ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller won big at this year’s International Business Awards (IBAs) – known as “the Stevies” – taking home 28 medals, including five golds, 14 silvers and 9 bronzes in the PR & Marketing categories, resulting in a Best of the IBA’s ‘Grand Stevie’ Award for the second year in a row.
This was a record win for the agency, and for any Middle East company, at the IBAs, and the ‘Grand Stevie’, which is earned based on the total number of awards won, ranked the Agency among the top ten awarded firms globally.
The launch campaign for The Dubai Font, for The Executive Council of the Government of Dubai, won Gold in two categories: Multicultural and Reputation / Brand Management; while the gala launch of Dubai Parks and Resorts won a Gold for Events & Observances and two Silvers in the Media Relations and Travel & Tourism categories. The Global Education and Skills Forum and Global Teacher Prize 2017 for the Varkey Foundation took home a Gold for Media Relations, and two Silvers for Events & Observances and Global Issues; while the Warriors in Pink campaign for Ford won a Gold in Public Service and a Silver in Healthcare.
The International Business Awards are the world’s premier business awards programme, with the 2017 edition receiving 3,800 entries from more than 60 nations and territories. This year’s awards ceremony and gala dinner will take place in Barcelona, Spain on 21 October.
Sunil John, Founder and CEO of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, said: “I am delighted to see our work recognised at the global level, with our best-ever performance at the IBAs. Winning 28 awards across so many categories demonstrates the depth and breadth of our expertise, and underlines the sterling work we do for all our clients across all practices.”
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller collected a Silver medal for ‘PR Agency of the Year’ in the Middle East and Africa, and the Agency’s thought leadership initiative – the 9th Annual Arab Youth Survey 2017, won three Silver medals for Communications Research, Global Issues, and Public Service. The Agency’s work on the Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit, organised by the Mubadala subsidiary Strata, won two Silvers for Events & Observances and Media Relations, along with a Bronze for Global Issues.
Emirates National Bank of Dubai won a Silver medal for Public Service for the agency’s work on the #togetherlimitless campaign, while Dubai Design Week, for Art Dubai, won a Silver and a Bronze award for Media Relations and Arts and Entertainment respectively.
The agency’s innovative Ford Edge Unboxing campaign won a Bronze in the Social Media Focus category, while the campaign for GE’s announcement of billions of dollars’ worth of deals during the US presidential visit to Saudi Arabia won three Bronze awards for Marketing – Business-to-Business, Reputation/Brand Management, and Technology. The agency’s campaign for Avaya Engage won two Bronze medals for Social Media Focus, and Technology.
In the Marketing Awards category, the agency’s work for Dussur – formerly known as the Saudi Arabian Industrial Investment Company – won a Bronze for Rebranding/Brand Renovation of the Year.