Wray Ward took the top spot in the PR News 2015 Platinum PR Awards Video Program category for its “Sunbrella^® Perspective New England” campaign. The Platinum PR Awards recognize the year’s most outstanding communicators, initiatives and organizations in the competitive public relations arena, and Perspective New England was among hundreds of entries in the Video Program segment and beat out eight other finalists for the top award.

“Our initial research revealed that both consumers and designers categorized the Sunbrella brand primarily as an outdoor performance fabric. Our goal with Perspective New England was to change this misperception and demonstrate the versatility and sophistication of Sunbrella fabrics through a series of entertaining and educational design makeovers,” said John Mader, vice president and director of connections at Wray Ward. “Our audiences responded to and engaged with the design stories told in Perspective New England – effectively doubling website traffic. The feedback has been incredibly positive.”

Sunbrella has long been the number one outdoor performance fabric for use on boats, outdoor patio furniture and shading structures. Over the years, the Sunbrella product offering has expanded inside the home with fabrics that tap into fashion-forward color and design trends, intricate weaves, compelling textures and a soft hand, all with the same durability and performance signature to the brand. To tell the design story of Sunbrella fabrics, Wray Ward created a content site that uses storytelling to show how Sunbrella can be used to create sophisticated yet durable lifestyle spaces in a beach house, on an M36 yacht and in an Airstream trailer. The site links the design stories seamlessly; along the way, it provides design tips and hints relevant to the various audiences.

Wray Ward drove enthusiasts to the interactive digital space through a variety of public relations, social media and paid advertising tactics including news releases, editor outreach, social media tagging and hashtags, paid search, advertorials and more.