Gravity Road has scooped the Digital Innovation Agency of the Year Award for the second year running, with its tech-enabled approach to marketing significantly boosting topline revenue.
Part of The Brandtech Group (formerly You & Mr Jones), Gravity Road’s work in 2021 included a global brand platform for Pepsi, aimed at connecting the brand with a GenZ audience, and helping to transform Hotel Chocolat into the world’s first digitally-led chocolatier. The agency also led TikTok’s product launch rollout across EMEA, using data-driven, audience-led insights and devised a strategic partnership with Mastercard on its League of Legends e-sports sponsorship.
For sports retailer Foot Locker, Gravity Road tackled gender bias in social algorithms, and for Diageo, it devised augmented reality experiences to lift the spirits of lockdown whisky drinkers. This resulted in QR codes being carried across 300,000 units globally – the biggest rollout of an AR campaign across a premium portfolio.
Investing in its people was also high on the agency’s agenda. It continued to expand its partnerships with diversity companies such as The Other Box, Social Fixt, BYP Network, Run The Check and The Dots to ensure its talent pool is diverse. It also launched its first intern scheme aimed at diversifying the talent pool, partnering Creative Access. To coincide with its 10th birthday in 2021, Gravity Road minted NFT avatars for every employee. These NFTs will be owned by the individual, and will offer enhanced experiences and benefits for each year of service.
Silver: R/GA Media Group
The past 12 months have provided R/GA with the opportunity to double-down on its new-business wins, invest in R&D and drive internal innovation processes, all of which helped the business to scale at pace. The agency also let its people decide for themselves how and where they and their teams work best.
Initiatives included the launch of GSK Re/Wire, an incubator exploring disruptive new ways to help people improve awareness and control of their own health and "D2A capability", harnessing the creative power of the metaverse to unlock an emerging commerce model. Other launches included Auditorial, a platform to make the web a more inclusive place for blind and low-vision readers. The agency also created Preservation Play, an innovative initiative to pay back nature using YouTube.
Bronze: MediaMonks
In 2021, the agency delivered on the promise to shake up and transform the industry from the inside out. It made the move from digital agency to lead agency for both new and existing clients by putting customers at the centre of its client’s stories. It also won a number of social agency of record accounts and created a dedicated fashion, luxury and lifestyle category team called FLUX.
Shortlisted:
Oliver
The agency won 37 new clients and broadened its scope with most of its existing ones, resulting in growth of more than 35%. It continued its work as active advocates for inclusion, diversity and equity, and people of colour make up 25% of its employees. Its teams have been recognised by BIMA and the European Diversity Awards.
Take me back to the Campaign Agency of the Year Awards winners list