.

Erskine by The Bridge – 'On the offensive. How marketing helped Erskine increase its relevance'.
This paper demonstrates how a charity for "ex-Service men and women" reduced its reliance on legacies and widened its donor base; how qualitative and quantitative research informed the strategy and measured effectiveness; and how an increase in awareness and understanding increased both the volume and value of general donations. In his introduction to the 2006 Annual Report, the Chairman of Erskine, James Scott, said "Awareness of Erskine reached an all time high in 2006 through a highly successful advertising campaign. This heightened awareness resulted in an increase in people across Scotland keen to support our work". General donations increased from £1.47m to £3.04m, the number of donors increased by 20 per cent and the campaign has produced an ROMI of 500 per cent.

Historic Scotland by The Union Advertising Agency – 'Blasts from the past – bringing history to life for historic Scotland'.
Historic Scotland was faced with a downturn in visitor numbers, waning interest in historical buildings and greater competition from other 'days out'. Choosing to focus their marketing strategy on meeting the needs of a modern audience, they created a calendar of events which gave them reasons to communicate and reasons for new people to try out Historic Scotland's properties. This paper shows that by breathing new life into the brand and re-engaging with the Scottish public, Historic Scotland had the highest growth rate in years of lucrative annual memberships. This generated an ROMI of £16 for every £1 spent for one of their key events, 'The 2006 Free Weekend Event'.

Pilkington Activ by BJL Group – 'Johnny Nash and his crystal ball'.
This paper outlines the advertising campaign for Pilkington Activ, a self-cleaning glass that uses the combined action of rain and daylight to keep itself clean. The campaign successfully integrated the client and agency teams into a single project team united by a clear common goal, and demonstrated how a broader view and coordinated approach can optimise the impact of all communication channels by targeting the critical stages in the sales chain. It also shows how the Pro-Activ team were able to create and implement an integrated communications plan. This plan raised awareness, confidence and propensity to purchase amongst consumers. It also promoted stronger engagement and commitment from the trade. In total, the campaign increased sales by over 360 per cent.

Subway Stores by Frame Agency and MediaCom Scotland – 'Subway on a roll'.
Subway is a US sandwich chain that sells 'Subs'. This paper outlines how an existing promotional offer was transformed into a successful brand building promotion with a fully integrated marketing campaign. The actual product, the submarine shaped roll, didn't change, but it was repositioned, re-branded as a 'sub' and re-launched. The regional trial became a successful national campaign that went on to be a global proposition. In the first regional test an investment of £400,000 over 11 weeks yielded an uplift of same-store sales of 12 per cent year on year and 12 per cent ROMI. A year later, the test region return increased to 30 per cent.

Weetabix by WCRS – 'The Weetabix week: Turning a barrier into a benefit'.
With an array of almost 300 different cereals to choose from, by 2005 plainer cereals such as Weetabix were suffering by being less 'exciting' than the newer entrants. The paper reveals how 'Weetabix Week' transformed the plainness of Weetabix from a product barrier to a benefit by showcasing how the subtle taste was the ideal companion for a range of toppings such as fruit, yoghurt, honey, nuts and more. The campaign was able to incorporate trends such as 'superfoods', including blueberries and brazil nuts and the Government's '5-a-day' initiative. The campaign brought over 100,000 new users into the brand and increased rate of purchase amongst existing consumers from 1.9 times a year to 2.4.

Note to editors:

This year the Awards were limited to agencies with an income of up to £20 million. These awards were launched in 2005 and replaced the regional biennial AREA Awards and the Scottish IPA Awards and enable all agencies in the UK with an income up to £20m to compete on equal terms. They run regularly on the odd year with a competition open to all agencies worldwide regardless of income running on the even year.

The IPA is the industry body and professional institute for UK advertising, media and marketing communications agencies. It was established in 1917 as a servicing body and to negotiate on behalf of its members with media bodies, government departments and unions. Its 258 corporate members represent the major part of the advertising agency business, handling advertising with an estimated value of some £13,000 million per year (over 80 per cent of advertising placed by agencies) on behalf of their client companies and organisations nationwide. (note this figure is based on 2005 Advertising Statistics Yearbook figures and excludes classified and television production costs).

To view the full case studies, visit the WARC website