Alison Hoad, convener of judges and planning partner at Campbell Doyle Dye, said: "The O2 campaign is remarkable for the scale of transformation it effected and for the completeness of its approach. The idea was totally visually integrated across all channels -- from store to brochure to broadcast -- and this maximised its power."
The Effectiveness Agency of the Year (above £100m) Award was presented to DDB London and Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R after the two tied on points for winning campaigns. DDB London won a gold for dairy brand Cravendale and two silvers for Volkswagen Diesel and The Guardian. Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R also won gold for Virgin Mobile, and two silvers for Virgin Trains and Marks & Spencer.
This year, the IPA gave out seven gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze awards, as well as 13 special prizes. The five other gold awards went to: VCCP for the O2 campaign; Wieden & Kennedy for the Honda (UK) campaign; WCRS and Naked Communications for The Number 118 118 launch campaign; TBWA\London and Fishburn Hedges for the Central London Congestion Charge campaign; and Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, Bartle Bogle Hegarty and Euro RSCG London for the Tobacco Control campaign.
The special prizes included Best Integration, won by TBWA\London and Fishburn Hedges for the Central London Congestion Charging campaign. Best Media went to BBH for the Lynx Pulse paper, and Best Small Budget went to TBWA\London for the Safer Travel at Night campaign.
More than one communications medium was used in 29 out of the winning 32 cases. Hoad said: "This year, we have seen communications used as brand entertainment, as a method for briefing London, as lobbying technique and as a crucial tool in implementing fundamental changes in business strategy. In addition, the 2004 Awards have proved beyond doubt that the more integrated an idea is the more powerful it becomes."
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