MEC scoops the grand prix at the annual IPA Effectiveness award for Morrisons’ Let’s Grow

Mediaedge:cia (MEC), a leading media agency, last night scooped the Grand Prix at Monday's Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) Effectiveness Awards for its hugely successful Morrisons' Let's Grow campaign.

The judges also awarded MEC a Gold Award and a special prize of ‘Best Integration' for the Let's Grow campaign, and in a first for a media agency MEC was named as the IPA's Advertising Effectiveness Company of the Year.

The aim of the Let's Grow campaign was to help school children learn more about how food is grown. It was based on research showing that 10% of British children are unaware that produce such as carrots and potatoes could be grown in the garden. Let's Grow was delivered across TV, print and direct channels and was fronted by TV gardener Diarmuid Gavin. The results of the campaign were hugely successful; in the first year of the campaign 39 million vouchers were redeemed and 85% of primary schools across the UK were involved in the programme.

Lord Chadlington, Chief Executive of Huntsworth and Chairman of Judges for the Awards, said: "Particular praise must of course be reserved for the Morrisons campaign which not only ticked all of the effectiveness boxes for the judges, it was also interesting, compelling, engaging and had a green element."

Tess Alps, CEO, Thinkbox; the overall Awards sponsor, commented: "All the winners have proved themselves where it ultimately matters - on the bottom line. That's what makes these awards so important; they recognise the actual, transforming power of advertising to deliver business success. Morrisons' and Mediaedge:cia's work shows this better than any. It is also wonderful to see a media agency win Effectiveness Company of the Year."