December, 2007 – Pleon has won two awards for outstanding client work at the annual European Excellence Awards in Berlin. Germany’s regional marketing group took home the award for best Travel & Tourism campaign for its XXL Beach Chair event programme executed to support the sponsorship of the G8 Summit by the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV). The Netherlands won in the National & Regional category for the Are You With Me campaign created to educate the youth market about hearing loss in support of The Audiologic Industry (GAIN).
Commenting on the awards, European CEO Timo Sieg said, "These two awards are particularly gratifying because they recognise two very creative implementations of traditional PR techniques and demonstrate in a measurable way how PR can serve to change public opinion."
Specifically, a cleaver photo opportunity was the catalyst for Pleon’s ability to garner recognition for the MV’s regional health and well-being attributes. The photo of all nine members of the G8 in one XXL beach chair was front page news around the world – from London to Saudi Arabia.
The Dutch programme involved a traditional grass-roots campaign to dispel the myth that hearing aids are just for the elderly. The goal was to educate the youth market about the dangers that modern day activities – from listening to I-pods to attending loud concerts and music – can have on hearing. The programme culminated in Amsterdam’s largest dance party where ear plugs were distributed to over 4,000 attendees directing them to an educational website. Since the event, the issue of young-adult hearing continues to dominate the Benelux news.
The European Excellence Awards was hosted by Communication Director, a magazine for corporate communications and public relations in Europe. Awards were received at the annual ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton, Berlin.