The Oscars of Marketing and Brand Strategy, Three has been awarded Bronze at the UK’s prestigious IPA Effectiveness Awards for their entry, “Three and the effectiveness of grown-up marketing.”
It’s a coming-of-age story for Three, charting its journey from a youthful challenger in the UK telco market – thriving on bold risks and disruptive campaigns since 2003 – to a brand that repositioned itself in 2021, in an increasingly crowded, commoditised market.
With the challenge of broadening its appeal, Three set the objective of “growing up without losing Three’s soul,” recognising the need to address new demographic groups while evolving Three’s image. This led to the new brand platform, “Life Needs A Big Network,” which introduced a refreshed brand identity, creative strategy, and media approach. Over three years from 2021 to 2024, the brand consistently delivered against this platform, driving significant improvements across key metrics.
As Three celebrated its success, the team reflected on the key takeaways that came with the accolades. The first takeaway was “Don’t shy away from the obvious”: by owning core associations like ‘Network’ and ‘Big’, Three distinguished itself from fleeting trends and focused on what mattered to their core brand identity. The second was “Step back and look at the bigger effectiveness picture”: Three’s journey shows that lasting success comes from consistent, long-term commitment to brand effectiveness rather than quick wins. The third takeaway, “Stop fetishising youth” highlights how Three successfully balanced youthful appeal with messages that resonated with a broader, more diverse audience, including older, wealthier groups, helping them avoid the “Peter Pan advertising tax” – after all it’s 4.9x more expensive to target 16-34 year-olds.
Established in 1980, the IPA Effectiveness Awards are widely regarded as the most prestigious recognition for marketing effectiveness, celebrating agencies, advertisers, and media owners for successful campaigns that demonstrate a return on investment for marketing spend.