FMBE Awards announces shortlist for 2021
Posted by
FMBE Awards 2021 has announced its shortlist of finalists in this year’s competition.
The 2021 Awards show an industry in recovery with the entry period drawn from 2020-21 including several COVID lockdowns.
Nevertheless, says awards director Frank Wainwright, entry levels are bouncing back and the quality of entry is high across the board.
The entry cycle this year was left open longer than typical, largely to accommodate this summer’s return to action for brand experience events.
It’s a policy that has born fruit with several categories seeing shopper facing events entered that were toured and hosted later than July 21.
Awards Director, Frank Wainwright comments, “A glance through the shortlist shows that FMBE’s reputation for attracting the best brands supported by agencies of very high repute holds true to form. Exacting judging to this stage has ensured that we have a shortlist delivered with its usual rigour.”
As ever with FMBE some high quality entries have not quite made the shortlist. FMBE’s policy is to offer feedback for all entries that have not made this stage and entrants who register for feedback now will receive it after the awards result has been announced.
FMBE Awards Short List 2021
Up to seven finalists are shortlisted each year with the number dependent on the strength in depth in the category.
Category A: Sales Campaign
We kick off this year with a truly exceptional category with some fantastic work for our judges to witness.
Big Picture – Xiaomi
Blue Square – Samsung
Field Sales Solutions – Ocean Spray
Green Field Marketing – Dale Farm
REL Field Marketing – Alpro
Top Notch Sales – Cofresh/Eat Real
Category B: Retail Sales Experience
The category was a miss in terms of strength in depth but a hit in terms of finding three top grade finalists.
Blue Square – Samsung
Fizz Experience – Hotel Chocolat
Link Communication – Mighty Pea
Category C: Field Data
Four super finalists who have really harnessed data and insight for game changing dynamic results.
Field Sales Solutions – P&G
Logobrand – Campari
The Pulse Agency (Blue Square Group) – Samsung
Tactical Solutions – Quorn
Category D – Instore Marketing
With stunning campaigns carried out respectively in B&Q, pet stores, grocery retailers and Bestway Wholesale, our four finalists show the ability professional field teams have to make an impact with great store relationships and shopper connections.
Blue Square – Valspar
Powerforce – Purina
Tactical Solutions – Budweiser Brewing Group
Top Notch Sales – Bayer Pharmaceutical
Category E – Tactical Marketing
This category largely survived lockdown and as such our judges had a strong field of entries to assess and built a shortlist that saw some highly regarded campaigns narrowly miss out.
ROI
Blue Square – Valspar
Field Sales Solutions – Ocean Spray
Fizz Experience – K’s Wors
Logobrand – Moët Hennessy
REL Field Marketing – Alpro
REL Field Marketing – Mondelez
Tactical Solutions – Kelloggs
Service-Led
ENERGY – Dettol
Logobrand – Henkel
REL Field Marketing – Illva Saronno
Category F – Team of the Year
The category that never disappoints! An exceptional line up of finalists and all fully expecting to win.
Blue Square – Samsung
Elevate Field Marketing – Britvic
Field Sales Solutions – Ferrero
Powerforce – Molson Coors
REL Field Marketing – Weetabix
Tactical Solutions – Innocent
Brand Experience Awards
Category G – Sponsorship Activation
Unsurprisingly the category has been one of the ones most affected by lockdowns. Agencies and brands have had to be light on their feet, reactive and imaginative to activate experiences. Little surprise then to see two agencies with that reputation coming through with impactful work – last year’s category champions TRO vs last year’s BE Agency of the Year, Circle.
Circle and Plaster – Costa Coffee
TRO – Saudia
Category H – Roadshow/Shopping Centre
The close to deadline late flowering of summer roadshows has not held back a quality category that sees four exceptional roadshows being selected as finalists. These four stood out for welcome that event visitors have given to these highly effective campaigns.
Backlash – Tanologist
Hopper – Affinity Water
MKTG – NIVEA Sun and CRUK
Promohire – Apetito
Category I – Immersive Event (Mass Consumer)
This category had a clear stand out entry that impressed in a number of ways. So, has The Producers and LEGO won gold, silver or bronze for their confident immersive event that went ahead successfully whilst other brands shelved budgets.
The Producers – LEGO
Category J – Immersive Event (Controlled Audience)
This quartet of finalists ensured that a category that always delivers a compelling set of winners will do so again.
2Heads – Playtech
Blue Square – Samsung
Logobrand – Jacobs Douwe Egbert
TRO – BMW
Category K – Integration/Amplification
These three campaigns were in a class of their own. They showed everyone what other media miss when they are deprived of face-to-face brand experiences.
The Circle Agency – Costa
ENERGY – The Athletic
The Producers – SMARTY
Category L – Intriguing Experiential
Three three stand out campaigns that impressed in a variety of ways.
Blue Square – Samsung
Hopper – Affinity Water
Sense – Tony’s Chocolonely
Category M – Influencers
This new category was well supported, saw a broad mix of case studies, and saw four campaigns making the grade for shortlist honours.
Backlash Creative – Space NK
Backlash Creative – Tanologist
The Circle Agency – Veetee
N2O – Cadbury
Category N, Brand Ambassador of the Year
As with last year, the category once again attracted exceptional high calibre brand ambassadors.
Kelly Allen, Government Information Campaign , Elevate Staffing
Michelle Finlay, Costco, Fizz Experience
Jane Malsbury, Duracell, Field Sales Solutions
Felicity Peel, Ferrero, Field Sales Solutions
Paul Snaith, P&G Gillette, Field Sales Solutions
James Spence, REL Field Marketing, Danone Waters/ Red Bull
Louise Stewart, Tata Consumer Products, Powerforce
Category O – Small Scale/ Local
As usual the category demonstrates many good reasons for clients to invest in FMBE agencies. The shortlist has an impressive mix of great value for money, successful trials, brand events, localised data and cost-effective COVID pivots.
Backlash Creative – Space NK
Backlash Creative – Tanologist
The Circle Agency – Costa
Field Sales Solutions – Fox’s Biscuits
REL Field Marketing – Dell
Category P, Product Launch/ Relaunch
There were some tough decisions for judges to make in finalising both FM and BE shortlists.
Field Marketing
Contact Field Marketing and Solutions – Just Eat Takeaway.com
Field Sales Solutions – Duracell Optimum
Field Sales Solutions – Nutella Biscuits
Field Sales Solutions – Ocean Spray Sparkling Pink Cranberry
Logobrand – Ben’s Original
Powerforce – McVities VIBs
REL Field Marketing – Oreo Os
Brand Experience
2Heads – 10 x Geonomics
Blue Square – Hydrow
The Circle Agency – Veetee
Seen Displays – Nike X Joy Yamusangie
Category Q – Consumer
An intriguing head-to-head in these two finalists that both reach out to, and beyond, a consumer base that loves the brand.
The Circle Agency – Costa Coffee
REL Field Marketing – Alpro
Category R – Virtual/ Hybrid
Judges were challenged by our strict policy of no more than 7 on the shortlist as they felt this category showed real entrepreneurship amongst agencies and a mix of solutions and skills that will always be a part of our industry now, going forwards.
2Heads – Belden
Big Picture – Canon
Blue Square – Samsung
The Circle Agency – Coca Cola European Partnerships
Logobrand – Jacob Douwe Egberts
Philips (in-house)
Wasserman – All England Lawn Tennis Club
Category S – Stand/Display
A very competitive shortlist to get onto and the judges have brought forward 3 agile roadshow/event stands, a giant bathtub, a blockbuster grocery display and, by odd coincidence, 2 eye-catching store displays for luxury drinks brands.
Backlash Creative – Space NK
The Circle Agency – Costa
Custodian – Hennessey
Hopper – Affinity Water
REL Field Marketing – Weetabix
The Producers – LEGO
TRO – Krug
Category T – Operational Success
Our ‘Make it Happen’ award was always going to be appealing this year when several agencies have risen to meet challenging circumstances head-on. These finalists are the ones that could make a outsider stand and applaud the required combination of determination and great logistics.
Field Sales Solutions – Nutella
Fizz Experience – Costco Wholesale
Logobrand – Henkel
N2O – Tesco
REL Field Marketing – Brewdog
Category U – Professional Agency Management
A big category for obvious reasons this year when so much relied upon imaginative and resourceful management. The result of much deliberation has been a shortlist of agencies from right across the FMBE spectrum.
Big Picture
Blackjack Promotions
The Circle Agency
Elevate Staffing
Field Sales Solutions
N2O
Powerforce
Category V – Special Award, Event Day
A shortlist of one for a broad category because one stand out candidate showed us not just how to compete for attention for a busy celebration day – in this case Christmas – with the detailed results to back that up. One question remains – what colour off tinsel – gold, silver or bronze, should Logobrand and the Tassimo (Jacobs Douwe Egberts) team be planning for?
Logobrand – Tassimo
Category W – Campaign of the Year – shortlist will be announced on awards night
Category X – Field Marketing Agency of the Year
Big Picture
Blue Square Group
Field Sales Solutions
Logobrand
Powerforce
REL Field Marketing
Tactical Solutions
Category Y – Brand Experience Agency of the Year
2Heads
Backlash Creative
Blue Square Group
The Circle Agency
ENERGY
N2O
The Producers