It's a tie. Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R and DDB London have emerged as joint winners of the Effectiveness Agency of the Year with billings of more than £100 million.
It is the first time that Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R has claimed this honour, given to the agency tallying the most points from its entries, its dedication to effectiveness and the consistently high stand of its submissions.
The agency won Gold for its bold, ballsy and sometimes controversial campaigns for Virgin Mobile, which made a big impression in a viciously competitive market.
It also picked up two Silvers. One for persuading young fashionistas to do their lingerie shopping at Marks & Spencer, which was suffering from the perception of being the vendor of "granny knickers". The other - arguably, a much tougher task - for restoring some confidence in British rail travel and Virgin Trains.
For the agency formerly known as BMP DDB though, this is a hat-trick.
Winning this award in 2000, 2002 and again this year, IPA Effectiveness Awards have been causing the trophy cabinet at 12 Bishop's Bridge Road to sag under their weight of late.
Arla Foods' Cravendale milk, The Guardian and, predictably, Volkswagen Diesel gave DDB London this year's title. Its Cravendale campaign, which has grown from nothing into a £41 million brand, won a Gold, plus the Charles Channon Award for Best New Learning.
The agency picked up two Silvers for the "Don't forget it's a diesel" campaign for Volkswagen Diesel, also named the Best Idea, and The Guardian, which reversed the broadsheet newspaper's six-year sales slump.
Both agencies also won praise for the variety of media they use from TV and print to direct marketing and online.
