An innovation campaign that fused a keen understanding of its target audience with a new take on the brand’s heritage has won the Grand Prix for Effective Innovation at the 2020 WARC Awards.

Campaigns for global brands including KFC, Nestlé, Pedigree, Tanqueray and Xbox, as well as local brands such as Master Kong Express Noodle in China and Donner Sang Compter in Lebanon, are among the winners of the Effective Innovation category of the WARC Awards. Subscribers can read the full list of winning case studies here.   

The Grand Prix winner, Omtanke – Rethinking Volvo, by whiteGREY and Mindshare for Volvo Cars Australia highlighted the car manufacturer’s sustainability credentials leading to the creation of the Volvo Living Seawall, an ocean conservation project in Sydney Harbour.

Volvo experienced an unprecedented 113% average uplift in brand attributes across its key target audiences and record sales.

“Amidst the current challenges faced by the world, it’s never been more critical that brand innovations deliver tangible IMPACT for consumers,” explained jury chair, Jane Wakely, Lead Chief Marketing Officer, Mars & Mars Pet Nutrition.

“The true innovations are the ideas that can meet the needs of consumers, address their pain points or provide added-value in a creative and surprising way.

“Against the backdrop of an impressive line-up of submissions, it was this ability to fuse creativity with deep consumer insight that truly set this year’s Innovation winners apart.”

In addition to the medals, three special awards recognise particular areas of excellence:

  • Partnership Award: PS21 Madrid for gin brand Tanqueray’s colourful multi-channel campaign in Spain, #FFAB60 – Searching for the special colour of Seville.
  • Channel Innovation Award: McCann London for travel-themed campaign, Visit Xbox – the Birth of Gaming Tourism.
  • Category Innovation Award: The Brand Agency for Hungry Puffs.

The jury of 14 agency- and client-side industry professionals, selected the following winners:

Grand Prix:

  • Omtanke – Rethinking Volvo · Volvo Cars Australia · Volvo Cars · whiteGREY, Mindshare · Australia

Gold:

  • #FFAB60 – Searching for the special colour of Seville · Tanqueray · Diageo · PS21 · Spain + Partnership Award
  • Visit Xbox – the Birth of Gaming Tourism · Xbox · Microsoft · McCann London · United Kingdom + Channel Innovation Award
  • Hungry Puffs · Foodbank WA · Foodbank Australia · The Brand Agency · Australia + Category Innovation Award

Silver:

  • SelfieSTIX · Pedigree · Mars · Colenso BBDO · New Zealand
  • Blood Unity · Donner Sang Compter (DSC) · FP7 McCann Dubai · Lebanon
  • Colonel KI · KFC · Yum! China · Mindshare China · China
  • OMO Tag · OMO · Unilever · TBWA\RAAD · Lebanon

Bronze:

  • Ok Nestlé! Tell me more about food · Nestlé · McCann Worldgroup · India
  • The Makeover of the Four Immortals · Master Kong Express Noodle · Ting Hsin International Group · BBDO China · China

Sourced from WARC