McDonald's "Grimace's Birthday" campaign, created by Golin, was the star of the North American SABRE Awards, winning the top prize for Best Public Relations Campaign of 2023. This marks a historic night for Golin, becoming the first agency ever to snag three major awards: Best Agency to Work For, Large Agency of the Year, and Best in Show.
The award-winning campaign addressed a significant drop in birthday celebrations at McDonald's. They brought back a beloved character, Grimace, to reignite excitement. This clever strategy resulted in a staggering 900% increase in birthday celebrations at McDonald's after five years of stagnation.
"This campaign was pure, fantastic consumer marketing," said Paul Holmes, head judge and founder of PRovoke Media. Awards often favor purpose-driven initiatives, but sometimes, great PR boils down to a creative idea that captures consumer imagination and fosters meaningful engagement.
"And the results in this case were nothing short of phenomenal," he concluded.
"Grimace's Birthday" triumphed over other impressive campaigns to win the coveted Platinum SABRE. These finalists included:
Dove's "Black Hair is Professional" with Ogilvy
SAG-AFTRA's "2023 Negotiations and Strike Campaign" with SAG-AFTRA
DHL Supply Chain's "Step Up for Safety" with Fahlgren Mortine
Aura Freedom's "For Her" Campaign with Veritas Communications and Forsman & Bodenfors
"These finalists represent the incredible range of PR work seen this year," said Holmes. "From social justice efforts by Dove to navigating the Hollywood strike for SAG-AFTRA, to internal communications for DHL, any of these campaigns could have rightfully won the top prize."
Ogilvy walked away as the biggest award winner, taking home eight trophies. MSL and Weber Shandwick followed with five awards each, while BCW snagged four. Finn Partners, Golin, and M Booth rounded out the top with three awards apiece.
