Agency News

Three Golds for Rule 5 at PRide 2018

Rule 5 took home three gold awards at the 2018 CIPR PRide Awards last night (Wednesday 7 November). The tally was the highest of the night.

The agency’s work with the charity giving platform Wonderful won gold in two categories; Best Community Relations Campaign and also in the Not-for-Profit Campaign.

For the second year in succession, the agency took home a gold award for its work with Blackpool Pleasure Beach this time in the Travel, Leisure or Tourism Category.

The CIPR PRide Awards which recognise outstanding public relations were announced at a black tie awards dinner at the Hilton Manchester Deansgate.

Agency Managing Partner, Rob Brown, said: “Insight, thought, creativity and hard work from everyone in the agency goes into these campaigns. We are lucky also to work with great clients on engaging campaigns. The PRide Awards are really important to Rule 5 and it’s a joy to be able to celebrate with the team.”

2018 is the sixth consecutive year that Rule 5 has been recognised in industry awards. The agency has won awards every year since it was founded in November 2012.

Seizing The News Agenda: Legoland Discovery Centre

Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester stripped out Northern Rail from Lego built dediction of city, Mini Land.jpg

The Northern Rail crisis has dominated news headlines over recent weeks. Yesterday we were delighted to join the conversation and demonstrate client Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester’s support for affected commuters.

In acknowledgment of the millions of people’s lives disrupted by the debacle, the Northern Rail train at the centre of the leading family attraction’s ‘Mini Land’ feature was stripped out and the railway podium removed from the miniature Lego-built city of Manchester.

The timely act, captured in a series of compelling visuals and video content, seized the attention of the media, generating repeat features on BBC North West Tonight and Granada Reports. Widespread regional print and online coverage was also enjoyed including the Manchester Evening News, I Love Manchester, Wigan Evening Post and About Manchester, amongst others.

Nearly three in ten (29%) of the Barton Square attraction’s customer base, live in the most affected areas of Stockport, Warrington, Liverpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Bolton and Wigan with footfall decreasing by half from some of those areas in the last eight weeks.

“The shift in visitor patterns marries with the Northern Rail change to timetables and surge of cancellations and delays.” said Jenn McDonough, General Manager Manchester Cluster, Merlin Entertainments,

“As a Northern business, we depend on visitors from neighbouring areas, and I know we’re not alone. Northern Rail’s ongoing problems are such that it’s impacting on business.”

“The suggestion from staff that the Northern train should be removed from the attraction, we feel, reflects events from the region. Mini Land is a dedication, in Lego form, of what’s great about Manchester, and the North West, today.”

Mini Land, the Lego-built miniature city of Manchester contains over 15,583 bricks, each laid by hand and glued into place by Alex Bidolak, Master Model Builder, and is included within the general admissions price.

Giant Japanese Spider Crabs Grip The Media’s Attention

Yesterday saw the launch of Sea Life Manchester’s brand new deep-sea attraction, ‘Lair of The Giant Crab’ and we were delighted to be on hand to tell the story with BBC Northwest Today.

Featuring two enormous Giant Japanese Spider Crabs, amongst other monster-sized sea creatures, the incredible new feature promises to be a hit with families.

Alongside the giant crabs, visitors will also see a Giant Pacific Octopus, the largest of all octopus species, and be invited to crawl amongst the fluorescent world of 100 floating moon jellyfish, in a brand new 360 degree doughnut tank.

Jenn McDonough, General Manager Manchester Cluster, Merlin Entertainments, said: “The fact that we’ve been able to provide a forever home for these amazing awe-inspiring creatures is just fantastic.

“It’s a monstrous milestone for us here at Sea Life Manchester, and we’re proud to be making a name for ourselves as experts in giant sea creature care.

“It’s incredible to be able to observe such remarkable creatures, and we’re certain that our guests will love them just as much as we do!”

‘Lair of the Giant Crab’ is included in the normal admissions price with tickets starting from £11.50. Pre-booking is strongly advised to avoid disappointment.

Recognition For Rule 5 Founders

Rule 5 Co Founders Rob Brown and Julie Wilson

Rule 5 founders, Jules and Rob, have both been named in separate lists of business influencers this week.

Julie Wilson is featured as one of Manchester’s Women of the Year in A-Magazine. The list of 25 of the city’s most successful women also included the Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medal winner Diane Modahl and the Shadow Secretary of State for Education, Angela Rayner MP.

The magazine published its selection of influential women on March 1st to mark the centenary of votes being given to some women in 1918. Jules told the magazine: “Emmeline Pankhurst provided women with a voice and it’s a voice that continues to shout loudly. We should never stop striving for a fairer, more balanced world, for everyone.”

Co-founder of the agency Rob Brown is featured in PR Week’s 2018 Power Book. The guide, which lists “the most influential and respected comms professionals in the UK today”, was launched at The Ned in London.

It was described by PRWeek UK editor-in-chief Danny Rogers as “the most rigorously compiled edition since I launched it in 2007.”

RULE 5