The DBA Awards were published on warc.com earlier this month. These awards recognise design projects that are creatively and commercially effective. There are 63 case studies in total, which Warc subscribers can view here. I've dug deep to showcase a handful of campaigns that I think deserve a special mention.

Vivid: Think Vivid!

How did Vivid, a brand of matcha green tea, successfully enter the highly competitive market of grab and go health-focused drinks in the UK? Aimed at young professionals and keen coffee drinkers Vivid was positioned as a lifestyle brand with personality. The design communicated the benefits of matcha - energy, clarity and mental focus. Clever positioning and a clear target audience helped Vivid achieve £0 to an estimated £600K retail sales value in its first year of trading and helped the brand get listed in a broad range of the biggest healthy living retailers.

Aquafresh Kids Toothbrushes and Teether

Aquafresh, the toothpaste brand, embarked upon a complete relaunch of its Aquafresh for Kids range which included toothbrushes, pastes, mouthwash and teethers. The redesign needed to appeal to a dual audience - parents and children. Animal characters were at the heart of the redesign, these characters would help parents tell teeth-related stories and help overcome toddlers' resistance to brushing. Meanwhile, the launch of a range of teethers/soothers meant parents were recruited to the brand early, and spread the reach of brand distribution beyond the oral care aisle. The range as a whole outstripped category growth by 12.5%.

Joe & Seph's: Helping a gourmet popcorn brand pop off the shelf

Joe & Seph's, a gourmet popcorn brand, expanded the popcorn category in the UK by repositioning popcorn as a natural snack for grown-ups. Joe & Seph’s use natural ingredients and a variety of innovative flavours to appeal to the more grown-up and sophisticated palate. Thus this gourmet popcorn could be enjoyed at home, with a sandwich, at lunch or in the pub – not limited to an occasional treat at the cinema. 1,800,000 packs have been sold to date with listings by twelve premium retailers and the brand has been exported to 15 countries.

OTE: brand launch

How did OTE, a nutritional sports drink, launch into a saturated market in the UK to become a firm favourite with athletes in a single year? OTE appealed to a niche lifestyle market – that of endurance sports. The brand used its packaging to ‘encourage improvement’ by providing expert advice and training tips. This is a good illustration of how helpful/utility marketing. Sales of OTE have gone from 0 to £500,000 and the brand secured eight international distributors in the first 12 months.

Willis Innovation Challenge: Unleash your thinking

Want to boost innovative thinking in your company? Willis, a global risk advisor and insurance broker, did just that when it embarked upon an internal communications campaign to encourage employees ‘unleash their thinking’ by sharing any innovative ideas they may have. Participation, engagement and crowd-sourcing were at the heart of this campaign which culminates in an annual internal event - The Willis Innovation Challenge. Ideas submitted outstripped objectives by 367% and due to the strength of the ideas, the Willis board decided to implement all five shortlisted ideas, rather than only one, as originally planned.

How GoMacro introduced the mass market to macrobiotics

How did GoMacro, a nutritional snack and wellness bar, grow from a family-owned challenger brand to a major market competitor with increasing market share and proven sales success in the US? A focus on healthy lifestyle and a premium design helped the brand become the fastest growing nutrition and wellness bar in the natural market with national distribution in UNFI, the largest natural and organic wholesale distributor in North America.

Fortnum & Mason Teas packaging

Fortnum & Mason, a specialist premium food store in London, embarked upon a redesign of its premium speciality tea, to reinforce its authority in the category, and boost sales. Fortnum & Mason, with over 300 years’ heritage, used a combination of traditional and innovative media in this campaign. Packaging included QR codes to allow consumers to access additional information about the product, and advice on making “the perfect cup of tea” – thus reinforcing brand authority. The redesign stimulated an average overall 103% increase in total like-for-like range volume sales. Tea, anyone?

Dress2kill: A cut above

Dress2Kill, a UK-based bespoke tailoring business, put an integrated and engaging retail experience at the heart of its rebrand. “Customers are offered a glass of champagne or other drink of their choice on arrival…Dress2kill is not just about the final product purchase, it's about delivering an holistic experience for our customers”. This focus on immersive retail experiences is a growing trend as physical brands try to figure out how to boost footfall and build brand engagement in the face of online competitors.

HECK: Beyond a better bangers and mash

Learn how HECK, a new brand of sausages, went from selling at local farmers' markets to being listed in four major UK retailers, in just 12 months. With a focus on a new, younger audience, HECK’s fun and cheeky brand image helped grow the business into a £3.5 million brand with average sales of £14,000 per day.

Pip Organic: The UK's first kid's organic juice and smoothie range

PIP Organic, an independent brand of 100% organic juices and smoothies in the UK, launched a new range for children. The colourful packaging featured fun fruit characters that successfully appealed to both parents and children. The launch saw a 54% year on year increase in sales and a return on investment of 320%. Very cute!