The Marketing Act of the Year award proves that a great idea is of little use if no one ever hears about it. Whether it is an eye-catching campaign, a powerful visual, or a project that sparks lively conversation – this category is dedicated to those who know how to capture attention and deliver a message effectively. The Marketing Act of the Year combines creativity, purpose, and impact, leaving a lasting impression on people even after hours of scrolling. This vision is shared by La Ecwador and Hyatt Place Tallinn, who proudly stepped up to support this year’s winner.
“I truly hope that thanks to this campaign, we will see more and more hedgehog-friendly gardens across Estonia, including fences with small openings for hedgehogs, which we call ‘hedgehog gates’.” Driven by this exact vision, the title for this year’s most impactful marketing achievement was claimed by “The Hedgehog-Friendly Tartu,” a project that seamlessly bridged science-based nature conservation and marketing. With its clever approach, the project made headlines across nearly every major Estonian media outlet, gaining prominent coverage on the evening news Aktuaalne kaamera and the radio show Huvitaja. The initiative called upon the residents of Tartu to make their gardens more hedgehog-friendly by installing “hedgehog gates” – small openings in fences that allow the Animal of the Year to move more freely and safely through the urban environment.
The undisputed highlight of the campaign was the “hedgehog gate” signs, which residents could pick up free of charge from the Tartu Town Hall information centre. When placed next to a hedgehog gate, the sign transformed a simple opening in a fence into a meaningful statement, explaining its purpose to passersby. In this way, a practical grassroots solution evolved into a highly visible, city-wide awareness campaign. It was these very signs that first captured the interest of both the media and the public, becoming the most recognizable symbol of the campaign with a clear message: everyone can contribute to supporting urban nature and biodiversity.
