National Stationery Week is up for the BOSS Award for Campaign of the Year, alongside Pukka Pads, meanwhile ExaClair is on the shortlist for Brand Manufacturer of the Year.
The BOSS Awards recognise and celebrate excellence within the UK business supplies industry. This prestigious event honours individuals and businesses that demonstrate outstanding achievement and innovation.
Among the awards given out at the lavish ceremony at The Eastside Rooms in Birmingham on Thursday 28 November is the award for Campaign of the Year, in which National Stationery Week has been shortlisted.
Since its launch in 2011, National Stationery Week has celebrated stationery in all its forms and campaigned to get more consumers into shops by encouraging people to put pen to paper. For the past couple of years it has taken place in May, coinciding with London Stationery Show. Sarah Laker, owner of Stationery Supplies in Marple and Wilmslow took over the organising of the campaign in 2023 and has brought a renewed energy to the campaign, really focusing on solidifying the bonds between retailers and the amazing stationery brands they stock, as well as the customers they serve.
“I’m so chuffed to have been shortlisted for National Stationery Week in the BOSS Federation awards,” said Sarah. “These are the Oscars of the business supplies industry. This year the whole stationery community including suppliers, retailers and stationery users came together to create a wave of stationery love across the country. The entire campaign is run just by myself and my daughter Molly – and we do it as well as running two retail stationery shops! So to be named in a shortlist that contains huge and respected names like Pukka Pads and Nestle, is nothing short of brilliant. We couldn’t do it without all our fantastic sponsors though. And, of course, I’ve already started planning for next year!”
Adding her endorsement, Jakki Brown, managing director of Max Publishing, which now owns National Stationery Week as well as London Stationery Show said: “Having known the lovely and talented Sarah Laker for many years, when we acquired London Stationery Show and National Stationery Week last year, myself and my co-directors had absolutely no hesitation in her continuing to head up the NSW campaign. Her tenacity and passion for all things stationery knows no bounds! With the plans in place for NSW 2025, awareness and engagement is set to reach new heights.”
Also in the shortlist for Campaign of the Year is Pukka Pads with its Irlen Comfort in Colour campaign – a campaign to promote its Irlen range of products for those with Irlen syndrome and visual perception difficulties. Jessica Stott, e-commerce and marketing director said of the nomination: “It’s an absolute pleasure to be shortlisted for a BOSS Award, especially for a campaign we feel so passionately about. It’s really important to us to continue to create products that help make day-to-day tasks that bit easier, and we’re fortunate enough to have an amazing team to help bring those ideas to life. Good luck to all the other brands and businesses who have been shortlisted also, we can’t wait to celebrate in November!”
Meanwhile, ExaClair Limited, the UK subsidiary of the Exacompta Clairefontaine group, has been shortlisted as a finalist in Brand Manufacturer of the Year award, for its popular Exacompta Aquarel range of premium, sustainable stationery and accessories.
Lawrence Savage, UK marketing manager at ExaClair, comments: “Having identified the potential of the range within the UK retail sector following success across our commercial channels, our initial focus was to boost our customers stationery sales through their webshop portals. By utilising a more collaborative approach alongside our customers, which has involved the development of various national and localised awareness initiatives, we’ve seen a substantial growth of Aquarel products that has subsequently led to a successful drive of in-store listings.
“We are overjoyed to have been nominated for this prestigious award. It is a true testament to the enormous amount of work that the business has put into developing our marketing and category management support as we strive to nurture deeper relationships with our clients.”
