The Royal National Institute for Blind People’s Braille wrap featured a personalised message from Father Christmas (Picture: Amy Stirling)

Judges called the ad, by John Ayling & Associates, a ‘brilliant demonstration of newsbrands’ power for inclusion, innovation and the amplification of issues that matter to readers’.

A groundbreaking Braille cover wrap on our very own Metro newspaper has scooped a major award recognising ‘innovative and dynamic achievement’.

The RNIB Braille wrap, by John Ayling & Associates, won the Grand Prix Campaign of the Year and Best Social Impact and Sustainability award at Newsworks’ 2022 Awards.

The ad campaign, which ran in December 2021 on the International Day of Disabled People, featured a Braille message from Father Christmas.

More than 15,000 special editions were distributed across London as part of a collaboration to help promote the charity’s festive Letter From Santa campaign.

It was hoped that some of the UK’s 14,500 children with visual impairments would enjoy the personalised message from Father Christmas – and was a clear sign to blind and partially sighted people that Metro is making the steps towards a more inclusive society for the visually impaired.

At the time, RNIB’s director of services David Clarke said: ‘As a Braille reader, I am delighted that Metro has created the first ever Braille national front cover.

The ‘innovative and inclusive’ Braille wrap covered the daily edition of Metro newspaper(Picture: Amy Stirling)

‘Our aim is to create an experience that means no child misses out on the magic of Christmas, and RNIB’s Letters from Santa is just one part of this work.’

The Newsworks annual awards celebrate creativity, innovation, and purpose-led campaigns.

This year’s chair of the judges, Boots VP marketing director, Helen Jeremiah, said: ‘John Ayling & Associates’ Braille cover wrap for RNIB is a brilliant demonstration of newsbrands’ power for inclusion, innovation and the amplification of issues that matter to readers. They are worthy winners of the Grand Prix.’

Starcom also picked up accolades for its Butterkist popcorn ad campaign, ‘Go Grab the Butterkist!’, which centred around the ‘Wagatha Christie’ trial and ran exclusively in Metro. It won an award in both the Best Display Campaign and the Best Tactical Ad categories. The ad campaign also went viral on social media, Drum.com and other news websites.

Newsworks CEO Jo Allan added: ‘We reimagined our annual awards this year to celebrate outstanding, dynamic advertising in news brands.

‘The winners offer a glimpse of some of the fantastic and creatively thought-out ad campaigns that resonate with news brand readers. Congratulations to all those whose work has been recognised this year.’

Editor of Metro Ted Young, said: ‘At Metro, we challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of print advertising to grab our readers’ attention and continue to shine a light on issues that matter to them.’

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The ad campaign, which ran in December 2021 on the International Day of Disabled People, brought Father Christmas’s words to the 14,500 blind children in the UK.