Above The Line’s secrets to success in PR Awards: Yahoo anniversary, da Vinci, and VR

A number of boutique agencies have been flourishing in recent years for their panache in handling a wide variety of marketing initiatives. Founded in 2015, Above The Line has gone from strength to strength and has since earned an esteemed reputation in the competitive and fast-paced industry.

A boutique PR & marketing agency with 10 employees, Above The Line specialises in consumer brands, shopping malls, art and culture, technology and trade, as well as fashion and lifestyle communications, to name a few. Its excellent results have garnered great success in Marketing’s PR awards 2020 in Hong Kong.

Crowned the prestigious title of Best of Show – Agency, Above The Line took home a total of four gold awards in the categories of Best PR Campaign – Loyalty, Best Innovative Campaign, Best PR Event, and Best Use of Technology.

It also won seven silvers in Best PR Campaign – Lifestyle and Entertainment, Best PR Campaign – Public Awareness, Best Innovative Campaign, Best Promotional Campaign, Best Reputation/Brand Management Campaign, Best Use of Content, and Best Use of Technology categories. 

As for bronzes, Above The Line won a total of seven awards in Best PR Campaign – Digital Communication, Best Experiential Campaign, Best Innovative Campaign, Best Promotional Campaign, Best Engagement – Targeted Community, Best PR Event, and Best PR Event categories.

Speaking of their success, Above The Line director Candy Tong (pictured left) commented, “Our quick response and integrated services have surely helped us gain a foothold in the industry. Brands are now looking for agencies who can offer comprehensive services from conceiving ideas to execution. That’s just one of many promises we make to our clients.”

Tong further explained that brands today are reluctant to waste time and resources when dealing with different parties over one marketing campaign. As such, they prefer working with an agency that is capable of handling every aspect of the project, from idea generation to fruition.

Testament to this is Above The Line’s latest project, the “Yahoo25 Hong Kong Passion Moments in 5G” inauguration ceremony – a city-first 5G immersive cross-realm virtual event hosted by Verizon Media Hong Kong. The concept of the event was to reveal remarkable moments in Hong Kong’s history with a futuristic storytelling experience. Themed around the city, this all-new immersive experience took guests on an exceptional yet immersive journey to a world beyond imagination thanks to technologies like VR interactions, VR videos, searches on Yahoo Hong Kong, and web AR.

“We underwent strenuous tests to ensure a smooth experience for event participants,” said Vivien Wong (pictured right), director of Above The Line. “We’ve also strengthened our digital offerings as we foresee that digital events will be popular even after the COVID-19 pandemic.”

This event was truly demonstrative of a boutique agency’s potential. In just a mere five years, Above The Line has excelled in delivering not only groundbreaking results for clients, but also pioneering new trends for the entire industry.

Having a strong network with shopping malls and tech companies, both Tong and Wong agreed that their strengths complement each other, such as incorporating tech elements into shopping mall campaigns.

Such is the “Think Like Leonardo da Vinci 500th Anniversary Exhibition” at Olympian City that included 15 sets of da Vinci’s machines and relevant multi-sensory interactive devices, as well as the digitally restored Codex Atlanticus and Codex on the Flight of Birds that revealed thousands of pages of da Vinci’s original manuscripts. To further engage visitors, the exhibition was complemented with a wide range of touchpoints and interactive elements such as screens, VR experience, games, AR, and STEM workshops..

“The event is the driver of future VR and virtual events. Having a digital edge will be paramount in the future,” commented Tong, adding that while PR agencies is looking ahead, they should never forget the basics of good PR. “News value is of utmost importance. We must ensure photo opportunities for reporters so our event or project remains top-priority in their story line-up.”

Wong added, “Virtual events will undoubtedly be an integral part of marketing. An agency needs to strengthen its capabilities in digital marketing, media production, and live streaming services.” 

This article is sponsored by Above The Line.