DVLA’s Ecomotive campaign scoops business ‘oscar’

An innovative marketing campaign by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency featuring SEAT’s super-frugal Ibiza Ecomotive has come out tops in the 2008 National Business Awards.

Earlier this week finalists were joined by judges, sponsors, senior business leaders and academics alongside HRH the Earl of Wessex and Peter Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, at the glitzy awards ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.

BBC presenter Andrew Marr hosted the evening which recognised the UK’s outstanding businesses and business people – with a total of 17 award category winners presented with a prestigious National Business Awards trophy.

The DVLA’s mould-breaking Electronic Vehicle Licensing campaign, which features SEAT’s ultra-green Ibiza Ecomotive model as the star prize in a free monthly online and telephone draw, was voted tops in the Marketing Strategy of the Year category.

The unanimous judges’ decision put the DVLA’s initiative first ahead of strong competition from the likes of household names such as Lloyds TSB and Proctor & Gamble. The judges said they had looked for ‘innovation and a clearly expressed and articulated campaign strategy leading to measurable and verifiable business results.’

The finalists in the marketing category had previously been plucked from an initial entry of more than 2,000 UK companies and organisations.

Andrew Rhodes, Director of Products and Services at the DVLA, said of the award win: ‘SEAT's involvement in the campaign has been pivotal, as the launch and continuing success of the prize draw scheme was made possible through the partnership that SEAT and DVLA have formed.

‘The provision of all the low emission vehicles at no cost to DVLA means that DVLA has seen a considerable increase in take-up and has had the ability to further promote the benefits of low emission vehicles.’

Rob Taylor, SEAT UK National Communications Manager, added: ‘Obviously, to be so closely associated with an award-winning marketing initiative is great news for SEAT.

‘We continue to be extremely pleased with our relationship with the DVLA, and look forward to broadening our prize provision with the offer of new Leon Ecomotive models to website winners from December.’