RKCR takes Marketing's Creative Agency of Year

By David Tiltman, Marketing, Tuesday, 19 December 2006, 8:30am,

LONDON - RKCR/Y&R has scooped the coveted title of Marketing's Creative Agency of the Year 2006 after a year of new business success and clear effectiveness.

OMD and Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw took the media and direct prizes respectively, while AKQA won the digital category.

RKCR/Y&R won the Grand Prix at this year's IPA Effectiveness Awards for its work for Marks & Spencer. The ads it has produced have been central to the recovery of the retailer, whose UK sales rose 10.5% in the six months to September. The company cited the "Your M&S" campaign as a major factor in its revival.

Elsewhere, the agency took the bold move of putting Kate Moss at the heart of Virgin Mobile's ad campaign at a time when other brands were dropping her. It also won a place on the BBC's £20m advertising roster.

OMD, which picked up £78m of new business in 2006, triumphed due to its efforts to innovate. The agency oversaw Vodafone's secret gigs activity and created a blog to back its award-winning Sony Bravia ads.

Kitcatt Nohr's highlights included winning Citroën's direct account and a series of briefs from Norwich Union, while AKQA won global assignments from McDonald's and Smirnoff.

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This article was first published on Marketing