Hundreds of quality entries from businesses across the North have resulted in an extremely strong shortlist this year, and competition for the highly coveted awards is fierce. Entries from companies that have excelled in digital over the past 12 months, from the Scottish borders to Derby, demonstrate the incredible talent spanning the region.
The judges whittled hundreds of entries down during the judging day on the 23rd of April. A selection of companies have successfully been shortlisted for multiple awards, including Manchester-based creative agency, Stardotstar, and digital marketing agency, iProspect Manchester, who have been shortlisted for five and six awards respectively.
The 2015 Big Chip Awards judging panel includes a host of respected industry figures including Alasdair Scott from Connected Cloud Communications, Alastair Cole from The Engine Group, Bill Thompson from the BBC, Catriona Campbell from Seren, Daniel Nye Griffiths from Wired UK, Dr David Kreps from Salford University, Herb Kim from Thinking Digital, Jon Myers from Marin Software, Nicole Yershon from Ogilvy, Tom Evans from BleepBleeps and graphic designer Malcolm Garrett.
Shaun Fensom, chair of the Big Chips steering group, said: “The judges have been overwhelmed by the quality of entries this year. It’s brilliant to see so many digital businesses in the North continuing to create such exciting projects, it really is proof that the region deserves to be acknowledged.
“Ambitions to create a Northern Powerhouse is something that has been discussed widely by industry leaders and politicians of late, and awards like the Big Chips showcase the reasons why the region is being placed on the map as a crucial digital hub.
“The continued popularity of the awards and the quality of this year’s entries is testament to the credibility of the Big Chip brand within the digital community, and I’d like to thank everyone who entered this year. Being able to promote the amazing talent in the North is what we love doing, and we’re really looking forward to the event in July where we can celebrate this innovative sector.”
The Big Chip Awards will be held at Manchester’s historic Midland Hotel, on 2 July. To find out more about the awards and sponsorship opportunities, visit the website at www.bigchipawards.com.
The shortlisted entries for this year:
Best B2C E-business Project:
- AHOY with Public Desire
- Ampersand with Harvey Nichols: A success story of online luxury
- Blueleaf with Laura Ashley
- Code Computerlove with Hillarys - digital evolution delivers blinding results
- CTI Digital with a global ecommerce platform for McGraw-Hill Education
- First Internet with UX driven doorstep delivery website for Creamline Dairies
- Space 48 with Delivering Record Growth For Better Bathrooms
Best B2B E-business Project:
- Blueprint Web Technologies with Bluewater Shopping Centre Retailer Communications Platform
- Climb Creative with Where The Trade Buys
- My Parcel Delivery with Granola
- OBI Property with OBI app
- Sun Hydraulics and atLarge with Sun Hydraulics Amp SetBlue
- TenSixTwo with Four-thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
Best Public Sector Project:
- BBC Learning with BBC iWonder
- Fat Heads with website created for Manchester Metropolitan University - Innospace
- Stardotstar with First Steps
Best Not for Profit Project:
- Code Computerlove with Multimedia Storytelling - Amnesty International
- Connect Internet Solutions Ltd with SENDirect
- iProspect Manchester with #HiddenFundraising
- Studio Mashbo with PSS (Person Shaped Support)
- Vivid with Humans of the Waterways (Canal&River Trust)
Best User Experience:
- Access with BAFTA Website
- Code Computerlove with HMV
- First Internet with UX driven doorstep delivery website for Creamline Dairies
- Glow New Media with Merseyrail Official Passenger App
- RE:SYSTEMS with 1D Official Book App by HarperCollins
Best Application of Mobile:
- Ampersand with Harvey Nichols: A success story of online luxury
- Glow New Media with Merseyrail Official Passenger App
- Gospelware with Moodbug
- RE:SYSTEMS with 1D Official Book App by HarperCollins
- wejo with Rewarding Driving
Best Use of Visual Design:
- Access with BAFTA Website
- Geeky Medics with An awesome online medical student learning platform
- Gospelware with Moodbug
- Music with Music website
- We Are Empire with Anthony Joshua
Best Use of Content Marketing:
- Brazen with A Tailored Approach to Magnet Content
- Smoking Gun PR with Silentnight - Sleep Matters
- Stardotstar with First Steps
Most Innovative Application of Technology:
- FH Works with My Recovery
- Flow XO Ltd with Flow XO
- KMP Digitata with Brilliant Project - Creating a Virtual Showroom
- Relative Insight marketing language platform creation with A transition from Crime Detection into the Marketing world
- Stardotstar with Junior Vets On Call Game
- wejo with Rewarding Driving
Best Use of Animation:
- Flipbook with Taste Inc Online Commercials
- Kilogramme with Tall Tales pt2
- Mackinnon & Saunders Digital with Komixx Entertainment Ltd with Animated Preschool series - Wanda and the Alien
- Tom Rainford with a film promoting disability assistance.
Best Use of Search:
- iProspect Manchester with Driving Sign Up Growth across the UK for PureGym.
- Graham & Brown and Bring Digital with an international SEO strategy
- iProspect Manchester with Beating Jet Lag for Thomas Cook
- Lakestar McCann and Go Outdoors with Get Set for Summer
Best Use of Social:
- Engage with Mr Men and Little Miss for Beefeater Grill
- iProspect Manchester with #MyPetMoments: People Purr Over Pawesome Pets
- KMP Digitata with Trek Live - Shaping the world of travel
- Mosquito & Zoflora with Hidden World of Bacteria
Best Game:
- Eiconic Games with Final Horizon
- Lamplight Studios with A Pixel Story
- Mosquito & Zoflora with Hidden World of Bacteria
- Playdemic with Gang Nations
- Rhythm and ThirtyThree with DB-Play, A Different Dimensions game for Deutsche Bank
- Stardotstar with Junior Vets On Call Game
Best Digital Marketing Campaign:
- Engage with Mr Men and Little Miss for Beefeater Grill
- Integrity Search Ltd with Pixaprint.ie SEO, Social Media & Content Marketing Campaign
- iProspect Manchester with GO Outdoors Tent Domination
- Mosquito & Zoflora with Hidden World of Bacteria
- Topspin Digital with Smarten Up
- Uniting Ambition with LinkedIn Recruiter Story
Little Chip Student Award:
- Manchester Metropolitan University with Parham Majdabadi
- Manchester Metropolitian University with Chris Chippindale, Richard Evans and Katrina McLaughlin
- The University of Huddersfield with Rachel J Milner
Little Chip Placement/ Apprentice Award:
- UK Tights with Marta Rodriguez Casares
Best Start-up:
- Air Black Box Company Ltd
- Formisimo
- Mums in the Know
Best Freelancer/Micro Enterprise:
- 180ºSouth
- Anything
- Block 8
- Peadig
- TomFitton.com - Online Marketing
- Wink Nudge
Big Chip Digital Agency Award:
- Apadmi
- iProspect Manchester
- Mediaworks Creative Search Agency
- Space 48
- Stardotstar
- Tariff Street
