WPPedCream 2015
Public Relations

As the dramatic convergence of communications, marketing and media continues, we are seeing a constant growth in opportunities to develop integrated, innovative and creative public relations campaigns for our clients. This year, we had the most entries ever received for the WPPED Cream Awards PR Division, with excellent work in the B2B, Consumer Marketing, Content Development, Corporate and Public Affairs, Crisis Communications and Digital/Social Strategy categories. With my fellow judges, Michael Coates of Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Chris Graves of Ogilvy Public Relations and Donna Imperato of Cohn & Wolfe, we judged these entries based on the quality of their research, insight, creativity, strategy and effectiveness.

I am happy to announce that the 2015 PR Crème de la Crème award goes to Cohn & Wolfe. Working on behalf of Microsoft Lumia, Cohn & Wolfe developed a highly creative approach to compelling digital content shared via a mobile device. This content came from the successful completion of Mission 31: Over a period of 31 days, Fabien Cousteau, grandson of oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, and his team of aquanauts lived and worked underwater. They beat Jacques Cousteau’s record of living underwater by one day. The Mission enabled participating scientists to amass the equivalent of two years’ worth of research, because they were spared the trouble of going back and forth between land and water and were not limited due to depleted air tanks. The experience of their journey was conveyed to the world through the campaign’s online “Mission Central” and other forms of social media. The campaign resulted in more than 12.7 million impressions and generated a $2 million equivalent advertising value.

On behalf of my fellow judges, congratulations to all of our winners, and thanks to our WPP colleagues who submitted their work.