Birks, Canada’s leading luxury, fine jewelry brand since 1879, has been prized with the prestigious Brand of the Year Award from the 2018 World Branding Award Ceremony. The gala took place at the Plaza Hotel in New York City on July 19. This is the first Brand of the Year Award that Birks has received.
The prestigious World Branding Award Ceremony is the premier recognition program of the UK-based World Branding Forum. The annual event is the ultimate global brand recognition accolade, and evaluates brands from around the world.
“As one of the biggest events for brands around the world, it is truly an honour to be nominated for such a prominent award,” said Jean-Christophe Bédos, president and CEO of Birks Group. “This award is a true testament to the hard work our team has put into our brand development. We are thrilled with the response we have received and we look forward to growing the success of Birks moving forward.”
The judging process involves a three-step procedure: brand evaluation, public online voting and consumer market research. Birks was the only brand to receive the award in the ‘Retail Jewelry’ category, surpassing the impressive competition for its dedication and passion behind the fine jewelry brand.
“As we continue to deliver on our strategic objective of growing the Birks brand into a global reference, a focus on the launch of our new collections is underway with a continual emphasis on the self-purchasing female consumer,” said Eva Hartling, VP of Brand Management, as well as chief marketing officer at Birks Group. “We are delighted to see the positive response from consumers so far, including through the Brand of the Year award,” she added.
Birks’ 2018 brand advertising campaign focuses on the message of empowerment through a trio of strong Canadian women. The all-female team created the perfect ‘Canadian Rhapsody’, also the campaign’s tagline, speaking to the modern mindset of self-purchasing women. The black and white images and digital video content highlight the influence of independent women who have found international success, while underlining the symbolic power that the right jewelry can bring to its wearer. The global campaign appears in markets where Birks currently does business, including Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.
