FMBE Awards 2023: Most Effective Small Scale/ Local Campaign

GOLD Hopper – BBC Radio Merseyside

When the Eurovision party made its generational visit to Liverpool the city claimed the event and made it theirs.

Anticipating and contributing to the BBC Radio Merseyside did exactly what a radio station should and commissioned a roadshow.

With a 5-week, 5 destination roadshow and a tour budget of just £25,000, Voice of Eurovision set out the following premise:

“We are looking for someone who can join our broadcast team at BBC Radio Merseyside and help us to offer a locally charged, scouse alternative commentary on the night of the Eurovision Grand Final!  You don’t need any prior experience of broadcasting or radio. What we are looking for is your passion for Eurovision and your love and pride of Liverpool and Merseyside.” 

This tour won the hearts of multiple media and press outlets whist engaging locals with a search process and winner performance that they did not want to miss.

SILVER Energy – Currys

Curry’s facility for taking old electronics in for recycling is not as well known as it should be. Trash for Cash is an incentive scheme that provides money off vouchers to recyclers that use the scheme.

This campaign saw Energy working with Publicis Groupe’s Spark Foundry. They developed eye-catching billboards filled full of old tech that passers-bys could detach and take into their nearest Currys store, exchanging trash for cash off their next tech purchase. 

The billboards were sited in locations that addressed areas where the recycling scheme was especially under the radar.

Across the campaign period e-waste collection volumes were 17% higher, equating to an additional 68,200 of recycled products. 

SILVER GottaBe! – Dorset Tea

Dorset Tea is a brand belonging to Keith Spicer Group. The entry from GottaBe! showed how the simple device of a sampling tea caravan has been used effectively to be the major marketing force for the brand.

The entry fitted both the local and low budget aspects to the category criteria. Our judges praised the team for its solid hard work in making an impact and noted that GottaBe! form a very natural alliance with Dorset Tea.

Phil Toms, Keith Spicer, Head of Marketing testified, “Finding agencies that act as an extension of our brand and who behave as genuine partners is a key pre-requisite to me. GottaBe! has a collaborative and commercial approach that helps me achieve my goals of building awareness and driving activation while remaining mindful of my challenge to maximise ROI. Always bursting with fresh ideas, they are a pleasure to work with.” 

BRONZE Hopper & Smarts Agency – World of Jumanji at Chessington World of Adventures

This entry was also the bronze winner for integration/amplification, a category that does not require budget or small scale. Here judges praised it for achieving national and local coverage for a modest £54,800 – that included the PR campaign as well as the design and build of the eye-catching Ear Defender emergency boxes.