Magnetic says the awards recognise and reward advertisers and their agencies in four categories: best use of digital; print: campaign for good; content partnership (large and small budget) and overall, for client and agency of the year.
Magnetic outlined the winners as follows:
Chanel was named Client of the Year. A brand committed to uncompromising quality it uses magazine media as the perfect showcase for its brands. 2023 has seen Chanel increase their use of premium positions in print and dominance of luxury publisher beauty channels online. A consistent advocate of the publishing sector, Chanel – along with its agency PHD – has long recognised the value of publisher brands and their ability to engage, connect and provide a premium platform for their storytelling.
EssenceMediacom was named Agency of the Year. EssenceMediacom has shown a considerable commitment to the specialist media sector this year and has seen increased growth in responsible investment. They recognise how the trusted quality environments of magazine media brands can deliver ROI as well as effective, creative campaigns for their clients.
EssenceMediacom also won digital campaign of the year for The Great British Fix Up for eBay. This partnership with Top Gear showed clever interaction with the consumer through its storytelling, making the campaign relatable and simple to understand. It delivered impressive results deepening eBay’s connection with passionate motorists driving awareness and credibility of their car parts and accessories offering.
For the second year running OMD took home the best use of print award, this year for Making Christmas UnBEARlievable with Lidl. This was a fun and heartfelt campaign that delivered strong results through its use of print. Using the Lidl Bear as a cover star on the biggest magazines of the year provided the perfect context for an incredibly important call to action at Christmas, encouraging toy donation.
Campaign for Good was won by MG OMD with Every Story Matters for The UK Covid 19 Inquiry. This was a powerful example of a campaign where magazine media brands were leveraged to inspire behaviour change. The use of trusted and respected titles gave the campaign credibility, raised awareness and prompted the target audience to participate. It drove people directly to the ‘Every Story Matters’ website, and a trackable increase in the number of experiences shared that were directly related to pregnancy during the pandemic.
Wavemaker won Content Partnership of the Year (large budget) with Becoming the Nation’s Gut Health Coach for Activia. The ‘Gut Feelings’ partnership with Women’s Health leveraged its trusted voice to engage and educate consumers, so they truly understood the benefits of looking after your gut. An experiential element using Women’s Health editorial experts ensured it was a well thought through, multilayered campaign that exceeded all targets.
PHD won Content Partnership of the Year (small budget) with ‘A Little More Conversation’ for Warner Bros. Discovery. The partnership with NME and innovative content created a strong link between the digital and print elements of the campaign bringing Elvis into the modern world. It drove relevancy among younger audiences by celebrating his influence on emerging artists and how he continues to inspire popular culture today.
The entries were judged by an experienced panel Kayley Cracknell, head of advertising, Ovo; Phil Smith, director general at ISBA; Jenny Sowerby, director of marketing (UK & Europe) Sandals; Matt Bourn, director of communications, Advertising Association; and Sajeeda Merali, CEO, PPA.
Sajeeda Merali, PPA CEO comments: “Once again the Spotlight awards highlight how great insight, smart ideas, and engaging approaches deliver truly impactful partnerships. Magazine brands work hard for agencies and advertisers, producing highly effective campaigns with exceptional results."
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