The Green Awards Press Release

Race to a greener future: Honda take pole position

The second Green Awards have culminated at the historic London Guildhall, with the winners of 14 categories and the overall ‘Grand-prix’ winner being announced. Initiated last year to reward businesses for communicating sustainability in a creative and original way, the awards emphasise the role that needs to be played by the marketing and communications industries in informing people about green issues, products and lifestyle choices.

The evening was enlivened by rousing speeches from Tony Juniper The International Vice Chair and Executive Director of Friends Of the Earth, Nick Nuttal, spokesperson of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Mike Longhurst, Senior Vice-President of McCann Erickson.

The Grand Prix rewards the campaign which, in the opinion of the expert judging panel, best exemplified an outstanding environmental message, and had the greatest capacity to raise awareness amongst the general public. This accolade went to Honda for their launch of the Honda Racing Formula 1 team’s environmental initiative.

This campaign featured a striking image of the earth, instead of the usual sponsor logos, on the racing team’s cars. The image itself was composed of pixel-sized names of individual supporters who pledged to make a donation to an environmental charity and make positive lifestyle changes for the benefit of the environment.

Neither the Green awards judges, nor Honda themselves, are attempting to claim that Formula 1 is a ‘green’ sport. Indeed, the campaign itself caused some controversy, a point noted by the judges in their assessment. According to Eric Falt of UNEP, chair of the judging panel, the campaign “was the most creative all round, with a multiplicity of
messages. It was an imaginative response which really got people thinking, and had many reappraise their relationship with Formula 1.” It was understood that Honda are operating in a difficult market and the resulting controversy was seen as a positive function of such an awareness raising exercise.

If one percent of fans who follow Formula 1 were to switch to energy saving light bulbs, according to a Honda spokesperson, the resulting energy savings would mitigate the emissions produced over three seasons by Honda’s racing team.

The Green Awards Grand-Prix was presented to Honda by Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust.

The Winners:

· Sustrans for Best Press Advertisement under 100k
DEFRA for Best Press Advertisement over 100k

· Capital Radio for Best Radio Advertisement

· Transport for London for Best Outdoor Advertisement

· The Carbon Trust for Best Website

· ECOutlet for Best New Media

· Worcestershire County Council for Best Direct Mail

· Stop Climate Chaos for Best Use of Copy

· London Borough of Islington for Best use of Art Direction

· The Guardian for Best CSR Report

· MCM Architecture for Best Internal Communications under 100k
Marks and Spencer for Best Internal Communications over 100k

· Stop Climate Chaos for Best Audio Visual under 100k
Central Office of Information for Best Audio Visual over 100k

· Greenbottle Ltd for Best Packaging Design

· Radio Taxis for Best PR campaign under 100k
Honda for Best PR Campaign over 100k

· London 21 for Best Integrated Campaign under 100k
British Sky Broadcasting for Best Integrated Campaign over 100k


For more information, please contact Iain Patton on 0207 608 5201, or iain@greenawards.co.uk. The Green Awards website can be found at www.greenawards.co.uk.