Simon Penn & Chris Smith recently launched the disruptive ‘Creative Marketing & Brand Activation Awards’ event 50Below and here we ask them why now, what’s it all about & what can we expect from the brand?
“So guys, why now?”
Because we believe passionately about what the brand & the event stands for & quite simply because nobody else is doing it!
There is some incredible work being done by talented people with very little money to play with & there is no awards event ‘anywhere’ specifically for this. We believe it’s time to recognise the hugely creative and innovative work being done with smaller budgets and there is definitely a gap in the marketplace for an event that does just this.
It’s very much time for this kind of disruptive event as an alternative to the glitzy, black tie, sit down dinner where only big agency, big budget projects seem to walk away with the prizes.
“Tell us what 50Below is all about”
50Below is all about recognising & rewarding agencies, in-house brand teams and independent suppliers creating fantastic events, pop-ups, brand activations & experiences with a project budget of below £50k. We’re all about creativity, we’re all about rinsing the arse out of a budget & we’re all about memories & experiences – that doesn’t cost the earth!
50Below is purposely moving away from the glitz & glamour of the more traditional awards events with more of a ‘Top Gear’ studio feel to its design & style on the night. It will also take a lot of its feeling & atmosphere from the venues chosen to host the night. Edgy, urban & in keeping with the brand.
We are fed up with people being charged ridiculous amounts to enter a project, then having to pay again to come along to the event they’ve entered! So, with 50Below the project entry cost is set at £100 and this includes two tickets to the event while the dress code is casual, so you don’t have to go and spend a fortune on a dinner suit or fancy frock.
“What can we expect to see over the next couple of years from the brand?”
One thing we can say is that 50Below won’t stand still.
Initially we will run two London events a year, individually recognising seasonal projects, this will expand to Manchester/Leeds in 2020 and we have ambitions for 50Below to become a global series of events operating in New York, Dubai, Berlin & Sydney as just 4 of a proposed 12 ‘creative city’s.
Aside from the main award events we have started a ‘Meetup’ group for creatives across events, digital, experiential, advertising, PR & marketing called ‘50Below – So you think you’re creative?’ which currently meets once a month in London. It’s a business/social group that is intended to drive discussion, provide networking opportunities and the sharing of experiences. Hopefully we will expand this to Manchester or Leeds early next year.
We have a few other ideas of how we might like to extend the reach of the brand but for now we are concentrating on rolling the awards event out on the wider stage & establishing the Meetup group.
For now we just want people to get involved. So, to enter a project or if you are interested in being a sponsor of the event, please go to www.weare50below.com or call us on 07747 880423 for more info.
