BBH wins the IPA Effectiveness Grand Prix for the second time in a row, this time for Tesco ‘Every Little Helps’
In 2018 BBH won the IPA’s Effectiveness Grand Prix for Audi, and in 2020 the agency – working with MediaCom – bagged the biennual award again, thanks to the Tesco ‘Every Little Helps’ campaign.
The pic is of BBH joint chief strategy officer Simon Gregory stepping out of the office to receive the award — and apparently caught out missing bath time at home.
The campaign was established by Lowe Howard-Spink in the 90s, and first won an Effectiveness Grand Prix back in 2000 when the agency had become MullenLowe, and Tesco was dominating British retail.
In 2020 the award represents the success of a big turnaround story for the retailer, which looked to be on its knees after an accounting scandal five years ago. “Drastic Dave” Lewis arrived as CEO from Unilever and controversially appointed BBH without a pitch, in a move that is now vindicated.
Lewis has just left, so it remains to be seen if the advertising will be as effective without his logistical brains at the helm (Ken Murphy from Walgreen Boots Alliance has taken over), but for now BBH can bask in the glory of a 640 per cent increase in brand index score, a 28.2 per cent increase in like-for-like sales, a shift from losses of £6.4bn to a profit of £221bn in five years, and an ROI of £13.65 for every £1 invested.
Sue Unerman, convenor of judges and chief transformation officer at MediaCom, said: “The complexity of challenge and complexity of solution are amazing, showing how brand thinking can drive wholesale change across a big business. It is a fantastic reminder that sometimes going back to the basics of putting your customer first, combined with outstanding creative and strategy, can bring game-changing results.”
BBH also won Effectiveness Company of the Year, picking up two Golds (Audi and Tesco) and one Silver (Heinz Mayonnaise) as well as the Grand Prix. MullenLowe Group was Effectiveness Network of the Year, taking Bronze awards for NHS England, Wagamama and Truth Project.
The event was hosted by Sally Phillips (Bridget Jones’ Diary, Miranda, Smack the Pony), who nobly led an online broadcast, even presenting awards live to the big winners. She integrated Twitter chat and did a good job of creating a bit of atmosphere against the odds. Here’s Creature London gathered together and celebrating a Bronze in real time, which founder Dan Cullen Shute says is, in many ways, “better than the actual awards do.”
