The SABRE Awards, which recognise superior achievement in branding, reputation and engagement, shine a spotlight on the industry’s most compelling work with a specific focus on programmes and initiatives that make a real business impact.

The 2022 Africa SABRE Awards and 2022 EMEA SABRE Awards, held in Tanzania and London respectively, honoured a number of exceptional agencies across the regions for outstanding work across various categories.

Razor won 10 awards (seven for Africa and three for EMEA), as well as a number of Certificates of Excellence, making them the most awarded South African PR agency of 2022.

The stand out awards across both ceremonies included Platinum SABRE Award for Best in Show for its 'Reputation in the Can' campaign for Tiger Brands (Africa), the Diamond Award for Reputation Management for Tiger Brands and Africa Consultancy of the Year 2022 (both in EMEA).

"When we launched Razor, we made a commitment to be a better place for our people and a better place for our clients," says Dustin Chick, partner and managing director at Razor.

"For us, this meant our own focus on culture and for our clients around work that simply works better. The fact that so many of our clients have performed so well in this year's show is testimony to PR that is delivering real business results. It is about our people, and it is about a real partnership with our clients," adds Chick.

"Awards like this are not just recognition of our approach to each project; they are testament to the culture we nurture within our team and the partnerships we forge with our clients," says Chick.

"There are many hands that get involved both directly and indirectly behind any winning team. The fact that a South African agency made such an indelible mark out of hundreds of entries speaks volumes about the team's dedication and the quality of work they are continually producing," says Mike Abel, chief executive of M&C Saatchi Group South Africa.

"As a group globally, we continue to focus on the strength of our creative product; the work coming out of Razor is a testament to this agenda," concludes Abel.

Since its inception in January 2020, the agency was named Global Best New Agency at the 2021 global SABRE Awards. Chick, who is one of the Holmes Report's top 25 communications innovators across EMEA in 2019, was named PR Professional of the Year 2021 by the Public Relations Institute of SA (PRISA). Chick also serves on the board of the PRCA Africa.

The 2022 Africa SABRE Awards took place on Wednesday, 25 May in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The 2022 Africa winners include:
  • Platinum SABRE Award for Best in Show: 'Reputation in the can' for Tiger Brands Limited
  • Superior Achievement in Reputation Management (Grand Prix): 'Reputation in the can' for Tiger Brands Limited
  • Public Education: 'Eat Well Live Well: The State of Nutrition Report' for Tiger Brands Eat Well Live Well
  • Consumer Products / Services: 'The Future is Electric' for Audi South Africa
  • Food & Beverage: 'Eat Well Live Well: The State of Nutrition Report' for Tiger Brands Eat Well Live Well, and
  • Not for Profit/Charities: 'Animals do what?' for NSPCA.
Southern Africa Region: Certificates of Excellence
  • 'Reputation in the can' for Tiger Brands, and
  • 'The Future is Electric' for Audi South Africa. 

The 2022 EMEA SABRE Awards took place on Friday, 25 May in London.

The 2022 EMEA winners include:
  • Superior Achievement in Reputation Management: 'Reputation in the can' for Tiger Brands Limited, and
  • Non-corporate Associations: 'Animals do what?' for NSPCA with Razor / M&C Saatchi Abel
Certificates of Excellence:
  • 'Animals do what?' for NSPCA with Razor / M&C Saatchi Abel
  • 'The Pets News Network (PNN)' for Marltons, and
  • 'The Bubbles in Bevco' for The Beverage Company (Bevco).
For more information, visit www.mcsaatchigroup.co.za.