BASE Awards 2022 Winners

WINNER: Warner Bros. Discovery

Based on combined EST and VOD volume in 2021, as provided by The Official Charts Company:

Warner Bros. Discovery led across digital formats in 2021, with a 16.8% market share for film EST and VOD combined. With hits across multiple franchises, Warner Bros. Discovery’s top-selling digital titles included new additions to the DC universe: Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Wonder Woman 1984 and The Suicide Squad, with seasonal heritage titles such as ELF also performing well.

WINNER: Warner Bros. Discovery

Based on disc sales volume in 2021, as provided by The Official Charts Company:

Warner Bros. Discovery emerged triumphant across physical formats in 2021, with an impressive volume share of 32.7%. With studio hits such as No Time To Die, Godzilla Vs Kong and Zack Synder’s Justice League, Warner Bros. Discovery saw success across multiple genres on DVD, Blu-ray and premium formats.

WINNER: Lionsgate UK

Based on combined EST & VOD sales volume, excluding content licensed by major distributors, as provided by The Official Charts Company:

Lionsgate outdid its competition on digital formats in 2021, with a 3.9% market share for film EST and VOD combined. The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard was a major hit, with an impressive 157K on VOD and 36K on EST. The Father and the dystopian Chaos Walking also saw strong sales, contributing to Lionsgate’s success.

WINNER: BBC Studios

Based on disc sales volume, excluding content licensed by major distributors, as provided by The Official Charts Company:

BBC Studios was victorious across physical formats in 2021, with an impressive volume share of 5.6%. With a number of releases across the hugely successful Doctor Who franchise, and Strictly Come Dancing – Motsi & Anton’s Strictly The Best performing exceptionally well, BBC Studios saw great success across multiple genres and formats which made them this year’s winner.

WINNER: No Time To Die. MGM, Universal Pictures & Warner Bros. Discovery

Based on sales volume across all formats (disc, EST & VOD) in 2021, as provided by The Official Charts Company:

No Time To Die saw explosive success in 2021, becoming the best-selling title on disc with more than 717K copies sold. With its release just before the end of the year, the latest Bond instalment dominated the charts in the remaining weeks of 2021, holding its spot as the number one title for disc for two weeks and EST for three weeks. In the two weeks of 2021 that it was available on 4K UHD, it became the largest selling premium format release in its opening week, and one of only two titles to pass £1 million in consumer sales for the year, with the opening week achieving the largest for any title on this format.

WINNER: Inglourious Basterds: Total Basterds Edition - Universal Pictures & OC

What the judges said:

The judges agreed that the research and thought put into this packaging was incredibly thorough, and it was undeniably best in class. The packaging offered great choice for consumers and fans alike with collectibles, beautiful cinematography, clean artwork, exclusive playing cards and a hidden area playing homage to the infamous opening scene. It utilised insights from different industries and offered different price points to make the editions accessible. The audience was incredibly well-considered and the packaging truly listened to their fans. Upselling on previous editions is tough but the results were a phenomenal success and speak to the success of the packaging.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Spirited Away: 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition - StudioCanal & GPA Global

What the judges said:

The judges noted that the detail on the packaging, and all the different components that went into the 20^th Anniversary Box-set for Spirited Away was incredibly unique, with a number of collectible items for avid fans. The packaging was sustainable, classy and stylish, with a finished product that was both visually stunning and authentic to the movie.

COMMENDED: The Godfather Trilogy: 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition - Paramount Pictures & GPA Global

What the judges said:

The judges were in agreement that the packaging for the Godfather Trilogy: 50^th Anniversary Edition was beautifully done. The custom packaging, unboxing experience, artwork prints and coffee table book offered a nice touch for consumers and saw great results. This edition delivered exactly what fans of this title would have hoped for in a premium package.

WINNER: Spider-Man: No Way Home - Sony Pictures & Play PR

What the judges said:

This was an incredibly well-thought-out and innovative PR and social campaign with good activities and engagement from multiple channels. The use of relevant influencers, content and platforms was a clever move and resulted in a slick, forward-thinking and well-executed campaign, that elevated above and beyond the norm of a PR and social campaign. The Diversity and Mason Mount partnerships on TikTok, in particular, were noted by the judges, as both producing great social results.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Bisping: The Michael Bisping Story - Universal Pictures & Andy Green PR

What the judges said:

This campaign was bespoke and cleverly targeted, delivering on its KPIs by giving Hollywood treatment to a sports documentary. It successfully brought the niche to the mainstream and achieved fantastic results, engagement and awareness. Targeting secondary audiences paid off and the tailored campaign delivered an incredibly high ROI.

COMMENDED: Venom: Let There Be Carnage - DnA PR & Sony Pictures

What the judges said:

This campaign was founded on innovative and interesting partnerships, such as with Meat Liquor, achieving good coverage and pollinating well on social channels. There was a good use of third-party packages and resources, one example being the Tattooed Bakers, which honed in on the dark nature and humour of the film and saw great social engagement.

WINNER: The Thing 4K UHD Special Edition & The John Carpenter 4K Collection - Universal Pictures & StudioCanal

What the judges said:

The 4K Special Edition for The Thing was an incredibly innovative campaign which saw impressive collaboration between Universal Pictures and StudioCanal. The campaign utilised StudioCanal’s pre-existing creative to roll out a brand-new edition for The Thing. For a title that had many previous iterations, the campaign was successful in targeting Carpenter collectors to enhance their collections. The release generated great buzz across Zavvi, Amazon, and Frightfest as well as across social and PR. The judges praised the research which led to the development of the product, and the impressive collaboration of the two well-loved distributors. The enormously positive fan response and fantastic sales results capped off an impressive release.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Doctor Who: The Collection – BBC Studios

What the judges said:

This campaign was well-researched and well-executed. Great consideration was given to the fan base by directly involving them whilst working within a tight budget. The hard work that went into this release resulted in a sharp campaign, filled with original creative trailers, cast reunions and live streams to create excitement. The social impressions overperformed against targets and the ROI was really impressive.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Watch. Love. Keep. Digital Campaign – Warner Bros. Discovery

What the judges said:

Watch. Love. Keep. was a cohesive digital campaign, utilising strong assets that were in keeping with the brand’s identity and knowledge. The team used insights to identify how consumers buy content, they took on board their learnings to enable the promotion of unrelated titles under one umbrella. The judges thought it was a fantastic initiative that achieved great results.

WINNER: Inglourious Basterds: Total Basterds Edition - Universal Pictures

What the judges said:

This was an exceptional campaign with thoughtful analysis and a tactical approach. The judges noted the effectiveness of pushing two special editions, with clever use of social media to make the whole campaign work seamlessly. The Total Basterds Edition was a bold and risky SKU strategy from Universal Pictures, attempting to push multiple steelbooks at the same time was a risk, but one that paid off. The judges were incredibly impressed with this release, from the level of thought that went into it, down to the results. An impeccable campaign.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Howling: 40th Anniversary - StudioCanal

What the judges said:

The judges were impressed with StudioCanal’s innovative approach to this campaign, particularly in light of the niche market for the film. It showed a real dedication to excellence. The campaign was efficient, spoke directly to the target audience, surpassed its targets and incorporated some unlikely and interesting partnerships, such as with Tops Pizza, which further widened its audience. The team made the most of their resources, and saw fantastic results.

COMMENDED: The Proposition: 4K Ultra HD Edition - British Film Institute

What the judges said:

The judges were impressed by the passion and enthusiasm that underpinned this campaign. The team worked within the constraints of a small budget, by utilising artwork and BFI resources to bring in strong results for this release. The judges thought the overall delivery of this campaign was first-class, leveraging great opportunities to convert them into great results.

WINNER: Minari - Altitude Film Entertainment

What the judges said:

There was clear passion behind this incredibly well-executed campaign. The Altitude team considered how to connect with audiences at all stages of the sales cycle, delivering a truly inclusive campaign. The campaign chased down every opportunity to reach new and unexpected audiences. With impeccable attention to detail, smart use of social media and podcasts, and capitalising on a lockdown consumer already experimenting with at home-cooking, this targeted and impressive campaign was a standout for the judges.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Arsène Wenger: Invincible – Noah Media Group

What the judges said:

The campaign for Arséne Wenger: Invincible had a cohesive strategy, and showed a real understanding of its market and target audience. Noah Media Group utilised creativity and insight to overcome challenges and deliver a meticulous campaign from start to finish. The effort involved in the release was apparent, and the results reflected this.

COMMENDED: Petite Maman - MUBI

What the judges said:

The judges thought the campaign for Petite Maman was carried out in an incredibly robust way. The team at MUBI showed great attention to detail, and the campaign focused well on targeting core audiences. The judges were particularly drawn to how the campaign championed female filmmakers, given the popularity of Céline Sciamma.

WINNER: Minari - Altitude Film Entertainment

What the judges said:

Altitude Film Entertainment’s campaign for Minari was acknowledged by the judges as a sensational effort on all fronts, with impressive results that demonstrated a shift to meet customer demand. The team utilised a small budget to great effect and executed an innovative campaign targeting new audience segments for Home Entertainment. The campaign was opportunistic around awards and festivals, using an inventive virtual cinema concept which worked well to overcome the challenge of PR outlets closing during Covid. The campaign delivered excellent results far beyond KPIs. A skilful and first-rate release.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Godzilla vs. Kong - Warner Bros. Discovery

What the judges said:

Warner Bros. Discovery made great use of influencers, audience engagement and partners in their release for Godzilla vs. Kong. The campaign results were incredibly strong, despite challenges that arose during the time of delivery – the team pivoted to offer an alternate release that fans enjoyed. The judges enjoyed the injection of fun and new ideas, such as AR lenses and TikTok prank wars, which brought an inventive light to the campaign.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Zack Snyder’s Justice League - Warner Bros. Discovery

What the judges said:

The judge’s emphasised the ingenuity and agility of the Warner Bros. Discovery team in using every trick in the book to break expectations and records with this release. The campaign overcame a variety of challenges to convert fan insights into a really strong ROI. They maximised on a thorough situational analysis, and a unique product proposition to pull off an unconventional campaign.

WINNER: Ghostbusters: Afterlife - Sony Pictures

What the judges said:

Sony Pictures’ campaign for Ghostbusters: Afterlife, based on the cult classic, outperformed its competitors in the category due to its creative assets, TikTok activity, breadth of retailers, and its broad yet clear overall strategy. The campaign utilised a spread of influencers, achieving great results on a low spend per unit. The situation analysis enabled a rich campaign that targeted diverse cohorts and optimised different formats for the right audiences. The judges thought the overall execution of the campaign was an outstanding result for Sony Pictures.

COMMENDED: Nobody - Universal Pictures

What the judges said:

This campaign had a well-planned and broad media strategy that achieved strong ROI and beat its targets. The execution of the strategy, along with a defined and recognised target audience, attentive media plans and well-articulated stunts led to robust results overall.

COMMENDED: The Croods: A New Age - Universal Pictures

What the judges said:

This campaign had a good strategy and execution, which led to strong results compared to their forecasts. The cast of the film were utilised well on social media and during seasonal messaging during the half term. It was a solid campaign with a strong physical set-up.

WINNER: Spider-Man: No Way Home - Sony Pictures

What the judges said:

Sony Pictures’ campaign for the chart-topping Spider-Man: No Way Home delivered a strong, clear and all-encompassing creative with great use of trending channels, including Twitch, TikTok and podcasts, to reflect changing media trends and the transformation of the media landscape. There was a strong retail execution with clear objectives, despite competition titles and launch date pivots creating a much harder benchmark. The judges were impressed with how Sony elevated the non-media elements of their campaign, with the overall performance making it a high scorer across the board.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: No Time to Die - Universal Pictures

What the judges said:

The release of the new Bond instalment, No Time To Die was robust, with a well-coordinated media campaign that achieved exceptional results. Despite the difficulties of fragmented distribution rights, the team’s strategy to saturate awareness before launch to drive pre-orders and offer limited editions really paid off. The campaign was clear in its objectives and the results were outstanding.

COMMENDED: Belfast - Universal Pictures

What the judges said:

The campaign used a charming and warm creative, combined with excellent use of music that was a lovely fit for the movie and the audience. There was a good spread of media, with the inclusion of radio and podcasts to widen the reach. The strategy and execution were both solid and the team over-delivered on set targets.

WINNER: Bisping: The Michael Bisping Story - Universal Pictures

What the judges said:

Not only was this an exceptionally well-considered campaign on a relatively small budget, but it smashed its targets. Universal Pictures’ campaign for Bisping was strong with a considered set of objectives and deliverables, and an impressive execution and strategy. In addition to the main campaign, there was a good focus on local and regional media, potential PR opportunities and peer endorsement, taking advantage of all media channels they had. It overachieved against benchmarks with sales results on week one up 199%. They smashed ambitious targets, despite a number of challenges, and successfully turned the niche into the mainstream.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Arsène Wenger: Invincible – Noah Media Group

What the judges said:

Noah Media Group understood their audience and were incredibly thorough in their planning and execution to ensure they stuck to a well-identified mission statement. The campaign was simple yet effective, navigating sensitive issues and significant hurdles to achieve impressive results and deliver a strong ROI.

COMMENDED: The Sparks Brothers - Universal Pictures

What the judges said:

This campaign had clear objectives, a well-identified audience, and strategic use of existing practices that Universal Pictures had in their gift to maximise opportunities. The final product was visually striking and delivered impressive results, achieving more than double the estimated views and exceeded both sales and pre-order estimations.

WINNER: Game of Thrones: The Iron Anniversary – Warner Bros. Discovery

What the judges said:

Game of Thrones: The Iron Anniversary demonstrated a phenomenal ability to overcome obstacles, applying great teamwork and an insight-led campaign to drive their strategy and meet punchy targets. The execution was strong and the campaign was well-considered, particularly in light of Covid limitations. The cross-promotional tactics – brand partnerships and large-scale stunts – led to fantastic results, widespread coverage and engagement for Warner Bros. Discovery and the franchise.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Crown: Season Four – Sony Pictures

What the judges said:

The campaign for The Crown: Season 4 was insight-driven – using A/B testing and audience mapping – ambitious and innovative with some interesting partnerships with brands. The Sony Pictures team made great use of PR and social initiatives, with well-negotiated and thought-through use of retail space. The release overcame challenges, covered all angles, and despite budget reductions, still hit targets.

WINNER: Alexa x Venom Voice Activation – Sony Pictures

What the judges said:

The Alexa x Venom voice activation initiative was not only innovative, creative and difficult to execute, but it also faced numerous challenging stakeholders and went way beyond the usual Home Entertainment marketing tactics. The campaign leant on partnerships, internal resources and insights to deliver an audience-focused initiative that was smart and creative. The judges were very impressed by what they felt was an industry first, and indeed one that caught on globally. The response was excellent, generating over 100k views in the first two weeks, with clear consumer engagement.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Batman Drafting – Warner Bros. Discovery

What the judges said:

This was a very slick campaign with strong creative execution and solid commercial results. The event concept of ‘money-can’t-buy-prizes’ worked well and using retro nostalgia creative built on what works for their core fan focus, bringing in brilliant results. Their collaboration with ASDA to bring a truly unique offering to their customers not only strengthened relationships but was an enviable partnership.

COMMENDED: Uncharted Treasure Hunt (EST Release) – Sky Store

What the judges said:

This initiative was innovative and exciting, with an impactful use of voice search which delivered impressive results. The customer treasure hunt helped to drive interaction in a truly new and unique way.

WINNER: The Father – Lionsgate UK

The Father is BASE’s inaugural People’s Choice winner.  As voted by the industry, The Father was deemed the standout in this new category; a title that unexpectedly captured audience imagination and was successful beyond expectation.

WINNER: Streaming ‘Live’ to Your Living Room: Stand-Up Comedy with Eddie Izzard & Dylan Moran – (Universal Pictures)

What the judges said:

The judges were impressed by Universal’s ability to create a ‘live’ and communal stand-up event, during an incredibly challenging time for comedy and society at large. The challenges of the pandemic meant their results in comparison to benchmarking were even more remarkable. The Universal team responded very quickly to the changing market during lockdown and tapped into a real audience desire for fresh, new and exciting content. They clearly identified their audience and offered them a fresh take on the Home Entertainment comedy genre. The judges noted how refreshing it was to see a willingness to experiment with new platforms – overall a fantastic initiative from Universal Pictures.

COMMENDED: Innovating to Build Multicultural Talent & Accessible Content – Deluxe

What the judges said:

Deluxe show real dedication in creating space for diverse, multicultural talent and in continuing to push accessibility of content. Their ongoing work, particularly around encouraging new voices and talent into the world of dubbing and localisation, is impressive and much needed. The judges congratulated Deluxe on working to magnify authentic voices wherever possible, particularly where those voices are often missing.

COMMENDED: Stream – Virgin Media

What the judges said:

Virgin identified the need for a product that offered access and ease of use to consumers, ensuring linear and SVoD could exist cohesively in one space. The customer appetite was clearly identified and the idea was insight-led and intelligent. The judges are really interested to see how this product evolves and grows.

WINNER: Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video are the worthy winner of this hard-fought category for the second year running. Following another year of commercial success and promotional activity including their Home Premier store and their ongoing successful TVOD weekly deals, Amazon Prime Video continues to engage existing customers through strong promotional activity, and entice new consumers across from their SVOD platform, exemplifying the benefits of promoting the co-evolution of Home Entertainment, and the added choice and opportunity it gives audiences. Prime Video continues to innovate and inspire interaction with the growing digital transactional category and are always ready and collaborative partners to the category.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Sky Store

WINNER: HMV

HMV is the deserved winner tonight as it continues to champion physical formats. HMV invested heavily in super-serving the Highstreet and entertainment fans when shops reopened post pandemic, and their commitment to growth, with multiple new store openings, and their vision and continuing partnership for and with the category, give consumers choice and range at a local and regional level, providing shoppers with much-wanted browsing space and time, and serving physical fans across all formats, from great value DVDs to the strong promotion of premium exclusives, and high value and 4K UHD.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: ASDA

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Planet of Entertainment

WINNER: Virtual Cinema on Dogwoof on Demand - Dogwoof

What the judges said:

This was a wide-ranging initiative that was inventive, intuitive, and used multiple touchpoints with impressive outcomes. The judges felt the launch of a virtual cinema during the pandemic was a bold initiative aimed at supporting the overall industry. Dogwoof secured partnerships from cinemas, and demonstrated a confident understanding of their audience. They utilised a connection-based interactive social media campaign that felt intimate, unique, creative, relevant and responsive to the pandemic.

HIGHLY COMMENDED:Home Premiere - Amazon Prime Video

What the judges said:

During the volatile post-pandemic window, Home Premiere on Amazon Prime Video pushed boundaries, using PVOD to drive incremental revenue and to help elevate key titles. The promotion of the initiative was really well done, giving it a premium and special feel, while the blend of high profile versus niche was an intelligent choice that delivered strong and growing results. The team at Amazon capitalised on customer engagement and built anticipation with countdowns with an overall slick creative.

COMMENDED:Birthday – Zavvi

What the judges said:

This campaign was very well managed from the offset and an innovative way to make an event out of nominal birthday. The exclusive steelbooks and relic replica sets brought a premium feel to the brand which was not only appealing to fans but injected something unique and different for a platform retailer, ultimately delivering beyond estimations.