The PR Week Awards and the Importance of Being Fredrik

So. The Mynewdesk London crew finally made it to the Oscars of PR. In the words of one of our Swedish counterparts- BAM!  It seems only fitting that on Tuesday night, the company that is turning digital PR on its head was to witness an equally improbable feat:  Alistair Campbell taking the blame for something.

Tuesday was a night of contrast, congratulations and one minor catastrophe. In an event where small portions and big budgets collide, what can one do but observe? It began in typical English fashion: a queue, an overly eager revolving door and no drinks outside please.  As the MND boys paraded in with the confidence of a contactless busker, they quickly realised they'd been out-cumerbunded. It's ok, they thought, there's always Fredrik. He won't let us down. A certain MND female could be seen juggling champagne and business cards in one hand and several iphones in the other, mouthing "what's wrong with the wifi?!”. While across the room, in her natural habitat, the matriarch of the group floated between the cologned and the lacquered eyeing up her prey.

As we got to know our table-mates (and they got to know our wine), the first host came on stage. Looking as out of place as Jordan at a Mensa seminar, Tim Minchin and his characteristic bare feet + silly hair combo provided the perfect antidote to the stuffy atmosphere that can permeate big events. It was mainly the songs about genitals and blow-up dolls that did the trick. See here, if you must… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6raVzrbqrM

It was when Mother Monster was preparing for the awards that disaster struck. Fredrik the Follower got bounced by the bouncer! Apparently red follower men in skin-tight spandex are not of the appropriate ilk. Devastated, we were certain he was a gonner. We were very pleased for the winners and nominees though. The excellence of the campaigns we saw that evening reflected a mature understanding of customers' desires and joys. 50-foot moving Christmas fairy? Amazing. Breast milk ice cream? Gross, but awesome. Apparently it tastes like mangoes. List of winners can be found here: http://www.prweek.com/news/bulletin/UKDaily/article/1100546

So, we trundled off to the dancefloor, and just when we thought the night couldn’t get ANY better… guess who showed up!?! The morph-suited megalomaniac himself, FREDRIK! Topped off with Ally Cally offering to fix the awards for us next year, it truly was an evening of celebration.

(By the way - you can now @FollowFredrik, if you dare...)