Inside Out Awards Celebrate as “In-House Creative Teams Have Fully Arrived”
Sofology Breaking the Mould was named In-House Creative Team of the Year at the Inside Out Awards in London this week, marking a year of evolution and growth for the in-house creative sector and the awards themselves. Other big winners included maintenance company Johnson Controls, which took home three awards, and BAE Systems Digital Intelligence – Digital Intelligence Brand and Creative, Generation at Three and Merlin Entertainment, which bagged two gongs apiece.
According to Inside Out founder Emma Sexton, the awards recognise the specifics of in-house agencies to help them gain recognition within their organisations for the exceptional work they do.
“We are always seeking ways our awards can help you to demonstrate your business impact so you can gain the investments you need to help you realise the potential of creativity on the businesses and brands you are all sat within,” Emma said.
“We are not a new awards scheme, we are now in our 12th year, so we have a deep understanding of not only the fundamental differences of an in-house team but the different types of awards you need too. This year we radically reshaped the awards to reflect this changing of landscape of in-house creativity and leadership,” Emma continued. “We introduced more categories and put them across four key themes: craft, impact, teams, and individuals.”
There was a 71% increase in the number of brands entering the awards, a reflection of the growing stature of in-house creativity within the wider marketing, advertising and design landscape.
“Even in the past 12 months it is very clear that in-house creative teams have fully arrived and are taking up the space in the creative industry that you have always deserved,“ said Emma.
The awards were launched in 2013 to recognise the unique challenges and opportunities in-house creative teams grapple with. To that end, there are some unusual categories in the mix, developed in order to celebrate the nuance of in-housing. There were categories like ‘Best Collaboration with an External Specialist’ ( won by Generation at Three for their ground-breaking #WeSeeYouLilyParr campaign, in which they collaborated with Territory Studios to bring the record breaking footballer to life) and ‘Best implementation of technology within creative operations’ (won by Xero for their implementation of Canva internally).
The atmosphere was notably different from a typical creative award show too, with the sense of community dialled up to eleven. After all, the Inside Out members are not in direct competition, but they do rely on each other for knowledge-sharing and support.
That community spirit was felt particularly strongly when it came time to present a special award in recognition of one member of the community who died last year. Phil Hobday of Design 102, the UK Government’s in-house agency, was a designer who helped grow the agency from a team of 10 to 68. He was recognised as “the creative force behind many of the UK Government’s most trusted and recognisable communications” and someone who “helped to set the standards for creativity in government communications”.
Craft
These categories focus on assessing a project’s creative excellence, looking beyond surface-level aesthetics to understand how the creative work communicates effectively and leaves a lasting impact.
Recognising the standard of creativity.
Best Visual Design For excellence in visual aesthetics, branding, and cohesive design language.
Merlin Entertainments - Alton Towers: Nemesis Reborn Rebrand
Best Photography/Illustration Highlighting impactful in-house photography in campaigns or branded content.
368 Agency, Deloitte - Pride Postcards - Amplifying LGBTQ + Voices Through
Hand-Illustrated Design
Best Video Production Celebrating the very best in-house video creation, from concept to execution.
Xero - Xero Tap to Pay
Best Motion Graphics/Animation Recognising creativity and technical skill in motion design.
Johnson Controls - Connected TV Ads
Best use of technology in Creative Execution
For innovative creative projects which have made creative use of emerging technologies (e.g., augmented reality, AI, virtual reality, gamification etc)
Generation at Three UK - #WeSeeYou - Lily Parr: An interview 100 years in the making
Impact
These categories evaluate how effectively the creative projects have achieved their intended business goals, focussing on the positive, measurable business impact of an in-house creative team’s work.
Recognising brand and business impact.
Best Campaign
Recognising comprehensive campaigns that align with business objectives and achieve significant business and brand ROI impact.
Johnson Controls – Johnson Controls Weekly Brand Series Ad Campaign
Best Campaign – Highly Commended
NSPCC - Leng or Liar?
Best Brand Transformation
Awarded to teams that have successfully redefined or revitalised a brand, demonstrating measurable shifts in brand perception.
BAE Systems Digital Intelligence Ltd – The Power of Perspective
Best ROI/Results on a limited-budget project
Demonstrate how maximum effectiveness was generated from limited financial and personnel resources. Project budget must be below £10,000.
Flourish, part of Canva -- Refreshing a global data storytelling brand, viewed by millions, with a budget of £10k
Best implementation of technology within Creative Operations
Recognising the best use of technology led by the in-house creative team to drive efficiency and to create improvements and deliver business impact.
Xero – Xero+Canva
Individuals
These categories evaluate the outstanding individuals who impact in-house creative teams.
Recognising outstanding individuals.
In-House Creative Leader of the Year
For a head of an in-house creative team who shows exemplary vision, leadership, team development and contribution.
Merlin Entertainment – Candy Holland, Executive Creative Director, LEGOLAND Resorts and LEGOLAND Discovery Centres
Rising Star Award
This Award is to recognise emerging talent (under five years’ experience) within an in-house creative team. Rewarding those individuals who have demonstrated exceptional skill and potential.
Sky Creative – Amber Skipper, Designer
Creative Champion of the Year
This award honours those who actively advocate for the in-house creative team, ensuring they receive visibility, resources, and support to achieve their best work. This individual champions the team’s value, cultivates opportunities, and fosters a collaborative environment that elevates the team's impact on the organisation.
Johnson Controls – Cait McEnery, Creative Resources Manager
Outstanding Contribution Award
To recognise an individual's contribution to a project or the team. This category is open to anyone within an in-house creative team.
Sainsbury's – Emily Morris, Studio Director
The Inside Out Special Recognition Award
Phil Hobday, Design 102, UK Government
Team
These categories evaluate the vision, collaboration and craft of in-house creative teams, focussing on the unique elements that enable a team to have impact and influence. Recognising contribution and collaboration.
In-House Creative Team of the Year
Celebrating overall excellence, collaboration, and impact of a team on the brand’s success.
Sofology – Breaking the Mould
Best Small In-House Creative Team
For teams of fewer than 10 people that punch above their weight in creative output.
BAE Systems Digital Intelligence – Digital Intelligence Brand and Creative
Best Collaboration with an External Specialist
Recognising partnerships with external specialists to create exceptional outcomes. These partners can provide support in a variety of ways from craft, strategy to production.
Generation at Three UK – #WeSeeYou – Lily Parr: An interview 100 years in the making
Best Collaboration with an External Specialist – Highly Commended
NSPCC - Leng or Liar?
Best Creative Collaboration with Marketing
Recognising a project that exemplifies exceptional collaboration between marketing and creative teams. Celebrating alignment between marketing strategy and creative, leading to business success.
Checkout.com – Transacteroids: The Cosmic Checkout
Best Cross-Functional Team Collaboration
To recognise outstanding collaboration and teamwork between in-house creative teams and departments from product, customer service and Fundraising to HR and Finance.
Payoneer - PAYO20 Borderless Ambition Hackathon
