Full service marketing agency CWA, which has been operating for more than 60 years, has won the prestigious Best Media Relations Campaign title at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Midlands Awards.
The Gold award celebrates CWA’s delivery of an innovative, high impact national media relations campaign for its clients Lumo and Hull Trains. The story saw poppy sellers Denis and Barbara Scaife take on a mammoth poppy selling marathon, travelling from Hull to London to Edinburgh and back again over two days. The challenge was to mark ten years of the pair selling poppies onboard as part of the ‘Poppy Express’.
The campaign exceeded all expectations, reaching over 12 million people through extensive broadcast coverage across the BBC, ITV and GB News, alongside strong engagement across social media platforms. It ultimately led to the pair raising £37,000 for the Royal British Legion, with influencers picking up on the challenge and boosting donations even further.
The accolade follows a significant milestone for CWA, after the agency celebrated an impressive 60 years of operation last year. Founded as a local Leicester agency, CWA has evolved into a globally operating creative business, delivering integrated PR, design, digital, events and communications services to an international client base. The agency has built a strong reputation for strategic insight and delivering remarkable results.
David Leatham, Media and Communications Director at CWA, said: “This campaign was about challenging the odds and showing what purpose driven communications can achieve when strategy, creativity and passion come together. This was a powerful story and we were proud to help amplify it on a national scale for our brilliant clients Lumo and Hull Trains. Receiving this recognition is hugely meaningful for our team as it reflects the care, collaboration and commitment behind the work. We’re very proud to have played a small part in Denis and Barbara raising more than £37,000 for an incredible cause.”
Lumo and Hull Trains are renowned open access rail operators. The expert media and communications team at CWA, which features a former BBC journalist and industry experts with decades of experience, handle media relations and support with strategy and creative campaigns for both the operators.
Richard Salkeld, Director of Communications and Partnerships at First Rail Open Access, said: “This is wonderful recognition for the incredible efforts that Denis and Barbara have put into raising money for The Royal British Legion across the past ten years. Their poppy selling marathon was a triumph, raising an unbelievable amount of money across just two days.
“This success is also a great example of the strength of our partnership with CWA, as we continue to pioneer social value partnerships together and celebrate the positive impact of travelling with Lumo and Hull Trains. We’re proud to work alongside a company that shares our values of sustainability and supporting local communities.”
CWA’s work with the operators has won a number of other high profile awards over the past year, including recognition at the Corporate Content Awards, Communicate Lens Awards and more. The poppy selling marathon was also this week nominated for ‘best use of content’ at the national CIPR Excellence Awards.
