The future's bright for DMA Breakthrough Award winners

Creative duo, Freya Harrison and Gina Ramsden from Buckinghamshire New University’s Advertising School, scooped the 2014 DMA Breakthrough Award for their inspiring campaign for UK charity, Autistica.

Freya and Gina celebrated their win with their client Autistica at the DMA Awards ceremony on Tuesday 2 December 2014 where they got to pick up their award – and be seen doing so by some of the biggest names in the one-to-one marketing industry.

The brief was to come up with a campaign that would raise awareness and funding for Autistica. In all, 14 teams of students entered and three were shortlisted.
Autistica said: “The work was of an exceptionally high standard, and after much discussion, the final three teams were chosen. Congratulations to Freya and Gina, Lohanne [Ho] and Grace [Payne] and Megan[Whyatt] and Kerry [Donnelly] for being shortlisted. Acting as the client, it was important for us to see exciting, original ideas but which also had the right sensitivity towards autism, which all three pieces of work did.”

The Graham Robertson Trust (GRT) runs the DMA Breakthrough Award to help young creative talent get their first break in the industry. Each year the GRT partners with a different school (this time it was Buckinghamshire New University’s Advertising School) and its students get to work on a live brief for an organisation. It’s a fantastic opportunity for students to get feedback from creative directors, add live work to their portfolio, win their first industry award and get their first job in the one-to-one marketing industry.

We’re now planning the 2015 DMA Breakthrough Award and are looking for individuals and organisations to work with us as sponsors, trustees and donors. By getting involved you’ll help the next generation of creative talent gain a foothold in our industry and secure its future.

You don’t have to work in the one-to-one marketing industry to get involved. Whether you have experience in education, politics or the creative industries, or if you have free time to meet once a month and skills and experience that will benefit the award, you could become a trustee.

If you choose to come on-board as a sponsor you’ll have the added advantage of having your brand in the spotlight at the DMA Awards and all promotions of the DMA Breakthrough Award.

Even by making a small donation this Christmas you can play a big part in launching the next generation of one-to-one marketing talent. So if you’d like to help or get involved please contact Eleanor Hibberd at the DMA.