It’s a proud moment for Carat UK, as two of our campaigns have been shortlisted at the Newsworks Awards 2025 - underlining the power of thoughtful media strategy in news‑brand environments.
The Newsworks Awards spotlight the very best use of news brands in UK advertising. These awards matter because news brands are more than just platforms: they offer credibility, attention and scale. In an age of fragmented audiences and ad fatigue, news‑brands remain spaces where people stop, engage and trust what they read. For Carat, being shortlisted here affirms our belief that meaningful media delivered in the right context generates real business results.
Best Content Partnership (Over £250k): Wickes, Where There’s a Wickes, There’s a Way!
For the home‑improvement brand Wickes, Carat partnered with Mail Metro Media to create a campaign that transcended the typical DIY narrative. We set out to show that Wickes isn’t just for the seasoned renovator but for every kind of project and every kind of do‑it‑yourselfer.
The campaign was executed with a bold, multi-layered media plan. The high impact formats including double-page spreads and flip reverse covers in YOU Magazine and The i Paper ensured Wickes dominated attention. Mass reach was delivered by Metro Home Tenancy sponsorships, Metro front-page earpieces, and a Daily Mail four-page takeover delivered scale. There was a real collaborative approach with editorial which resulted in bespoke digital articles and four EDITS videos showcased DIY transformations, trend inspiration, and practical tips.
The results?
The campaign didn’t just meet expectations - it smashed them:
· 50% campaign recall, outperforming benchmarks and previous activity.
· 84% agreed Wickes is for all DIY’ers.
· 81% felt the brand was “for people like them.”
· 80% said it stood out from other advertising.
The outcome: major shifts in brand opinion and behaviours. Being shortlisted in this category recognises how content partnerships can move the needle when executed with insight and purpose.
Most Effective Campaign: Holland & Barrett, Be Strong for Life
Holland & Barrett (H&B) is one of the most recognisable names in the UK’s wellness landscape, with a heritage stretching back decades and a reputation rooted in natural health, vitamins, and supplements. For years, the brand has enjoyed high levels of brand awareness and a significant physical and digital retail footprint across the country.
However, while many consumers knew the brand, they didn’t frequently consider it a go-to destination for certain evolving wellness needs – particularly in the critical Joint, Bone & Muscle (JBM) category.
This represented an opportunity for H&B. The brand had the awareness, the products, and the reach. What it needed was a campaign that could realign its positioning with the aspirations of modern wellness consumers alongside building trust. That’s where “Be Strong for Life” came in – a powerful idea that sought not just to refresh H&B’s message, but to create a national moment and turn passive brand awareness into active consideration.
The central challenge wasn’t simply to shout louder in a crowded marketplace – it was to communicate smarter and deliver cut through. Something that would not only stand out but pause the nation in its tracks, provoke emotional connection, and start a new kind of conversation.
Enter: “Be Strong for Life.” To bring this idea to life, we planned and activated a multi-channel campaign that used a combination of well-established and trusted publishing and digital publishing media owners (The Guardian, MMM, News UK & Reach). These titles not only delivered the scale required but also commanded authority and trust with audiences.
Alongside this crucial insight we also ensured that we were planning insertions and placements around key moments that mattered - at launch to deliver standout and payday to drive further consideration/intent.
The results?
Holland & Barrett’s “Be Strong For Life” campaign delivered outstanding results, exceeding expectations across both media performance and commercial impact:
- 79.5 million impressions and 162,717 clicks across digital publishing.
- The Print formats reached 25.27% of All Adults in the UK.
- Post-Campaign Effectiveness Research conducted by Reach Media outlined that the campaign had delivered strong cut through results amongst Reach readers with a +48% increase in ad awareness and consideration vs control.
- A +9% point uplift in purchase intent was observed, directly contributing to increased sales performance.
- The campaign attracted a new customer base, resulting in a +14% point increase in customer acquisition.
Reflecting this, the shortlist in the “Most Effective Campaign” category recognises not just the campaign’s creativity, but measurable commercial impact.
Celebrating across the network
We’re incredibly proud of these achievements and extend a hearty congratulations to our sister agency, iProspect UK, on their shortlist success as well. At Carat UK we believe that when insight, creativity and trusted media come together, brands do more than make noise, they make a difference.
Thanks go to everyone involved, from our clients to publishers and of course to our Carat UK team, for their dedication and craft. We are looking forward to the awards later this year and to continuing to explore how smart, effective media can deliver real results.
Want to discuss award winning strategies? Get in touch.
