A Huddersfield creative agency has helped a hotel group win a national award.

Best Western GB took the top accolade for a consumer-facing direct marketing campaign in the Direct Marketing Association Awards.

The “Happiness is…” campaign was created by the Sharp agency, which has offices at Bates Mill, Colne Road. The campaign was launched last winter with the aim of increasing winter bookings at Best Western GB’s 284 properties in a climate of austerity.

Rather than focusing on a discount, the campaign promoted the emotive reasons behind consumers being motivated to book a UK break. In collaboration with the Best Western marketing team, Sharp’s creative campaign delivered a bookings increase of 105% year-on-year.

Best Western GB chief executive Richard Lewis said: “We are extremely pleased to have gained recognition for our efforts in conjunction with our creative agency Sharp.”

Sharp creative director Richard Sharp said: “The Direct Marketing Association awards are the pinnacle of recognition for the direct marketing industry in the UK and we are delighted to have won the gold award for our work. Our work stood out against world-renowned agencies, which is a testament to the team’s dedication to getting fantastic results for our clients which go above and beyond the brief.”