- Awards recognise market-leading campaigns across a range of industry sectors
- Sherlock Communications named as a finalist for the best campaign of the year in Latin America
Sherlock Communications has won four Golden Sabre Awards for campaigns created for three different clients. The PR company with offices in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Costa Rica and Colombia has also been named as one of five finalists for the prestigious Platinum Sabre Award, presented for the best campaign of the year in Latin America.
Sherlock Communications won Best Campaign in Brazil as well as Best Financial and Professional Services Campaign for its work with Airfox, the Boston-based owner of a mobile banking platform called banQi. It also won Best Multimarket Campaign on behalf of audiovisual giant Getty Images, and Best Media, Arts and Entertainment Campaign for Believe in People (BiP), an anonymous North American street-artist
“We are delighted and humbled to win these four Sabre awards on behalf of our clients,” said Patrick O’Neill, co-founder and Managing Partner of Sherlock Communications. “It’s a real honour be recognised by our peers. We believe that winning PR awards is only possible through strong collaboration from great agency and client teams.
“We pride ourselves in bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to organisations entering, and working in, markets across Latin America. The awards recognise the great working relationships our team has with our clients, and also demonstrate how we are outperforming the biggest PR agencies in Latin America in delivering successful and innovative campaigns.”
According to Sabre Awards organisers, their Awards programme attracts more entries from around the world than any other PR awards meaning winning campaigns can genuinely claim to have been measured against — and triumphed in competition with — the best in the world.
Airfox hired Sherlock Communications to help launch their Android “mobile wallet” in Brazil, targeting the country’s 55 million unbanked, as well as the underbanked. After carrying out extensive market research in the favela communities of Rio de Janeiro, we created a campaign promoting the Airfox app in traditional and social media, and on the hi-visibility vests worn by the local moto-taxi co-operative in the hillside communities.
As part of the campaign Airfox also sponsored money-management workshops with students in public schools. The campaign also won Best Campaign in Latin America at the PR Week Awards in May. The successful launch campaign has led to an ongoing relationship with Sherlock Communications. Earlier this summer, the two companies worked together to promote the next evolution of the Airfox app: BanQi, Brazil’s newest free digital account app.
Getty Images is the largest and most prominent photo agency in the world. It started 2019 with a desire to strengthen its reputation among marketing and advertising professionals in Latin America, as well as bringing awareness to the Hulton Archive, a bank of 80 million historic images dating back to the 19th Century.
With the help of Sherlock Communications, Getty spokespeople featured prominently in the written press, online, and on podcasts. It also secured two important partnerships in Latin America. The first, entitled ESPN Photo of the Day, involved the most prominent sport’s media vehicle in Brazil publishing a Getty image and short insight from the photographer. The second, with Record News, saw the TV channel use historical images from the Hulton Archive accompanied by quotes.
BiP, or as the anonymous North American graffiti artist is also known, Believe in People will only be photographed if a mask covers his entire face and only filmed if his voice is distorted. Audio recordings are prohibited during print interviews.
Asking journalists to conduct an interview without dictaphones is very rare in Latin America. It also leaves the subject open to misquoting. Yet it does not cause anywhere near as many problems as telling media they will be unable to reveal the face, age, name or any of the subject’s personal details.
This was the challenge faced by Sherlock Communications while working with BiP during a three-week publicity campaign. Patience, understanding, trust and strong, respectful relationships with the media were essential in such a delicate situation.
Sherlock Communications was also recognised with a Certificate of Excellence for its campaign on behalf of Manhattan Associates in the Business-to-Business category. Entitled Becoming an Authority on Brazilian Logistics, the campaign focused on building brand visibility and awareness, expertise in the sector and generate new leads.
SABRE, which stands for Superior Achievement in Branding, Reputation & Engagement, is the world’s largest PR awards programme and annually recognises the best in the industry. Sherlock Communications will receive the awards on behalf of its clients at a glittering ceremony on September 11 in Mexico City, where the Platinum Sabre Award winner will also be announced.
