UK’s Young PR Lions winners named

Hotwire London’s Matt Watson and Paul Stollery have won the 2016 UK Young Lions PR competition.

Six teams, including two from Hotwire, were shortlisted from 41 entries to win the accolade this year, in a competition which aims to find the best young PR professionals in the country.

Each team, made up of individuals under 30, were given 24 hours to deliver a five minute presentation explaining their PR campaign for the NSPCC, which acted as the ‘client’, on 22 March at H+K Strategies in London.

Hotwire’s Matt Watson and Paul Stollery wowed the judges with their ‘ChildLine Takeover’ campaign idea, which outlined a partnership with TFL to conduct a one day tube line takeover, rebranding the Victoria line to the Child line.

The PRCA handled the Young PR Lions competition, which was supported by the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO).

Watson and Stollery will go on to represent Hotwire at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June to compete against representatives from more than 30 countries. For the first time, the UK team will be joined by silver winners, Cohn & Wolfe’s Emma Naomi Van Braningen and Felicity Haslehurst, to act as a support team.

Francis Ingham, DG at the PRCA, said: “Looking at the calibre of campaign entries this year, all shortlisted teams should be extremely proud of their work. The winning Hotwire entry demonstrated what a knowledgeable and creative team Watson and Stollery make and they are immensely deserving of their win. We all wish them the best of luck in Cannes.”