In what is becoming a frequent blog post, the ‘Start Thinking Soldier’ campaign has picked up yet more trophies.

Firstly, at the prestigious FITC (Flash in the Can) Awards, where it was rewarded for Best Flash Motion Graphics. Skive’s very own Dan ‘Greyskull’ Bradshaw and Stephen ‘Penfold’ Archer were on hand to collect the distinctive prize in Toronto, and evidently celebrated with a few cold ones afterwards. The full roster of award-winners is here.

The project also picked up a Silver in the AME (Advertising & Marketing Effectiveness) Awards for Best Integrated Campaign, and has been shortlisted at the D&AD Awards for a gold pencil in the Integrated category. Fingers crossed.

At the Revolution Awards last Thursday night a slightly stunned Skive were thrilled to take home Best Integrated Campaign for ‘Start Thinking Soldier’.

We’d been nominated in four categories, the others being Best B2C Campaign, Best Website, and Best Use of Video – and to be honest thought we had a much better chance in those than the hotly contested Integrated Campaign, which featured a shortlist of 7 including work from CHI, Dare and AKQA, as well as T-Mobile and ComparetheMeerkat.com.

It was fitting to be there with the creative team from Publicis Modem, Jon Groom and Asan Aslam, who were integral to appointing us and whom we’d first met some 18 months previously - as well as client Nic Cary from the COI.

It was also pleasing recognition on the back of winning an IAB Creative Showcase Grand Prix, for Most Innovative Campaign. Next up for the Start Thinking Soldier Awards Rollercoaster: FITC in Toronto…

Start Thinking Soldier has picked up a few more trophies – this time at the Creative Circle Awards, where it won Bronze honours for Best Viral Marketing and Best Multimedia Campaign.

In above the line categories, it also won a Bronze Best Press Ad for ‘Football’ and a Silver Best Public Service Ad for ‘Girlfriend’ and a handful of commendations, so congratulations to the creative team of Matt Anderson and Steve Nicholls of Publicis, who were also responsible for the four TVCs.

2010 is well underway and we’ve already  picked up our first trophies for the cabinet in the shape of the Recruitment Advertising Awards, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel and hosted by the ubiquitous Michael McIntyre.

The night started well and just got better, with Start Thinking Soldier picking up Best Campaign – just as Publicis’ Mel Hopkins needed the loo.

This was soon followed by Best Microsite, where Skive’s Louis Clement and Hopkins were joined on the stage by the COI’s Nic Cary.

Best was yet to come, however, as the campaign picked up Best Work of the year, and McIntyre was mobbed on stage by a jubilant Skive team.

It wouldn’t be a Skive Night Out without some glorious mishap, however, and while most turned up to work the next day with a sore head, there was alas no sign of the statues themselves. Turns out we’d left them in a sack at the hotel…

Skive's Louis Clement and Publicis Modem's David Prideaux grapple over a BIMA while posing for the cameras

Team Skive enjoyed a big night out in Camden last Thursday at the BIMAs, held this year at Koko.

Together with Publicis Modem, we picked up 2 awards from a possible 7 for Start Thinking Soldier, including Best Interactive Advertising and Best Advergame – and later found out we were within a whisker of the coveted Grand Prix, which ended up going to Philips Cinema 21:9.

Matt Stafford keeps the paparazzi at bay with his crutches while Jon Groom, Asan Aslam and Jim Hall reap the applause

The agency took a whopping 16 Skivers to the event, showing the scale of the project and the sheer number of people involved, and a good night was had by all – not least when beatbox wizard Beardyman took to the stage and jolted the audience awake with his ‘verbal hellfire’.

We were chuffed to see Mission 1 of Start Thinking Soldier announced as the winner of May’s IAB Creative Showcase, awarded by none other than Flo Heiss of Dare.

It beat Tribal’s GTI Project for VW, which is certainly a nifty piece of work.

Hopefully this is an indication of more awards to come – especially as Mission 2 is even better than its predecessor.