O’Brien PR has been nominated for a Public Relations Institute of Ireland and Public Relations Consultants Association award for the agency’s work on the PR campaign ‘Behind the Scenes – Factory Tour at Newbridge Silverware’.
The work on the campaign has now been acknowledged by being shortlisted for the Awards for Excellence in PR, with the winners being revealed at a gala luncheon in the Mansion House on Friday, June 21st. The Awards for Excellence is the beacon for best practice in Irish public relations and communications and those shortlisted set the benchmark for work within the sector and showcase the best the PR profession has to offer. O’Brien PR is in good company as some of the largest international PR agencies and in-house teams are also in the running for an award including Teneo, FleishmanHillard, Wilson Hartnell, Dublin Bus and University of Limerick among others.
The nomination coincides with the 16th anniversary of O’Brien PR, which was founded by Aileen O’Brien in 2003. The company also represents the largest airport retailer in the world, Dubai Duty Free which has a turnover in excess of $2 billion last year. O’Brien PR carries out all public relations and event management services for the airport retailer for two of the largest sporting events in the country including, The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby which runs at the Curragh Racecourse from the 27- 29th of June and the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open which will be staged in Lahinch from the 4-7th of July.
The Newbridge Silverware Company, founded in 1934, is one of Ireland’s longest surviving companies. It’s process and history are like none other in Ireland. Originally the business focused on the manufacture of quality tableware for stately homes, the premium end of the hospitality industry and the wedding gift market. Now it is regarded as one of Ireland’s leading lifestyle companies and is Ireland’s premier giftware brand.
Management of Newbridge Silverware decided to set up a tourism and visitor experience which would offer visitors a unique, behind the scenes view of the factory and the crafts people at work. The Factory Tour gives visitors the chance to view the product journey from raw material to finished item. Each item is handled over 40 times by the talented craftsmen and women during production. The process of crafting tableware is virtually unchanged since the company’s formation in 1934 and many of the original machines are still in use today.
The success of the campaign by O’ Brien PR was enormous. In the first six months of the opening of the Factory Tour, 50,000 visitors went through the factory. The Factory Tour has had a positive overall effect on the other offerings at Newbridge Silverware with more visitors also visiting the Museum of Style Icons, the Lifestyle Store and the Café as a result.
Due to the success of the launch of The Factory Tour a long -lasting legacy has been put in place with many first-time visitors now becoming regular shoppers at Newbridge Silverware and the factory becoming a ‘must visit’ destination for both international and domestic visitors.
Speaking after being shortlisted for the award, O’Brien PR Managing Director Aileen O’Brien, said, “We are absolutely delighted to be nominated for this award. It’s a hugely competitive process and just to get this far is a big achievement for all our team. Our campaign, ‘Behind the Scenes – Factory Tour at Newbridge Silverware’ was very enjoyable to work on. Newbridge Silverware is an iconic Irish brand which will celebrate its 85th anniversary this year and it has so many interesting stories to tell. The factory itself is still producing cutlery and products in exactly the way it always did, even the original machines that made the cutlery all those years ago are still used. It’s a craft business that relies on the skills of very talented people and that was the story we wanted to tell through our campaign. We are privileged to work with Newbridge Silverware and delighted that the judges recognised that the work we did for our client was of the highest standards. The team at O’Brien PR is constantly growing also, and business has continued to prosper this year following an extremely busy first quarter.”
O’Brien PR also represents several hotels including PREM Group which has 38 properties in Ireland, the UK and Continental Europe, Lyrath Estate, Kilkenny, Naas Racecourse and The Dooley Insurance Group, one of the largest independent insurance brokers in the country.
For more on O’Brien PR see www.obrienpr.com