Paddington Station received a haul of 11 awards, including the Gold for Best Small PR Agency and the Silver for Best PR Professional awarded to Dirk Slabbert.

The agency says that it went on to win an additional nine awards, showcasing its prowess across diverse categories and reinforcing its position as a leader in strategic storytelling and excellence in FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) communication delivery. 

According to Landiwe Manana, Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA) general manager and PRISM Awards chairperson, the competition was fierce, with a record-breaking 390 entries evaluated by a panel of 70 judges.

"This year's PRISM Awards boasted the largest number of entries in its history, and this outstanding participation showcases the credibility and stature of the PRISM Awards within the industry," Manana adds.

Paddington Station managing director Paul Reynell says that these accolades are to the agency's passion and dedication.

"As a consumer-focussed agency, we put a lot of time and resources into understanding consumers, and keeping this at the forefront of everything we do is what drives results," Reynell says. "Our successes with content triggers and engagement flows from this focus." 

The agency says that the highlight of the evening was its sweep of the entire Food & Beverage category, where it claimed Bronze, Silver and Gold honours for its campaigns in the alcoholic beverage sector.

"Again, this is a testament to our efforts to understand consumer profiling and our ability to break through the content clutter in the digital space to deliver impactful results for our clients," adds Reynell, who was also announced as the chief judge for the 2024 PRISM Awards. 

The biggest brand winner of the evening was beverage company DGB with seven awards, represented in its campaigns by Paddington Station.

"Both the cream liqueur and cocktail sectors are extremely competitive and cluttered, but we're incredibly fortunate to be working with a client that shares our vision and excitement about the possibilities available to them," says Reynell.

"This is evident in the quality of their products and projects we partner on, and we love pushing the limits and conceptualising new campaigns and content, year after year," Reynell adds.

This vision is backed up by top-class technical skills, says the agency's creative director Julian Hurley.

"We bring our ideas to life and execute them at the highest industry standard. Despite being a smaller agency, we possess our in-house photographic studio, film equipment and cutting-edge tech, allowing us to rival even the largest players in the field," Hurley adds.

The agency's stellar performance extended into both the digital space — winning Silver for Social Media and Silver for Best Use of Creative — and into the experiential space, where it received Gold for the South African launch of Angostura Orange & Cocoa bitters.

According to PRISM judge Allison McDonald, the agency's ingenious, creative and market-focussed approach not only earns accolades but also pushes the boundaries of brand-centric communication strategies.

"The team at Paddington Station runs a clever, creative, market-focussed, inspired and inspiring communication service, setting the bar high. It's a professional pleasure being associated with the people who call this agency their vocational home," adds McDonald.

The agency concludes that the 11 Prism Awards represent the culmination of:
  • Paddington Station's pursuit of excellence
  • its ability to connect with audiences on a deeper level, and
  • their unwavering commitment to delivering outstanding communication solutions.

For more information, visit www.paddingtonstationpr.co.za. YOu can also follow Paddington Station PR on Facebook or on Instagram.