CIPR Excellence award winners highlight creative communications campaigns that contribute value to society

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) last night hosted its most prestigious annual celebration to recognise and reward best practice in public relations. This year’s Excellence Awards were presented at a black tie dinner at the London Hilton on Park Lane, attended by over 800 guests from the public relations profession.

Winners on the night included Unity and Cancer Research UK, with multiple awards for their ‘R UV Ugly?’ campaign, promoting awareness of skin cancer to young people, and Pitch PR and Channel 4, for the station's Paralympic Games coverage.

Also noteworthy were awards for KPMG and The Living Wage Foundation’s campaign to highlight the ‘Living Wage’, persuading employers to provide a higher wage than the national minimum to their lowest paid staff; Golin Harris & St John Ambulance’s ‘Helpless’ campaign, highlighting the importance of first-aid skills and knowledge to the general public; and Guide Dogs UK’s successful lobbying campaign to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Agriculture (DEFRA), to deliver the policy of compulsory microchipping for all dogs in England.

Those collecting the night’s most prestigious awards were Blue Rubicon, winners of Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy; Transport for London, taking away the title of Outstanding In-House Public Relations Team; Oxford-based, Propel Technology, claiming the Outstanding Small Consultancy prize; and Gemma Griffiths MCIPR, taking the trophy for Outstanding Young Communicator.

With more than 700 entries across multiple categories, including a special grand prix award for the Best Use of Planning, Measurement & Evaluation, the shortlisted entrants were put through their paces with a series of rigorous face-to-face interviews by a team of over 80 expert judges including Lionel Zetter FCIPR and Helen Dickinson MCIPR chairing the interview panel.

CIPR Excellence Awards 2013 winners

• Corporate and Business Communications Campaign: Ogilvy Public Relations/London – ‘The Gnome Experiment’
• Corporate Social Responsibility Campaign: KPMG and Living Wage Foundation – ‘Living Wage’
• Public Sector Campaign: West Dunbartonshire Council – ‘Do the Right Thing’
• Best Broadcast Campaign: GolinHarris & St John Ambulance – ‘St John Ambulance 'Helpless' campaign’
• Financial and Investor Relations Campaign: Direct Line Group – ‘The Direct Line Group IPO’
• Low Budget Campaign: Dynamo PR – ‘Dynamo Writes 3Doodler into the Kickstarter Record Books’
• Internal Communications Campaign: Glasgow Housing Association – ‘Think Yes’
• Consumer Relations Campaign: Royal Mail Group – ‘Gold Medal stamps and gold postboxes’
• Best Sporting Campaign: Channel 4/Pitch PR – ‘The London 2012 Paralympic Games on Channel 4’
• Not-For-Profit Campaign: Unity & Cancer Research UK – ‘R UV UGLY?’
• Global Public Relations Campaign: Ogilvy Public Relations/London – ‘The Gnome Experiment’
• Public Affairs Campaign: Guide Dogs – ‘Dog Attacks Campaign’
• Issues or Crisis Management: Action for Children – ‘Closing a service and getting it right’
• Healthcare Campaign: Unity & Cancer Research UK – ‘R UV UGLY?’
• Automotive Campaign: Tangerine PR – Essex Diamond RCZ
• Best Use of Media Relations: MORE TH>N – MORE TH>N Pet Insurance
• Integrated Campaign: Ogilvy Public Relations/London – The Gnome Experiment
• Best Technology Campaign: The Red Consultancy – ‘From nowhere to everywhere in three months’
• Best Use of Digital: Microsoft & 3 Monkeys Communications – ‘Brandon Generator’
• Best Use of Social Media: Torfaen County Borough Council – ‘In the Depot’
• Best External Publication: Tods Murray – ‘Firm Profile’
• Best Internal Publication: Royal Mail – ‘Celebrating an Olympic achievement’
• Best Event: Edelman – ‘Experience Halo’
• Best Use of Research, Planning, Measurement & Evaluation: Channel 4/Pitch PR – ‘The London 2012 Paralympic Games on Channel 4’
• Outstanding Young Communicator: Gemma Griffiths, Managing Director, The Crowd &I
• Outstanding Freelance Practitioner: Hilary Berg – ‘Using PR Excellence to Empower Communities’
• Outstanding Small Consultancy: Propel Technology
• Outstanding In-House Public Relations Team: Transport for London – ‘Keeping London Moving’
• Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy: Blue Rubicon
• The People’s Choice Award: Andy Green FCIPR, Founder, andygreencreativity.com

Also awarded on the night

• The CIPR and Institute of Directors PR Director of the Year: Emma Gilpin-Jacobs MCIPR, Director of Communications, Financial Times

Speaking to a packed room of industry leaders, Sue Wolstenholme FCIPR, CIPR President, said: