The third Green Awards have culminated at the Brewery, London with the winners of 13 categories and the overall ‘Grand-prix’ winner being announced. Initiated to reward businesses for communicating sustainability in a creative and original way, the awards emphasise the role that needs to be played by the marketing and communications industries in informing people about green issues, products and lifestyle choices.

The evening was enlivened by rousing speeches from Climate Change Co-ordinator from the United Nations Environment Programme, Mr Kaveh Zahedi, Friends of the Earth Chair Simon Counsell and Baroness Peta Buscombe, Chief Executive of the Advertising Association.

The Grand Prix rewards the campaign which, in the opinion of the expert judging panel, best exemplified an outstanding environmental message, and had the greatest sustainable impact. This accolade went to Nokia for their ‘Power of We’ for their corporate employee engagement programme.

The judges were impressed by the results of the campaign: 73% of worldwide employees are aware of their environmental initiatives, over 1200 environmental champions have signed up with the target of a further 1000 in the next 3 months – with employees making over 4000 pledges with the number growing every day.It was agreed the campaign was a really engaging way of getting employees on board – it really was very practically based, anybody could do it, it wasn’t preachy and it seemed to be doing the business. Less a green campaign than an entire organisational cultural shift.
 
Other notable winners included Green Thing ‘Walk the Walk’ for Best Green Digital and the We Want Tap Campaign for Best Green Integrated under £50,000 Budget.

According to Baroness Peta Buscombe, Chief Executive, The Advertising Association “The Awards demonstrate our industry’s commitment to promoting positive environmental change. The environment is an issue where we are all looking for solutions, it is important to ours and future generations and is one in which the communications industry can play a powerful role.”

Two new categories were introduced in 2008. Best Green Campaigner and Best Green International Campaign. Nick Nuttall, Spokesperson to the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Head of Media commented “The marketing industry is both part of the problem but also a big part of the solution to the challenge of climate change and the wider sustainability challenges facing over six billion people. UNEP is delighted that the Green Awards is evolving from its solid base in the UK to inspire creativity and campaigning globally by attracting entrants from all of the world”.

- ENDS  -

Editor’s Notes: All winners and commendations.

Best Outdoor Advertisement (under £50,000)
sponsored by Clear Channel Outdoor

International Fund for Animal Welfare: IFAW on the Underground

Best Outdoor Advertisement (over £50,000)
sponsored by Clear Channel Outdoor

Coca-Cola Great Britain: Talent From Trash

Best Press (no budget split)

CLG and COI: COI Energy Efficiency Check-up

Best Direct Mail (no budget split)
sponsored by Guardian Direct Marketing

International Fund for Animal Welfare: MP Humpback Adoption Campaign

Best Radio (no winner)

Gcap Media - Commended

Best Green Digital (No budget split)
sponsored by Propel Earth

Green Thing: Walk the walk

Best Internal Communications (under £50,000)
sponsored by B.sustainable

Punch Taverns: How big is your Carbon Footprint?’

Best Internal Communications (over £50,000)
sponsored by B.sustainable

Nokia: The power of We

Best Audiovisual (under £50,000)
sponsored by ITN Source.

BDH and the Soil Association: One Planet Food

Best Audio-visual (over £50,000)
sponsored by ITN Source

DEFRA: ACT ON CO2, Save Money, Save Energy Campaign

Best International Campaign (no budget split)

Romanian National Water Administration: Let’s keep the waters clean
 
UNEP and UITP: The Voice of Reason (Age 6)

mtc touch, Lebanon - Commendation

Best Campaigner (no budget split)
sponsored by Media Training Masterclasses

Batteryrecycling-uk.co.uk

Neil Jennings Associates Community Interest Company - Commendation

Best Packaging (under £50,000)
sponsored by ASDA.

Lush: Squeaky Green Shampoo Bar

Angus Soft Fruits & Adare - Commendation

Best Packaging (over £50,000)
sponsored by ASDA

Cadbury: Cadbury Eco-Eggs

Best Website, (under £50,000)

Friends of the Earth: The Big Ask

Best Website (over £50,000)

Largeblue: green.tv

Best PR (under £50,000)
sponsored by Planet 2050, Weber Shandwick’s

United Utilities Plc: Tap Into Water

Best PR (over £50,000) - No winner

Best Integrated (under £50,000)

We Want Tap: Tap
 
For more information, visit www.greenawards.co.uk  or contact: Green Awards Team: + 44 (0) 207 6085220