FMBE Awards announces 2020 shortlist

The FMBE 2020 shortlist is out. Congratulations if you have made it onto the list, commiserations if you have not – we welcome requests for feedback.

2020 was a bumpy ride. At one stage we thought entries would be very few and far between, but FMBE award entry really took off in the last couple of months. Suddenly we have reached a stage where, although entry quantity is not as high as we typically see, we have no qualms at all about quality – far from it. Most of the best performing agencies and brands from previous editions have been able to take part and it is clear that they have selected work to enter that shows them at the peak of their powers. Judges have been amazed by the lively and inventive entries including reminders of the great work delivered in 2019 and an array of innovative solutions that show the resilience of FMBE work under COVID. It is clear that COVID has made everyone more innovative and versatile.

Award’s Director, Frank Wainwright comments: “Time and again we have opened a file to reveal jaw-dropping work. It has been an absolute pleasure chairing the judging process and hearing the reactions from our judges that have helped us to get to this shortlist announcement.”

The FMBE shortlist is presented below with a commentary per category.  The number of finalists per category is dictated by the strength in depth in that category. Clearly some categories have been challenged more than others in terms of entry numbers, by COVID, but the policy has been strict in not shortlisting anything that hasn’t reached the exacting standard that upholds the best of best reputation of the FMBE Awards.

Field Marketing Categories

Category A: Sales Campaign of the Year

This is a nicely-balanced three-way battle between last year’s bronze winning team, Powerforce with Haribo, taking on one of the most successful agency-brand pairings FMBE has seen in REL with Danone Waters and Red Bull. Next to these Top Notch with Cofresh have shown a very sure-footed strategy with the Indian snack brand, developing its sales through wholesale. A very high standard from these three.

Powerforce – Haribo

REL Field Marketing – Danone Waters/ Red Bull

Top Notch Sales – Cofresh

 

Category B – Retail Sales Experience

An exciting trio of entries that show three very different takes on meeting the category criteria. Circle gave away coffee for free in order to establish a new sales channel as lockdown 1 subsided. Instore delivered a conversational sales campaign for sports nutrition producer Glanbia. Link, the 2018 and 2019 champions in this category are back to try for a hattrick, this time by sizzling mackerel at flagship Asda and Tesco stores.

Circle – Costa Express

Instore Field Marketing – Glanbia

Link Communication – Princes

 

Category C – Field Data

There were two stand out entries. This became a head to head.  There was Reach’s use of data to streamline performance in Ireland for Heineken. The judges also liked Logobrand and Britvic, the 2018 category champions, who this year showed how challenges seen under lockdown, were met by the FM team in the Immediate Consumption soft drinks category.

Acosta Europe Reach – Heineken

Logobrand – Britvic

 

Category D – Instore Marketing

These were the clear top 5 in one of the busier categories.  For Field Sales Solutions a neat negotiation to establish instore coolers for canned Peroni. For Instore, the requirement was to build a greeting’s card market presence for Aldi. For Logobrand and Britvic judges saw the same case study that performed well in Field Data. For Logobrand and Haribo, the field marketing team helped Haribo to get the most out of new listing opportunities in Morrisons. Finally, Powerforce and Lego showed how the team ramped up toy store performance in 2019.

Field Sales Solutions – Peroni

Instore Field Marketing – Aldi

Logobrand – Britvic

Logobrand – Haribo

Powerforce – Lego

 

Category E – Tactical – ROI and Service Led

A sought after category this year and a variety of tactics on display. Sales, compliance and merchandising were the key field skills deployed by Field Sales Solutions, the two teams from Logobrand and REL Field Marketing. Of these, REL and William Grant have been seen for the first time in 2020, here building on their Christmas promotion across multiple drinks brands. In the ‘other’ camp we saw an immense door drop sampling campaign by Circle for Costa and a glorious experiential design-cum-shopfit piece for Sky Ocean Rescue Café by Beautiful Wonder.

Beautiful Wonder and Cooper Collective – Sky

Circle – Costa

Field Sales Solutions – Peroni

Logobrand – Britvic

Logobrand – Haribo

REL Field Marketing – William Grant and Illva Saronno

 

Category F – Team of the Year

It is one of the sought after FM categories and sees the highly-rated P&G and Weetabix teams (silver and bronze in 2019) back for another crack whilst Reach and Heineken have put together a year one post TUPE team entry. PRL’s Kraft Heinz team effort in Ireland and Instore’s consistent work on behalf of retailer Lidl make up an intriguing set of finalists.

Acosta Europe Reach – Heineken

Field Sales Solutions – P&G

Instore Field Marketing – Lidl

PRL – Kraft Heinz

REL Field Marketing – Weetabix

 

Brand Experience Awards

Category G – Sponsorship Activation

Sponsorship activation contracts were torn up, shredded and binned in 2020 in a year when we had once anticipated a bumper crop of Olympic, UEFA and music festival activations. It was understandably a tough year for any agency that is focussed on the sector. Thankfully, the category had a clear stand out entry that impressed in a number of ways. So, has TRO and BMW won gold, silver or bronze for their lockdown period Formula E sponsorship activation in Berlin?

TRO – BMW AG

 

Category H – Roadshow and Shopping Centre

Three entries stood out for completely meeting the effectiveness brief that the category demands. There were some fantastic results evidenced in these.

Circle – Costa Express

Gekko – Google

The Producers – Nando’s

 

Category I – Immersive Event (Mass Consumer)

This category took us back to 2019 in the case of all of the finalists. This was something we fervently hoped would happen and feared might not. Happily for FMBE and the awards legacy, the judges have been able to pick out 5 of the very best immersive events and with these high quality entries we will be able to use the 2020 finals to show off some amazing consumer engagement work.

2Heads – Airbus

Philips 

MKTG – Coca-Cola Energy

N2O – Superdrug

The Producers – Lego

 

Category J – Immersive Event (Controlled Audience)

As with category I, we are delighted to say that COVID has not been able to hold back Brand Experience agencies from putting forward some deeply immersive and engaging events, with the four finalists being standout.

Blue Square – Samsung Electronics

Circle – Death Stranding

DRPG and Motiv8 International – Hyundai

N2O – Coca-Cola European Partners

 

Category K – Amplification and Integration

The 3 finalists show – in our judges’ opinion – the versatility and variety of the KPIs that can be achieved’ in a variety of circumstances.

Blue Square – Samsung Electronics

Circle – Costa Express

MKTG – Pandora

 

Category L – Most Intriguing Experiential Activation

These 3 certainly gave experiential a twist. Airbus explained why they turned to E-sports and a gaming convention for recruitment. In a different manoeuvre, Circle took a game world into the real world in Camden. And during lockdown Guinness converted its platform to make virtual records into very real accolades, helping Crowdfunder with its virtual pub.

2Heads – Airbus

Circle – Death Stranding

Guinness World Records Consultancy – Crowdfunder

 

The Field Marketing and Brand Experience Awards

Category N, Brand Ambassador of the Year

The one category in 2020 that was as busy as ever was FM Brand Ambassador of the Year, with many brands choosing it to celebrate key workers who helped keep the brands, shops and economy going whilst many businesses stalled. So, a full seven (the most we typically shortlist at FMBE) have been brought forward. Chairing the judging process, FMBE’s Frank Wainwright declared: “I’m so glad the field agencies followed up the call to nominate these brand ambassadors whose vital role was magnified this year. We have a plan in place for celebrating key workers as a special part of the awards process and analysis this year and this shortlist, with its evident quality, makes that easy.”

Adam Judge, Field Sales Solutions, Gillette

Andrea Evans, Powerforce, Molson Coors

Andrew Elliot, REL Field Marketing, Weetabix

Bianca Chan, Acosta Europe Reach, Heathrow

Carly Gamble, Blue Square, Samsung

Chris Williams, Field Sales Solutions, P&G

Dean Crook, Field Sales Solutions, Ferrero

 

Category O – Small Scale/ Low Budget

Our judges were ruthless in a category that didn’t bring in the usual innovation. Happily, two exceptional case studies saved the day, one an immaculate Field Marketing trial that proves the value FM can bring, the other a heart-warming response to keeping Bristol engaged under COVID restrictions – 2 finalists to really celebrate.

Acosta Europe Flexforce – Nestle Purina

Plaster and Upfest – Bristol City Centre BID

 

Category P – Product Launch/ Relaunch

These three finalists stood out by really championing their part in the bigger picture of the brand’s message and showing a clear understanding of the launch strategy.

Beautiful Wonder and Cooper Collective – Sky

Field Sales Solutions – Peroni

REL Field Marketing – Cadbury

 

Category Q – Consumer Campaign

Four very highly-rated finalists in this one, all brand experience leaning this year, all food and drink related. These were different takes on how to reach consumer front of mind and with four very different budgets. They come from pre, during and post Summer lockdown, showing our judges a full set of brand experience marketing skills.

Circle – Costa Express

MKTG – Coca-Cola Energy

Raptor – Deliveroo

Woof – Osu

 

Category R – Connectivity Award

A wonderful shortlist in which all three finalists showed their rapid reactions and adaptations to bringing events and demos into the home for work and leisure during lockdown. All 3 have also brought legacy that looks like it would add value to FMBE events post-Covid.

Philips

Logobrand – Henkel

Wasserman – USTA

 

Category S – Most Effective Stand or Display

These are 3 great finalists, two merchandiser success stories and one – Playtech – a really vivid show stealer.

Field Sales Solutions – Peroni

2Heads – Playtech

REL Field Marketing – Weetabix

 

Category T – Operational Success

Another superb category. In this one, Costa’s vast door drop sampling campaign competes against DJ Spoony’s rapidly put together 50^th birthday celebration, Pladis’ dual agency support act under Lockdown and 2019’s tea army put together to celebrate 150 years of Sainsbury’s with a cuppa in every store.

Circle – Costa

Onlive Events – Black British Excellence

Powerforce and ExSellence – Pladis

REL Field Marketing – Sainsbury’s

 

Category U – Professional Agency Management

Four finalists, four COVID-bashing success stories. A category we can all celebrate.

Acosta Europe

Field Sales Solutions

Raptor – Tinder

REL Field Marketing

 

Category V – Special Award: Virtual Events and Demos

When we wrote the category out it was impossible to imagine what entries it might attract, but what we have is one of the toughest shortlists to get onto and many intriguing takes on ‘virtual’. It is wonderful stuff. Skills seen in this category will be used in the future to make real live events better, with studios and production values that were not present before. They will be used to bring national and international brand ambassador teams together. They will be used to enhance conferences and amplify their reach. They will be used to better connect home audiences with live sports events and festivals.

Circle – Coca Cola European Partners

Elevate Staffing

Field Sales Solutions – Brooklyn Brewery

Logobrand – Henkel

OneBigStar – John Deere

Onlive Events – Samsung

Wasserman – USTA

 

Category W – Field Marketing Agency of the Year

Acosta Europe Reach

Field Sales Solutions

Instore Field Marketing

Logobrand

Powerforce

REL Field Marketing

 

Category X – Brand Experience Agency of the Year

2Heads

Blue Square Group

Circle

MKTG

N2O

Raptor

The Producers