A campaign featuring spoof train passenger information posters has earned Bath communications firm AgencyUK one of the the highest accolades in world advertising.
The campaign, created for model railway firm Hornby, featured supposedly genuine information posters on railway platforms alerting commuters to bizarre delays. These included ‘The 11.43 from Bath has been derailed by the family cat’. 
Judges in the annual prestigious D&AD awards recognised that it captured the charm and authenticity of an iconic British brand, awarding AgencyUK a coveted pencil at the ceremony in London.
The campaign was selected from more than 24,000 entries from all over the globe. D&AD – the Design and Art Directors Association – is the high mark in brand creativity, embracing all aspects of advertising and design.
The judging is notoriously rigorous and a D&AD pencil is a hard-earned and highly prized measure of excellence.
The pencil was awarded to Hornby for Best Outdoor Poster Campaign of 2016.
AgencyUK creative director Zane Radcliffe said: “In terms of creativity, it doesn’t get better than this.
“We’re very proud to see our Hornby work sharing a winner’s podium alongside giants like Coke, Burger King, Apple, Wrangler and Ikea. From the feedback we’ve been getting, it’s clear that there is a tremendous amount of affection for the Hornby brand.”
AgencyUK has also landed an award for a campaign urging people to 'listen to their gut'.
The campaign, created to help tackle antibiotic resistance by educating parents, received national recognition at the Antibiotic Guardian awards.
The award came as the NHS announced a ‘dramatic’ reduction in antibiotic prescription.
The campaign aimed to increase awareness about the effective use and side effects of antibiotics, and provide effective tips for caring for children suffering from some common childhood illnesses.
The Listen to Your Gut campaign was co-produced by parents at a North Devon children’s centre alongside Devon County Council and health partners. It won the Community Category at the Antibiotic Guardians awards in Birmingham. 
AgencyUK undertook the planning and execution of the award winning campaign, involving animation, social media, PPC and display advertising. A microsite was also created to help change the way parents view the role of antibiotics in treating common illnesses such as coughs and colds. Social media messages were used to start conversations about caring for a young child with a viral infection, and provide information on how antibiotics can damage gut flora that supports good health, when not used properly.
The project has been developed to be part of the national Antibiotic Guardian campaign and is now widely used in other parts of England.
Dr Tom Lewis, consultant microbiologist for Northern Devon Healthcare Trust, said: “This campaign is all about raising awareness, so it is fantastic that it has been recognised on a national level.
“There is lots of new research that suggests that losing our healthy bugs can make us more likely to develop a wide range of illnesses, including diabetes. Many people do not realise that taking antibiotics can kill healthy bugs too. This campaign is helping us to get this important message across so that people only use antibiotics when they really need them.”
Devon County Councillor Andrea Davis was also part of the campaign, sporting her ‘gut face’ which formed part of the social media interaction.
“We are very proud of this campaign, because it was the result of genuine collaboration and innovation from all the partners involved,” she said. “The heart of this work and the driving force behind its success were the Ilfracombe children’s centre and the community of mums, who shaped the campaign and really got behind it.”
The national Antibiotic Guardian campaign is inviting the public, students and educators, farmers, the veterinary and medical communities and professional organisations, to all become Antibiotic Guardians by choosing one pledge about how they will make better use of antibiotics and help save these vital medicines from becoming obsolete.
AgencyUK is one of the UK’s fastest growing integrated planning, creative, social & PR, technology and media agencies. It has considerable experience in the food and drink, automotive, retail, pharmaceutical, financial, fast-moving consumer goods and gaming sectors with clients including The AA, Bristol City Council, Ladbrokes Bingo, and Welsh Beef and Welsh Lamb.
