British Arrows 2020 winners announced as virtual event hits the mark

The British Arrows 2020 took place last night, one year after its originally scheduled date, and with a live broadcast from west London instead of a live event from Grosvenor House.

The event encompassed a Covid-secure shoot attended by a small handful of the night's winners, as well as representatives from sponsors of the British Arrows, and was hosted by comedian, actor and director Richard Ayoade. It was broadcast live to over 1,100 people and celebrated winners across 25 Arrows and 21 Craft categories.

Commercial of the Year was won by Bounce, made for Apple AirPods by TBWA/Media Arts Lab and directed by Oscar Hudson of Pulse Films. Agency of the Year was awarded to AMV BBDO, and Production Company of the Year was awarded to Pulse Films. 

Above: Commercial of the Year, Apple AirPods Bounce.

Other big winners on the night included Sipsmith Gin's Mr Swan, created by Ogilvy London and directed by Biscuit's Jeff Low, which picked up four gold Arrows, Channel 4's Complaints Welcome, directed by Alex Boutel, which won three golds and a bronze, and Renault Clio's The French Exchange, created by PublicisPoke and which was awarded one gold and three silver Arrows.

You can watch every piece of winning work from the Arrows 2020 by clicking here for our Slate showcase.

A special category was introduced during the pandemic to allow work created during the first lockdown to be recognised; the Made in Lockdown – Campaign winner was BBC, Bringing Us Closer, created by BBC Creative Studio, and The Made in Lockdown – Single winner was National Centre for Domestic Violence, Abusers Always Work From Home, created  by Wunderman Thompson and Stink Films. 

Paul Silburn, the creative mind behind a string of lauded commercials for brands such as John Smith's, Nike, T-Mobile, John West and countless more, and who died in November of 2019, was the Arrows Board of Directors' unanimous choice to receive a posthumous Fellowship Award.