Marketing Design Awards: Online & new media

Winner

Client: British Airways London Eye

Agency: The Open Agency

Commended

Client: Center Parcs

Agency: Nucleus

Commended

Client: Stan James Bookmakers

Agency: Kerb

WINNER The website for the British Airways London Eye had not been revamped since it was originally set up to herald the opening of the attraction in 1999.

The subsequent relaunch of the site by The Open Agency in October 2002 radically changed the way the Eye was presented.

The previous online presence had concentrated on the Eye's construction and elevation, whereas the new site aimed to make the Eye an essential attraction during any London visit, promoting it as an experience, rather than just a ride.

The work focused on five key strengths: usability, enhanced brand sensitivity, customer relationship management, interactivity and scalability.

The judges were impressed with the end product on all five of these areas, particularly in the site's ability to appeal to all ages and nationalities. Additional benefits such as the e-commerce feature also caught the eye of the panel. The ease of online booking now means 70% of customers who pre-book their trip on the London Eye do so online.

Since the relaunch of the site, its number of hits has increased by 171%, with page impressions up 232% in January 2003 compared with the same month in 2002.

Following the relaunch of the website, marketing activity for the London Eye has used its online presence as the focal point for revenue generation.

For example, an offer for a trip on the London Eye plus a two-course meal saw 80% of all 5600 customers who applied for the deal do so through the website.

COMMENDED

In order to capitalise on the Euro 2004 football tournament, bookmaker Stan James commissioned Kerb to create a viral game and microsite to capture the vast numbers of fair-weather football fans who are attracted by the bigger events.

The witty animated game played up to the good-natured Euro-phobia that surfaces among England supporters around international tournaments.

To date, the game has been played by more than 4m people in more than 40 countries, with an average time spent on the game - and immersed in the Stan James brand - of more than 14 minutes.

COMMENDED

In line with the recent breakaway of the UK arm of Center Parcs from its European group to became an independent business, it hired Nucleus to create a UK website that featured only the four UK holiday resorts and delivered a more compelling and targeted user experience.

Offering a wealth of information, some in the form of interactive maps, the site had an immediate effect on online bookings, with web revenue increasing by an average of 58% year on year since its launch.

This article was first published on Marketing