Prolific North Awards 2018: Winners, Pictures and Review

Thanks also to our category sponsors 72Point, CDI, Dock10, Group IMD & Honeycomb, Hiscox, Knight Corporate Finance and Stackhouse Poland, as well as event organisers Don't Panic.

And our appreciation once again to our esteemed judging panel for giving up their time to determine the shortlist and the eventual winners.

The night was hosted in traditionally uncompromising fashion by Justin Moorhouse, who kept the crowd entertained long after the candelabras had burned themselves out.

And as the below list of winners demonstrates, success could be found in every corner of the region, a testament to the depth and breadth of talent around us.

The Prolific North Awards 2018: The Winners

Sponsored by Bing and Click Consult

 

Animation / Graphics Company: Flipbook Studio 

The judges said: Flipbook Studio has had a cracking year, expanding into larger premises, obtaining new equipment for their studio and 3 new hires to the business, this is reflected in the turnover successfully increasing by 40%.

Also nominated

• Boardwalk Studio
• Carbon Digital
• Fuzzy Duck
• Periscope Studios
• Rabble

 

Digital Agency (10 and Under Employees): Don't be Shy

Also nominated:

• Applied Digital Marketing
• Clean Digital
• Content OD
• EY3 Media
• Impression
• Maxweb
• Noir Agency

 

Digital Agency (11-25 Employees): Evoluted

The judges said: In the past year Evoluted have acquired fellow Sheffield agency Reflow Studio, taking their total staff numbers up to 25. Their use of statistics is first class, with turnover up by 44% and profit up by 52%. 

Also nominated:

• CandidSky
• Connect
• Mabo Media
• Modern English Digital Ltd
• Parallax
• Platform81
• Venture Stream

 

Digital Agency - 26+ Employees (Sponsored by Bing): Bring Digital

The judges said: In the past year, Bring Digital launched their graduate scheme, taking on four graduates and also brought on new recruits from Shop Direct and AO.com, taking staff numbers up to 35. They managed major new projects from clients including Ann Summers and DW Fitness, increasing turnover growth by 35% year on year and maintaining profit margin at 25%. 

Also nominated:

• Apadmi
• Cantarus
• Click Consult
• e3creative
• Fat Media
• IDHL Group
• Social Chain

 

Independent Production Company: Blakeway North

The judges said: Blakeway North recently celebrated their 10th Anniversary and have successfully taken their staff numbers up to 10. They delivered four series and a number of single documentaries, including Panorama and Stacey Dooley Investigates.

Also nominated:

• Anattic Limited
• Endemol Shine North
• Lizardfish TV
• True North Productions
• VTR North
• WhiteNoise Media
• Zut

 

B2C Marketing / Integrated Communications Campaign - Less than £50k (Sponsored by CDi Yorkshire): Domu Brands – VonShefMadeItGood

The judges said: Domu Brands and their Make it Good campaign for VonShef successfully met objectives and generated 12,000 new customers for the brand, with an average spending of £25, exceeding sales targets by 40%.

Also nominated:

• APS Group MMP Global & Merseyside Mounted Police Section Stand Tall Branding & Marketing Campaign
• Digitaloft & Missy Empire – You vs The Kardashians
• Markettiers Manchester & United Utilities - Reservoir Safety Stay Safe Stay Out
• Mosquito & Basketball England – TogetherWeAreBasketball
• PHD Manchester & Leith - It's Not Christmas without IRN-BRU
• Truth Creative & University Academy 92 - Brand Identity and Multi-Channel Launch Campaign
• Wavemaker – Cleaning up in the supermarkets

 

B2C Marketing / Integrated Communications Campaign - Over £50k: Everton Football Club 2017/18 Season Ticket Campaign – One For All All For One

The judges said: "Everton Football Club’s campaign had the objective of increasing retention of season ticket holders. The campaign focussed on email, telemarketing and live events and successfully achieved a record retention rate of 94.3% on season ticket renewals."

Also nominated: 

• Channel 4 & Thomas Cook – The Secret Life of 4 Year Olds on Holiday
• Diva Creative & Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership – Stay Well This Winter Greater Manchester
• IF Agency & Knowsley Safari - Summer 2017 campaign
• Time Inc. & Thatchers Haze x NME Emerging Artists Project
• Vivid & Visit Guernsey – Guernsey Memories
• Wavemaker – Mid-week mission!
• We Influence Delivers Best Ever Trading Season For Christmas Tree World

 

News & Magazine (Printed or Online): Untold Agency and Best Western UK Postcard Magazine

Also nominated:

• AuKids magazine
• BusinessCloud - news & magazine
• Warrington Guardian

 

Media Sales: More Media Sales

The judges said: Media Sales have successfully increased revenue up to 33% and staff numbers are up from 7 to 12 in the past year. The number of clients acquired in 2017 have doubled and they have obtained partners including Time Out and AdMaxim.

Also nominated:

• Channel 4
• Immediate Media
• Time Inc

 

Media Agency: Wavemaker

The judges said: Wavemaker have had a year of distribution to the market, the agency rebranded and were ranked in the Sunday Times 100 best places to work list. Their media billings were up by 14%, increased revenue per head in the business and obtained new client assignments including Mornflake, Hoover and Disneyland Paris. 

Also nominated:

• Periscope Studios
• Republic of Media

 

PR Agency of the Year - Under 10 Employees: Chapman Poole

Also nominated:

• Catapult PR
• Faith Public Relations
• No Brainer
• Rule 5
• Scriba PR
• Skout PR
• TheRetailRoom

 

PR Agency of the Year - Over 10 Employees: Brazen

Highly Commended: Acceleris

• Active Profile Ltd
• Havas PR
• Prohibition
• Roland Dransfield

 

SEO & PPC Agency: The SEO Works

The judges said: SEO Works opened a new office in Leeds in the past year and made a small acquisition. They retained 50% of their clients, increased staff numbers from 22 to 35 and made a 28% growth in annual turnover.

Also nominated:

• CandidSky
• Click Consult
• Mabo Media
• Nothing But Epic Ltd

 

Content Team: Shoot The Moon

The judges said: Shoot The Moon’s social division is now up to 15 team members, taking total staff figures up to 34 employees and sales are up over 25%.

Also nominated:

• BT
• Periscope Studios
• Swinton Insurance
• Trunk
• Wavemaker Content

 

Digital / Social Media Campaign of the Year: Christy – NotJustATowel

• Big Brand Ideas – Nextbase 'Bad Drivers'
• Citypress – A World Without Labels
• Click Consult & Kwik Fit – Know before you go
• Mosquito & Basketball England – TogetherWeAreBasketball
• One – Maxtop Tea-Break Tosser game
• Wavemaker – Cleaning up in the supermarkets
• Wavemaker – Rising to the social challenge

 

B2B Marketing / Integrated Communications Campaign (Sponsored by Hiscox): Stein IAS and Ingredion – You Are How You Eat

The judges said: Stein IAS and Ingredion’s You Are How You Eat fully integrated campaign targeted both PR coverage and the sales pipeline and they successfully delivered both with ROI of 20:1.

Also nominated:

• Freshfield – GrowingLancashire
• Havas PR UK – Armitage Shanks celebrate200
• Markettiers Manchester & Mercedes-Benz Vans – Giving The Van Driver A Voice
• Plinkfizz Ltd – Crystal Careers Recruitment Campaign
• Skout PR & Wax Digital - the four 'Ps' of procurement
• Splitpixel Creative Ltd – Sodexo Engage Launch Campaign
• twentysix & Hitachi Capital Invoice Finance – SME spotlight campaign

 

Broadcasting Programme – Commercial / Advertising (Sponsored by Group IMD): Equinox Film and TV Productions & VictoriaPlum.com – FamilyMoments

Also nominated:

• ABF Pictures & soak.com - Elephant in the room
• Equinox Film and TV Productions & Oak Furniture Land – 'Welcome Real Hardwood'
• Glued Films & Garden Creative – Know for Sure: Patient Claim Line 2018 Adverts
• Zut & Betfred – Nostalgia campaign

 

Website of the Year (Sponsored by Knight Corporate Finance): Modern English Digital & Sony Music Entertainment - Foo Fighters Mixtape Generator

The judges said: Modern English Digital created a website for their client Sony, who described this as the “best piece of work we’ve put out in years”. The website got global publication in magazines such as Billboard and NME and generated an increase of four million streams.

Also nominated:

• Born + Raised – Keep Britain Tidy Website
• Don't be Shy – Putting people at the heart of business IT
• Kagool & Inchcape – New Inchcape website
• Music – Joe Coleman Website
• NetConstruct with Milwaukee Tools
• Outpost – Bear Grylls Website
• Pinpoint Designs with Custom Plugs

 

App of the Year: Mapway & Bus Times London

Also nominated:

• Argos & Apadmi – Argos Card App
• Blue Chip Marketing & O2 - The Source App
• Mediaworks & The Royal Mint – The Great British Coin Hunt
• Now Healthcare Group – Now Patient
• Our Studio 360 App for Herbal House on behalf of Allied London working with Design Agency 90Degrees
• The musicMagpie App
• Vita Student & Apposing – Student Companion & Intercom App

 

Integrated Agency - Up to 29 Employees (Sponsored by Lucas Fettes): Born + Raised

The judges said: Born + Raised went through a rebrand and was repositioned to diversify away from over-reliance of a handful of clients and secured new clients including HSBC, Royal Mint and Keep Britain Tidy over the past year. Staff numbers are up to 25, turnover up by 18% and profits increased by 38%.

Also nominated:

• AKA North
• Bugler Smith Ltd
• Pace Communications
• Peppermint Soda
• Venture Stream
• Vivid

 

Integrated Agency - 30+ Employees (Sponsored by Dock10): Jaywing

The judges said: Jaywing have had a great year, being awarded Investors in People for the 19th year and securing new clients including Wonga and The Car People. They are based in a refurbished building in Sheffield, with impressive staff numbers of 450, and their profit is up by 13% in the past year.  

Also nominated:

• Intermarketing Agency
• MC2
• Media Agency Group
• Mediaworks
• Savvy Marketing
• Stein IAS
• We are Vista

 

Video of the Year (Sponsored by 72Point): Space Digital – 'Slaughterbots'

Also nominated:

• Bauer Media for Key 103 – One Love Manchester Mash Up
• BBC North West Tonight – Up ‘Ere by Tony Walsh
• Born + Raised – HSBC Global Markets
• Cuckoo & Brickhouse Productions – Alliance
• Flipbook Studio – Relationship between Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Animations
• Social Chain – Through The Eyes Of The Fans
• Trunk – Using the 'C Word' to save lives

 

Broadcasting Programme – News and Factual: True North Productions – The Yorkshire Dales and The Lakes

Highly Commended: Blakeway North – Kicked Out From Care To Chaos (BBC Three)

• Blakeway North – My Life Born To Vlog
• Endemol Shine North – Inside Bentley A Great British Motor Car
• Nine Lives Media – I’m Coming Out, Ross’s Story
• Nine Lives Media – My Life: Hike to Happiness
• Radio City Talk – Mental Health Monday
• True North Productions – A New Life In The Sun

 

 

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