Nottingham’s intu Victoria Centre will take on competition from shopping centres around the country after being shortlisted for a national award.
The centre is nominated in the tactical marketing campaign category of the BCSC Purple Apple Marketing Awards for its celebratory campaign ‘The Butterfly Project’. The campaign marked the returned of the much-loved Emett Clock to the centre following its comprehensive refurbishment in June last year.
More than 1,000 schoolchildren from across the city helped celebrate the historic clock’s return by hand decorating hundreds of beautiful butterflies, which were brought together to create a stunning hanging mobile surrounding its new home on the Upper Mall.
As well as having their artwork on display for customers to enjoy, children were also entered into a competition to have their butterfly immortalised as part of the clock’s surround – with 11-year-old India Richardson of Hollygirt junior school announced as the proud winner.
Nigel Wheatley, general manager at intu Victoria Centre, said: “We were incredibly proud of The Butterfly Project; it was a brilliant way to celebrate and mark the return of the Emett Clock, which is such an important part of Nottingham’s history.
“It was vital for us to get local children involved and by working with a number of schools and hosting arts workshops at the centre, we were able to do exactly that. We saw it as a chance to get the next generation excited about the Emett Clock and create a legacy for years to come.
“The end result was an absolutely beautiful installation, which was a really fitting way to celebrate the clock and what it means to not just those of us at the centre but to the people of Nottingham. We received so many compliments on how beautiful they looked as proud parents and other customers came in to take a look.”
The Butterfly Project was just one of the ways intu Victoria Centre celebrated the return of the clock to the centre following its refurbishment by the Rowland Emett Society and the team at intu – fixing and cleaning its 354 individual pieces to remove 40 years of repainting, grime and corrosion to have it looking even better than new.
The Emett Clock was officially unveiled in its new home on the Upper Mall by five-year-old Emma Jagger, the granddaughter of volunteer Pete Dexter who gave more than 500 hours of his own time to restoring the iconic clock.
intu Victoria Centre also announced When You Wish Upon A Star, a children’s charity which grants the wishes of seriously ill children, as its annual partner, meaning it would receive all donations thrown into the clock’s pool by customers. Wish children were also invited to decorate a butterfly.
“The return of the Emett Clock to intu Victoria Centre was a real day of celebration for our staff and customers and is something that we are very proud of,” added Nigel.
intu has been shortlisted for a total of 12 Purple Apple awards across its UK centres.
The BCSC Purple Apple Marketing Awards recognise shopping and town centre marketing within the UK, acknowledging high standards and value for money. The ceremony will take place in London on 5 May.
