A design company in Huddersfield has completed an awards double.
The Engine Room, based at the Media Centre in Northumberland Street, was presented with its second consecutive Design Effectiveness Award in London.
The trophy was awarded for the 2012 rebrand for national budget gym chain Xercise4Less.
The project, which contributed to an increase in turnover of 120% in just six months, supported Xercise4Less in positioning its brand alongside supermarket giant Tesco in a recent deal which saw the award-winning chain open its first gym within a Tesco store.
Jon Wright, chief executive officer at Xercise4Less said, “We didn’t anticipate the new brand making an impact so quickly.
“Our new membership sign ups grew on an average of 70% within the first year of rolling out the new brand and we are now projecting for over one hundred clubs to be open across the UK by 2016.”
The trophy was presented to Mr Wright and the Engine Room team at the annual Design Effectiveness Awards, hosted by the Design Business Association (DBA) and held at the Tobacco Dock in London
The DBA is the trade association for design in the UK that builds the bridge between designers and businesses.
The awards use commercial data as key judging criteria and aim to set the gold standard for commercial success within the design industry.
The ceremony, hosted by BBC Radio 4’s Simon Jack, saw hundreds of the top design heads from across the world that came together to celebrate these impacts, recognising award-winning projects from a range of successful sectors across the UK.
The Engine Room, which has won three new client contacts and already taken on an additional two staff in 2014, saw a significant growth during 2012-2013.
Darren Evans, design director said, “The Design Effectiveness Awards really is a benchmark for us now.
“We want to give our clients more than just good design; we want to give them great design, which delivers real results that can be clearly measured.
“Xercise4Less hase shot to success with a brand which clearly communicates to the consumer and finally gives them a real positioning in the market.”
As aresult of the strong brand bringing the gym chain to life, it has been referred to as “The People’s Gym” – a tag that has stuck and is continuing to help differentiate the brand in a very competitive market.
Other award-winning projects at the event includes ones for major brands Gressingham Foods, Ocado and Marks & Spencer.
The Engine Room Design won its first Design Effectives Award in 2013 for a rebrand for a local accountancy firm.
