PRCA MENA celebrates outstanding PR campaigns across the region at its seventh awards ceremony

In recognition of the most outstanding PR campaigns and talent contribution to the industry, the seventh edition of the coveted PRCA MENA Awards feted the best of teams, campaigns, and individuals with 37 awards last night. The ceremony was held at Trader Vic’s in Hilton Palm Jumeirah and sponsored by 3Gem. 

Being the industry’s top benchmarking event that showcases PR influence, the evening witnessed leading practitioners and campaigners from across the Middle East and North Africa region represent innovation and quality work. The Awards were a huge success with more than 250 entries than last year.  

The judging was done by an esteemed jury of 41 industry leaders from across the world and members of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), the world’s largest professional PR body. 

In addition to the 38 winner’s awards, the judges recognized a total of 37  highly commended entries for their excellence of work in different categories.  

A huge congratulations to all our finalists, Highly Commended and Winners of the PRCA MENA Regional Awards 2023!

CAMPAIGN AWARDS

Best Integrated Campaign Large Companies

Winner – APCO Worldwide​ – MOC KSA EXPO 2020

Highly Commended – Weber Shandwick MENAT and Master – Out Of This World Football Game

Best Integrated Campaign Small/Medium Companies

Winner – Matrix PR – Acronis – Triple Valuation with Triple Strategy

Highly Commended –  Maven Global Access, Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), Weber Shandwick and TBWA\RAAD – Access Abu Dhabi

Best PR Campaign: B2B Large Companies

Winner – Weber Shandwick MENAT and Ericsson – The Power of Limitless Connectivity

Highly Commended – APCO Worldwide – UAE Ministry of Economy NextGen FDI

Best PR Campaign: B2B Small/Medium Companies

Winner – Gambit Communications and Swissquote – The Trust Equation 2.0

Highly Commended – Brazen MENA – CARMA

Best PR Campaign: B2C Large Companies

Winner – Four Communications MENA with NBA Europe & Middle East – NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2022 – MAKING HISTORY

Highly Commended – Weber Shandwick MENAT, Warner Bros and World, Etihad Airways  – Taken by Surprise!

Best PR Campaign: B2C Small/Medium Companies

Winner – Performance Communications ​and Bentley Motors – Extraordinary Women

Highly Commended – Gambit Communications ​and Porsche – Icons of Porsche

Best PR Campaign: Media Relations Large Companies

Winner – Edelman​ and Hub71 – Growing Abu Dhabi’s Global Tech Ecosystem With Impact​

Highly Commended – Weber Shandwick MENAT ​- Warner Bros. World, & Etihad Airways – Taken By Surprise!​

Best PR Campaign: Media Relations Small/Medium Companies

Winner – Performance Communications​ and MG Motor – The London Lap​

Highly Commended – AstraZeneca ​- Collaboration for a healthier world: leveraging EXPO 2020

Best PR Campaign: Influencer Relations

Winner – Gambit Communications​ – BBC Studios – The Green Planet​

Highly Commended – ATTELINE​ – Liwa Trading Enterprises – Changing the Narrative Around Lingerie​

Highly Commended: Four Communications MENA​ with Johnson’s Baby – Naturally Backed by Science​

Best PR Campaign: Crisis Communications

Winner – Weber Shandwick MENAT​ – Netflix – Amplifying Arab Women’s Voices in Storytelling​

Highly Commended – Gambit Communications​ – TikTok – Changing the Conversation Around Safety

Highly Commended – Houbara Communications​ – Volkswagen Takes on The Grey Market​

Best PR Campaign: Game Changer Large Companies

Winner – Weber Shandwick MENAT​ – Warner Bros. World, & Etihad Airways – Taken By Surprise!​

Highly Commended – ASDA’A BCW​ – Anghami – A regional unicorn on its way to the world​

Best PR Campaign: Game Changer Small/Medium Companies

Winner – Gambit Communications ​- BBC Studios – The Green Planet

Highly Commended – Performance Communications​ – Bentley Motors – Extraordinary Women​

Best PR Campaign: Digital

Winner – APCO WORLDWIDE​ – Umniah’s Sustainability Campaign​

Winner – Matrix Public Relations​ – Zurich – Have you done your homework?​

Highly Commended – W7Worldwide – Building Cultural Bridges​

Results on a Budget

Winner – ASDA’A BCW​ – Salama – #SALAMAKindBeingsofDubai​

Winner – Matrix Public Relations – Celebrity Football Cup 2022 with AG Events

Highly Commended – Weber Shandwick MENAT​ – Mcdonald’s UAE – Buy a Book, Be Part of her Story​

Regional PR Campaign of the Year

Winner – Weber Shandwick MENAT​ and Mastercard – Empowering Her Business

Highly Commended – ASDA’A BCW – 14th annual Arab Youth Survey – Charting a new course

Strategic Communications Campaign Large Companies

Winner – Weber Shandwick MENAT​ – IBM – Talent is Everywhere

Highly Commended – ASDA’A BCW – 14th annual Arab Youth Survey – Charting a new course

Strategic Communications Campaign Small/Medium Companies

Winner – AstraZeneca​ – Collaboration for a healthier world: leveraging EXPO 2020​

Highly Commended – Matrix Public Relations​ – Acronis – Triple Valuation with Triple Strategy​

Event Launch of the Year Large Companies

Winner – Edelman Saudi Arabia​ – Red Sea International Film Festival

Highly Commended – Weber Shandwick MENAT​​ – Mashreq – Rise Everyday​​

Event Launch of the Year Small/Medium Companies

Winner – Atteline​ – Careem Pay Launch

Highly Commended – Soul Communications​  – Deliveroo Emirati Women’s Day​

Best Travel & Lifestyle Large Companies

Winner – Weber Shandwick MENAT​ – Warner Bros. World, Etihad Airways – Taken by Surprise!​

Highly Commended – Four Communications MENA ​- Yas Island – Chief Island Officer​

Best Travel & Lifestyle Small/Medium Companies

Winner – Gambit Communications​ – Ritz Carlton – Formula 1 Frenzy!

Highly Commended – Action UAE ​- Launch of Joe & The Juice​

Best Digital & New Media Campaign

Winner – Cicero & Bernay Communication Consultancy – INFINITI QX55 Launch

Highly Commended – ASDA’A BCW ​- Salama – #SALAMAKindBeingsofDubai

Best Health and Wellbeing Campaign

Winner – AstraZeneca​ – Collaboration for a healthier world – leveraging EXPO 2020​

Highly Commended– Current Global ​- PepsiCo Middle East – Driving Social Impact Through Sport​

Highly Commended – ​Four Communications MENA ​- NBA Europe & Middle East – NBA YOUTH: MAKING IT RAIN

Employee Engagement Award

Winner – Weber Shandwick MENAT​ – IBM – Talent is Everywhere

Highly Commended – APCO Worldwide​ – Edge Hub – Together as One

Best Corporate Social Responsibility Campaign

Winner – Red Sea Global – Engaging Saudi youth

Highly Commended – Weber Shandwick MENAT​ – Mastercard – Empowering Her Business

International Campaign Award

Winner – APCO Worldwide​ – MOC KSA EXPO 2020​

Highly Commended – ASDA’A BCW​ – Anghami – Regional Unicorn on its Way to the World​

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Best Student Campaign

Winner – Murdoch University​ – Together at MU by Aastha Chaurasia, Aditi Tewari & Vaibhav Chandwani​

Highly Commended – Murdoch University​- Emirates Green Building Council by Kashish Punjabi​

Intern of the Year

Winner – Sarah Sadath – Sociate

Highly Commended – Gazala Parker – Matrix Public Relations

Rising Star of the Year

Winner – Judy Bakieh – Gambit Communications

Highly Commended – Hanine El Massri – Atteline

PR Leader of the Year

Winner – Sophie Simpson – Atteline

Highly Commended – Loretta Ahmed – Houbara Communications

Special Recognition Award

Winner – Ahmad Itani – Cicero & Bernay Communication Consultancy

TEAM AWARDS

In-House Team of the Year

Winner – Mubadala Investment Company

Highly Commended – ADQ (Abu Dhabi Development Holding Company)

Small Consultancy of the Year

Winner – Brazen MENA

Highly Commended – Matrix Public Relations

Medium Consultancy of the Year

Winner – Atteline and Gambit Communications

Highly Commended – Houbara Communications

Large Consultancy of the Year

Winner – Weber Shandwick MENAT

Highly Commended – APCO Worldwide