We’re thrilled to share that we’ve been recognised with a win at the 44th IPA Effectiveness Awards. Far more than just another trophy on the shelf, this is a true testament to the strategy, creativity and and innovation that we’ve produced since 2020 with our client partners at Boundless.
Why the IPA Effectiveness Awards matter
The IPA Effectiveness Awards are widely recognised as the toughest, most rigorously assessed marketing awards anywhere in the world. Since 1980 the awards have led the industry standard in assessing – and then celebrating – campaigns that deliver tangible, long-lasting results. Campaigns that, like our work on Time for Fun, have shifted perceptions, grown brands, and made a measurable difference to the bottom line.
2024 marked a 32-year high in the number of entries received, and Anything is Possible were distinguished by being the only agency to win an award with our first ever submission. For us, winning here means winning everywhere. It validates the founding principles and ambitions of Anything is Possible – to remove the limiting beliefs that are holding back the industry. Crafting work that works. Changing minds. Setting new norms. And showing the world that great marketing has a truly transformational effect on business success. This Bronze at the IPAs is a seal of approval from the sharpest minds in the business and sets the benchmark for the kind of value we aim to bring to every client partnership.
Time for fun…
By 2020, membership at Boundless – originally the Civil Service Motoring Association – had reached an all-time low. This 100 year old not-for-profit organisation, which offers benefits and insurance discounts to public sector workers – teachers, nurses and civil servants – needed a serious rethink. The challenge? Increase membership revenue, improve retention rates, and optimise pricing to support long-term growth.
We launched a three-year transformation strategy focused on shifting perceptions and enhancing the overall value Boundless provided. As in so many things, to come up with a truly original solution, we had to go back to Boundless’ origin. Our campaign rediscovered and shared the simple founding principle the organisation had been founded on in 1923 – helping people make time for fun.
So we celebrated the everyday adventurousness of our audience, connecting with their desire to experience more outside of their everyday lives. Through precise segmentation, fresh audience selection and our kinetic planning methodology, we found media placements that were overlooked and undervalued, and used them to efficiently drive significant reach.
The results – and now the award – speak for themselves. The campaign hugely outperformed the market, returning £1.45 in revenue for every £1 spent. By the end of the transformation, Boundless was back on a strong growth path, with better retention, higher revenues, and a renewed sense of purpose for both the brand and its members. Who, most importantly, had been able to make a lot of time for fun.
What’s next?
While we’re rightfully delighted to celebrate this win, we see it as a stepping stone, not a finish line. The lessons learned not just through our collaboration with Boundless, but through the process of applying for and receiving the award itself, have helped us assess and expand our vision of effectiveness for the agency. It has set the bar even higher for what Anything is Possible want to achieve next. More impact, solving tougher problems – and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of marketing effectiveness.
For now, though, we’re raising a glass to our team and partners who made this possible. Here’s to even bigger successes ahead!
