MARKEETING EXHIBITION EFFECTIVENESS AWARDS 1997: EXHIBITORS’ SILVER AWARDS - FINANCIAL AND PUBLIC SERVICES

WINNER

Client: Barclays Bank

Designer: Grapple Group

Exhibition: Childrens BBC’s Big Bash 1996

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Client: Department of Trade & Industry

Designer: Firbank Kempster

Exhibition: Hanover Fair 1997

WINNER

A cinema theme was adopted to promote Barclays Bank to the youth market

and recruit new accounts. The link was made with the bank’s cinema

sponsorship promotion, due to be launched two months later.

The stand was designed to give a brighter, more exciting image of the

bank to which this market could relate and to enable customers to find

out about, and make on-the-spot application for, the range of

accounts.

It featured displays of the latest film releases, stand up cut-outs of

stars and the opportunity to see trailers of forthcoming box office

hits.

There were also film-related competitions and free prize draws. Quality

goodie bags for those who opened an account contained film posters,

T-shirts, hats and badges.

A walk-through layout meant that visitors saw all the features and

congestion was avoided. Promotion and information on the bank’s products

and services were displayed at the final part of the stand tour, with

staff on hand to answer questions.

Says Barclays: ’The amount of interest from visitors was

overwhelming.

The results clearly justify the extra expense and time taken to create

the stand. We more than doubled our recruitment target and created

awareness of the Barclays branding with our target audience.’

HIGHLY COMMENDED

The seeds of what became Europe’s biggest trade fair were sown in

Germany by the British Military Government of Occupation in 1947. On the

50th anniversary of the event, the UK was donated 1660 sq metres for a

British pavilion, housing 96 exhibitors.

The DTI appointed Firbank Kempster to create an experience which

communicated the idea that the UK was at the leading edge of world

design technology and innovation.

Experiences offered in the pavilion included a simulated trip down an

underwater oil pipeline, sitting in the cockpit of the Eurofighter, and

rescuing fire victims trapped by thick smoke using Argus Equipment.

Those successfully completing these tasks were rewarded with a free,

high-quality snack and drink, courtesy of BP’s ’Petit Bistro’

display.

The pavilion was visited by 350,000 people during the six-day fair.

Survey data indicated that 80% of these were German, with others coming

from elsewhere in Europe, the former Soviet Union, the US, Asia and

Australasia.

This article was first published on Marketing