Contra Agency Shines at Digital Impact Awards with Double Victory in Education Sector. by Callum Hornigold, Head of Marketing

Contra Agency triumphed at the 2023 Digital Impact Awards, securing Gold and Silver in the fiercely competitive ‘Best Use of Digital in the Education Sector’ category for their work on the NFTS and MetFilm School websites, respectively.

The National Film & Television School (NFTS) approached Contra Agency with the mission to transform its website into a more efficient communication platform while promoting the growth of individual hubs and reducing administrative burdens during the application process.

Contra Agency’s innovative solution was the creation of an ‘intakes’ system that consolidated course information on a single page. This system allowed for customisation based on different times and locations, simplifying the course search process.

The result was an impressive 11% increase in applications, showcasing Contra Agency’s ability to enhance the user experience through artificial intelligence. Judges applauded Contra Agency for maintaining a “clear, golden thread throughout the project,” and praised the website as “a fantastic example of well-considered strategy and execution with users at its heart.”

In addition to their Gold award, Contra Agency also secured a Silver for the redesign and development of MetFilm School’s website. MetFilm School aimed to emphasise the school’s career-focused and personal nature, amplifying its real-world experience-based learning.

The new website featured personal and empowering messaging with film-inspired puns, ultimately leading to a 20% increase in new leads. Judges considered Contra Agency’s work a standout in a highly competitive field, with one judge commending the agency for its “attention to messaging with the audience’s needs and aspirations in mind.”

Contra Agency’s success was especially notable given the formidable competition, which featured strong contenders like Wardour, NUOVO, and Playmobil.

This years awards build upon Con trad Agency’s previous successes in the education sector, where they won Silver and Bronze awards for their work with The Royal Society and Homerton College, University of Cambridge, respectively.

Roberto Ciarleglio, Director at Contra Agency, said: “While these awards are fantastic, I’d like to recognise that they are also a testament to the hard work and dedication the NFTS and MetFilm teams put in. Both were a joy to collaborate with and they should be proud of their roles and achievements in driving the website builds to completion.”