Winning entries to the Lens Awards 2023 used emotive and impactful storytelling to resonate with audiences. From interviews to long-form documentary style films, our winners demonstrated passion and creativity, and showcased the power of video in corporate communications today.

Across a variety of industries, including education, healthcare, technology and finance, the Lens Awards champions entries that have deftly mastered visual communications, producing original and impactful work.

Stand-out winners include Bowel Research UK (BRUK) and Bladonmore, who won golds across three categories for their work de-stigmatising bowel diseases in an engaging and impactful style. East Midlands Railway snapped-up gold awards for categories ‘Best video targeted to the internal audience’ and ‘Best use of video from the transport and logistics sector.’

The prestigious ‘Video of the year’ award went to MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH and Edelman for an incredible campaign documenting the day-to-day reality of those living with cancer, or trying to return to normal life after treatment. The documentary-style video series is sensitive but powerful, using video to give a voice to the 250 cancer patients and survivors involved in this inspirational entry. 

“The quality of the work entered into our awards has been truly astounding this year, with winning organisations having used video to introduce new uniforms to employees, created a reputation-enhancing documentary worthy of a prime-time TV slot, celebrated strong women to attract more of the same, tackled teenage drinking and much, much more," says Andrew Thomas, publishing editor of Communicate magazine and founder of the Lens Awards. 

“One glance at this year’s Lens Awards winners would surely lay to rest any questions on the effectiveness of video in communicating key messages to corporate and non-customer audiences. This year’s winners have met their challenges head on, with strategic excellence and immense creative flair. I know the judges were as impressed as I was.”

The complete list of winners for the Lens Awards 2023 is as follows:

Best video targeted to a general audience
Gold – Bowel Research UK (BRUK) and Bladonmore
Silver – East Midlands Railway
Bronze – Microsoft and Edelman
Highly commended – Elsevier and Edenspiekermann

Best video targeted to the investor audience
Gold – Moody’s Corporation and Brunswick Creative
Silver – West Midlands Growth Company and ITN Business
Bronze – bp

Best video targeted to the internal audience
Gold – East Midlands Railway
Silver – Halma plc and Taylor Made Media
Bronze – bp

Best use of video for the employer brand
Gold – LNER
Bronze – East Midlands Railway
Highly commended – bp

Best use of video to assist reputation management
Gold – Philip Morris International
Silver – Redrow and GB Snowsports Partnership with DRPG
Bronze – East Midlands Railway
Bronze – Postman and Big Button
Highly commended – bp

Best use of video to aid CSR
Gold – Diageo with We Are Tilt and Collingwood Learning
Silver – Lloyds Bank and DRPG
Bronze – Associated British Foods, Jordans Cereals and Middle Table
Bronze – Virgin Media O2 and Taylor Made Media
Highly commended – LNER

Best use of video with social media
Gold – Embraer - Profit Hunter Tech Shark and Gravity Global
Silver – LNER - People with Pride
Bronze – LNER - IC225 Livery Unveil
Highly commended – Embraer - Energia Fly the Future and Gravity Global

Best data visualisation
Gold – Eurelectric
Bronze – GAIA-X and Press Play Filme

Best video in a documentary style
Gold – MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH and Edelman
Silver – LNER
Bronze – Philip Morris International

Best live or experiential video
Gold – SEGRO
Silver – Embraer and Gravity Global
Bronze – LNER

Best animation
Gold – Embraer and Gravity Global
Silver – Biogen Italy and Edelman
Silver – Influencer and Perspective Pictures
Bronze – Postman and Big Button
Highly commended – Eurelectric

Best creative execution
Silver – SEGRO
Bronze – Elsevier and Edenspiekermann
Bronze – Philip Morris International

Best copy style and/or tone of voice
Gold – United Nations Population Fund and Edelman
Silver – SEGRO
Bronze – Elsevier and Edenspiekermann

Best innovation
Silver – SEGRO
Bronze – Cadence Design Systems and Callaghan Consulting Solutions
Highly commended – Philip Morris International

Best portfolio approach
Gold – Redrow and DRPG

Best use of video as part of an integrated campaign
Gold – Bowel Research UK (BRUK) and Bladonmore
Silver – Embraer and Gravity Global
Bronze – LNER
Bronze – The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and Sledge

Best one-off video campaign
Gold –The Floor and Perspective Pictures
Silver – Bowel Research UK (BRUK) and Bladonmore

Best long-term video strategy
Gold – Diageo with We Are Tilt and Collingwood Learning
Silver – Accenture and Taylor Made Media
Silver – GoCardless and Big Button
Bronze – Elsevier and Edenspiekermann
Bronze – Redrow and DRPG

Best creative strategy
Gold – Diageo with We Are Tilt and Collingwood Learning
Silver – SEGRO
Bronze – Elsevier and Edenspiekermann

Best use of video by a charity, NGO, or NFP
Gold – Bowel Research UK (BRUK) and Bladonmore
Silver – Fondation Des Femmes and Edelman
Bronze – United Nations Population Fund and Edelman
Highly commended – The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and Sledge
Highly commended – W2S (Wembley to Soweto Foundation) and Morton PR

Best use of video from the engineering and manufacturing sector
Gold – Embraer - Profit Hunter and Gravity Global
Silver – Smiths Metal Centres
Bronze – Embraer - Energia Fly the Future and Gravity Global

Best use of video from the food and beverage sector
Gold – Red Bull and Perspective Pictures
Silver – Diageo with We Are Tilt and Collingwood Learning
Bronze – Gusbourne and Taylor Made Media

Best use of video from the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector
Gold – MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH and Edelman
Silver – Biogen Italy and Edelman
Bronze – Genetic Alliance UK and ITN Business
Highly commended – Elsevier and Edenspiekermann

Best use of video from the industrial and basic materials sector
Gold – DuPont Mobility & Materials and Bright Space

Best use of video from the property, construction & facilities management sector
Gold – Redrow and DRPG
Silver – SEGRO

Best use of video from the public sector
Gold – Digital Content and Channels, Ministry of Justice

Best use of video from the technology, media, and telecommunications sector
Gold – Blue Yonder and Bold Content
Silver – Postman and Big Button

Best use of video from the transport and logistics sector
Gold – East Midlands Railway
Silver – LNER
Bronze – Hamburg Port Authority, NXP Semiconductors and Callaghan Consulting Solutions

Video of the year
MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH and Edelman