Following its recognition as Best Agency in Iberia in the previous edition, the consultancy stands out as the Spanish communications agency with the most nominations at this year’s ceremony.
Subway, ANFEVI – Friends of Glass (National Association of Glass Container Manufacturers), Mattel (Barbie), and the European Patent Office (EPO) join MARCO in their respective award categories.
Madrid, 8 March 2024 – MARCO, the agency specialising in brand building and reputation management, has once again distinguished itself as the Spanish agency with the highest number of nominated campaigns at the annual SABRE EMEA Awards. Having been named Best Agency in Iberia last year, the consultancy has successfully positioned campaigns for its clients Subway, ANFEVI (National Association of Glass Container Manufacturers), Mattel, and the European Patent Office (EPO) among the sector’s most recognised. All will compete for an award in their respective categories at the ceremony to be held in London on 17 April.
The various categories in which MARCO has secured finalist status showcase the strength of its specialised departments, spanning consumer, food, institutional, and ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance). Creativity remains at the heart of its campaigns, focused on delivering results.
The ‘Think Big, Think Footlong’ campaign for Subway is a finalist in the Food Service category. Aiming to popularise Subway’s Footlong sandwiches among its target audiences, MARCO’s strategy involved engaging with different audiences through culturally relevant messaging via a combination of Out of Home (OOH) and digital channels. The campaign was supported by strategic press releases in Spain and Portugal, as well as a social media strategy based on community management to integrate activations, encourage audience participation in Spain, and build product awareness in other markets. Additionally, influencer marketing was deployed, with four key profiles used to boost campaign visibility and impact.
In the ESG Campaign category, the successful ‘Ensō’ campaign for ANFEVI is once again recognised. ‘Ensō’ is the first-ever endless short film in which glass, circularity, and love take centre stage in the cinematic world. To reinforce ANFEVI’s role as a key association in the glass sector and continue to educate and generate a positive impact on society, MARCO developed a 360° campaign titled ‘Ensō.’ The term, drawn from Japanese calligraphy, symbolises the infinite contained within harmony and perfectly represents the circular economy of glass packaging: an endless cycle that cares for both our planet and its people. The seven-minute circular short film was directed by acclaimed filmmaker Nacho Fernández, known as Günther.
“From ANFEVI, and through our short film ‘Ensō,’ we are proud to have been shortlisted as potential winners at the SABRE EMEA Awards, one of the most prestigious communications industry accolades. This pioneering project in the glass sector, developed with MARCO, was designed to educate and strengthen pro-glass messaging in an original, creative, and accessible way. Our goal is to continue launching campaigns that inspire consumers to choose and always recycle glass, ensuring its eternal life cycle,” stated Karen Davies, Secretary General of ANFEVI.
Meanwhile, Mattel’s ‘Barbie Pink Empowerment’ campaign is in the running for Best Consumer Marketing (Existing Product). In collaboration with MARCO, Mattel reinvented Barbie’s image to ensure she remains an inspiring figure for young girls in 2023 and beyond. The transformation promotes female empowerment, diversity, and the benefits of doll play, underpinned by robust international studies. The release of the ‘Barbie’ movie was a landmark moment, breaking traditional communication boundaries. Simultaneously, MARCO’s 360° communications strategy amplified two of Mattel’s key initiatives: ‘Dream Gap’ and ‘We Are Barbie.’ ‘Dream Gap’ aims to inspire young girls worldwide with influential ambassadors who help break down gender barriers, while ‘We Are Barbie’ celebrates diversity and challenges stereotypes.
Finally, in the Government Agencies category, the European Patent Office (EPO) is a finalist with its campaign ‘Tribute to the Creativity of Inventors All Around the World.’ To raise awareness of the European Inventor Award 2023 and the newly introduced Young Inventors Prize 2023, the EPO executed a wide-ranging press campaign across 16 key markets over a twelve-week period. The initiative was complemented by a digital communications plan on social media, generating engagement even before the official announcement of the finalists, with a teaser campaign based on the concept of ‘The Forgers of Tomorrow.’
The pre-event coverage leading up to the European Inventor Award ceremony formed part of an internationally coordinated strategy, inviting journalists to attend both in person and virtually.
Finalists in the EMEA SABRE Awards were selected from over 2,000 campaign entries for the best communications work carried out across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in 2023. A panel of industry experts evaluated the submissions, and winners will be announced at the ceremony in London on 17 April.
About MARCO MARCO is the leading global independent communications agency headquartered in Madrid, ranked as the top-rated large agency by its clients according to the latest PR SCOPE 2023 report.*
Specialising in brand building and reputation management, MARCO is led by co-CEOs Noelia Cruzado and Diana Vall. With a team of nearly 200 consultants, the agency has offices in Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Berlin, Munich, London, Miami, Mexico City, São Paulo, Casablanca, Johannesburg, Abidjan, and Nairobi, as well as affiliated MSL offices in over 100 markets.
MARCO is at the forefront of redefining communication paradigms, transcending outdated boundaries. As a result, it became the first communications agency to produce a docuseries, ‘The New Frontiers of Communication,’ available on Amazon Prime Video and its own website. The docuseries is based on MARCO’s patented methodology, TFCOM® (Transcending the Frontiers of Communication).
MARCO has acquired the business magazine Ejecutivos and relaunched Ejecutivos.es, positioning it as the leading Spanish-language online platform for economic and business news in Spain and Latin America. The agency has also acquired the consultancy Africa Communications Group (ACG) to expand its geographic reach in Sub-Saharan Africa and recently acquired the production company Carmela to strengthen its capacity for producing top-tier national and international advertising campaigns and branded content videos.
MARCO’s Founder and Executive Chairman, Didier Lagae, previously served as Deputy General Manager at Edelman, Head of Reputation Management EMEA at Weber Shandwick, External Communications Manager EMEA at Levi’s, and Global Head of Communications at The Body Shop. In 2019, he was named European and Global PR Professional of the Year by PRWeek and the Stevie Awards, respectively, coinciding with the publication of his book, ‘A Country Brand, a Branded Country’. Didier is also a Climate Leader for Al Gore’s The Climate Reality Project.
- PR SCOPE 2023 – category for consultancies with more than 15 clients participating in the survey.
For more information, contact: Víctor Castell – victor@marco.agency