Not only that, THE FIFTH TALENT’s creator Tasha Bailey also won Health and Wellbeing creator of the year. If you don’t follow her already, Tasha is a qualified therapist and creator who uses her Instagram platform to talk about all things mental health, anxiety and wellness.

Bringing a modern and intersectional perspective to the topic of wellness, Tasha openly reflects on her experiences as a Black British, plus-size woman navigating a field which lacks diversity. Tasha is passionate about systemic change for mental health and intersectionality, and enjoys working closely with brands to encourage this. As a qualified creative psychotherapist, she brings her expert knowledge to the social media space in a “real talk” way.

Congratulations to the Fenty Beauty team, to Tasha and to all nominees. What a night!

“Cannes confirmed what we have long known” explained THE FIFTH’s CEO Oliver Lewis, continuing, “creators will shape the future of creativity, disrupting traditional advertising as their cultural role strengthens across both real world and virtual”.

The IMAs mission is to ‘reward individuals, teams and campaigns that have pushed boundaries, and above all delivered excellence across the board during the last 12 months’.

The awards, which were first established in 2018, span the breadth and depth of influencer marketing and the creator economy, and much like the industry, are constantly evolving.

Excitingly, The Fifth are shortlisted for every category entered and the categories and campaigns are as follows:

Best Cause-Led Campaign – THE FIFTH x YouTube Originals: Pride
Best Cause-Led Campaign – THE FIFTH x YouTube Originals X Don’t Panic: Seat at the Table
Best Food and Drink Campaign – THE FIFTH x Slim Chickens #ChickenOut
Best Use of YouTube – THE FIFTH x YouTube Originals: Pride
Best Large Influencer Marketing Agency – The Fifth
Best Team in Influencer Marketing – The Fifth

There is an international jury of experts and peers debating and determining who will take home gold, silver and bronze awards and we’re looking forward to the in-person awards ceremony that will be taking place in June at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in London.

Congratulations to everybody shortlisted.

To view the IMA shortlist in full, click here.

To manage this growth, The Fifth is restructuring its management team and we’re delighted to announce a series of key internal promotions:

Oliver Lewis, currently founder and MD, will become CEO and will lead the business across all markets and will be focussed on expansion into the US as well as the evolution of revenue streams within the booming creator economy.

Director of Operations and Marketing Jess Markwood will become COO to deliver the company’s strategic vision and 3 year growth plan, whilst helping shape a successful, diverse and rewarding culture for the agency.

Sam Coleman, currently Commercial Director, will become The Fifth’s Managing Director EMEA. Sam will lead the Fifth Agency in the UK and client services growth across the EMEA region.

All three will be supported by an expanded SLT including Katie Wallwork who continues to lead the award winning Fifth Talent business and Creative Director Candice Green.

Hayley Harrison, currently PA to Oliver Lewis and Campaign Manager, will also become EA to Oliver Lewis and PA to both Sam Coleman and Jess Markwood.

Olly Lewis, CEO of The Fifth, said: “Over the last 12 months we have continued to grow the business in line with our clients needs but we plan to double the size of the agency over the next six months. 

“As a result, it’s vital that our management team is structured to cater for that level of growth.  With fresh backing from News UK we’re in a position to turbocharge our expansion both domestically and internationally. 

“We’ve seen a fundamental shift in influencer marketing in the last couple of years as the industry matures and takes its place as an established part of the marketing mix. 

“Our mission to both professionalise and lead this space into the creative realm where we feel it belongs has positioned us well with major brands who are now investing significantly.  They want a trusted, transparent and forward thinking agency partner to support their influencer strategy and that’s what The Fifth delivers.”

To help take us to the next level, we’re hiring for a number of roles both here and in the US. 

We’re looking for talented, diverse and passionate people to join our vibrant team and help elevate the creative output of the agency. 

If you think that’s you, then find out more and apply here.

Often used in a negative way, the term ‘chickening out’ is used to poke fun at a person who is nervous, timid or afraid of doing something. Turning this on its head, we decided to try something a little different. 

Using Slims’ classic Southern hospitality paired with an uplifting comedic tone of voice, we created a go-to-guide – a chicken’s checklist if you wish – to actually empower and encourage fans to cancel their plans, and enjoy their new-found free time in the safety of their local Slims outlet.

We brought to life Slims’ go-to-guide with the help of three influencer talent, each chosen for their incredible script writing, energy, and comedic timing. This helped them stand out from the rest of the Christmas noise and be our go-to leaders to inspire and empower our Chickens to take part in festive tranquility.

Once we’d enlisted the help of our Chicken leaders, we briefed them to create a series of hilarious and relatable festive skits, taking over our fan’s Instagram and TikTok feeds with “you-do-you hen” messaging, highlighting Slims locations as being the place where you can achieve the #ChickenOut sense of inner peace.

Our #ChickenOut messaging was extended to Slim’s other marketing channels, allowing us to scale our campaign even further and take the influencer campaign to new levels – championing the voices of our talent and turning them from festive sheep into true Chickens. 

Lastly, we broke the fourth wall between consumer and the digital world by elevating the reach of the campaign, and extending the influence of our talent, into the non-digital world through out of home (OOH) billboards – spreading the message of #ChickenOut to the masses and growing our audience in the process. 

Partnering with Ocean Outdoor, we leveled up our campaign using OOH as the perfect way to distribute our messaging to a wider audience, signposting Slim Chickens’ nearby new store in Nottingham, while keeping in line with the campaign tone of voice. This helped break out of the traditional viewership our social talent usually experience, and also tied in nicely with one of our objectives of increasing brand awareness. 

We wanted to create synonymy between the digital and OOH elements, and so featured one of our influencers on the billboard alongside the messaging itself. This enabled us to tie all of the different parts together to deliver a real 360 campaign.

All our content was created to inspire our Chickens to put themselves and their mental-wellbeing first this Christmas. And each video always ended with a delicious and mouth-watering chicken-filled shot of their delicious restaurant offerings.

Our campaign showed our audience that the best way to put themselves first this Christmas was to take pride in doing what makes you happy. Eat at Slims. And, of course, #ChickenOut of any plans you want. 

Can you describe yourself in a sentence or two for us?

I think I am a very hard working, creative and family oriented person. 

What was your dream job growing up?

Ever since I was a child I have been interested in media, and having been captivated by the magic of films and television, I think I definitely wanted to work in the Film and TV industries. I slowly started expanding my knowledge of media at school and at university, which made me love marketing, and more specifically influencer marketing.

Can you describe yourself in a sentence or two for us?

I would describe myself as an ambitious dreamer and a highly dedicated individual. I think in every stage of my life and in all my experiences I have always given my all and worked hard to succeed – and even if I did fail, I would always take on board the lesson learned and structure it to fit my next adventure.

What was your dream job growing up?

I had a slight obsession with Ugly Betty when I was younger, in particular Wilhelmina Slater, and dreamed of working for a fashion magazine. I collected Vogue, Marie Claire, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar magazines and loved reading the celeb stories, latest fashion trends or beauty tips. I really wanted to become Anna Wintour’s protégé and then obviously take over from her as Editor and Chief!

What are the aims of the IMTB?

Accountability

All members are bound by our Code of Conduct, Memorandum of Association and bye-laws to protect our clients and promote the reputation of our industry to society at large. 

Governance

The IMTB is overseen by a Board of Management. Comprised of senior industry leaders, the Board ensures that the IMTB operates in the best interests of its members, the industry and society at large. 

Unified voice

We consult with our members to ensure they are heard and represented. We then define and articulate that unified voice to politicians, policymakers, publications, and the public.

Sharing best practice

We seek to strengthen relationships with educators, adjacent industry bodies and regulators to share industry best practice.

We are so excited that the influencer marketing industry is coming together to make a change and we’re looking forward to forging a closer tie with regulators and working to ensure we are a fairer, more respectful and inclusive space for creators. 

Find out more via the IMTB website. 

This year, we were delighted to take home two awards. We won Bronze for Most Effective Campaign on a Small Budget for our successful campaign with Square, as well as Bronze for Best Large Influencer Marketing Agency.

Our campaign with Square saw us collaborate with digitally savvy SME owners and entrepreneurs Peony Vintage, Natalie Glaze, Saint Aymes and Vix Meldrew.

As an agency that has only been around for two years, we were delighted to be recognised an influencer agency making a difference in the industry.

As always, a huge congratulations to The Fifth team for their hard work – especially over the last 12 months. These awards wouldn’t be possible without them and their dedication to providing clients with the best possible campaigns.

And of course a big congratulations to all of the other winners. What a year it’s been for influencer marketing!

As if that wasn’t enough, The Fifth Talent’s creators Nicole Ocran, who is a writer and co-founder of The Creator Union, and sustainability consultant and creative director Emma Slade Edmondson also won the Podcast of the Year Award. Their Mixed Up podcast is for mixed race people everywhere and for anyone looking into a deeper insight on race and identity.

They say “the show is about straddling two worlds and multiple identities. Now more than ever, it feels like people of mixed heritage are seeking out their space to talk about their lived experiences. But despite searching, we could find very little to relate to. We decided to make something we would have appreciated hearing’.

A big congratulations to all of the Blogosphere Awards winners and nominees.

Founded in 2018, The Fifth is an influencer marketing agency on a mission to do things differently, putting storytellers at the heart of its brand client’s advertising. Following its well-deserved success in the Business Elite Awards 2021, we caught up with Oliver Lewis to find out more.

Based in London, The Fifth invest the time to truly understand its client’s challenges and objectives to build long-term strategic partnerships for the brands it works with. Through a personal and tailored service, the firm help brands navigate the complexity of influencer marketing. To begin, Oliver provides a brief overview of the firm and offers more insight into its clientele.

“Here at The Fifth our team of social media strategists, talent experts and creatives lead with storytelling to put influential talent at the heart of advertising for some of the world’s most recognised global brands. Since launching, we’ve had the pleasure of working alongside the likes of Disney, TAG Heuer, Boots, Kendo Brands, Sky Sports, Square and bareMinerals, delivering outstanding results along the way. Last year, under The Fifth Group, we launched The Fifth Talent, a talent management business now commercially representing a roster of the country’s most exciting creators, artists, journalists and mainstream talent who all stand for a purpose and positive action.”

Competing in the marketing world can often be a very challenging experience, however as Oliver goes on to explain, the firm’s client approach and ability to maintain high standards has allowed the firm to stand out from the closest competition.

“Currently, influencer marketing is pivoting away from media into a creative space and we consider ourselves as much the storytellers and creatives as the talent we work with. Together, we want to create award winning work that can transcend social platforms and in turn elevate influencer marketing into a respected and creative omnichannel solution. To succeed and stand out from others in the industry we are professional and transparent at all times, while meeting the standards expected.”

Since its establishment, employees have played a crucial role in the success of the firm.

“The passion, expertise and shared values of our brilliant team have proved to be hugely significant factors in our journey” Oliver highlights “As a small business, it’s so important that everyone feels empowered to break down silos and work outside of their core roles to help achieve client or business goals. In this regard, we give all our staff the opportunity to express themselves in our environment.”

Despite the outbreak of COVID-19, the pandemic has only accelerated innovation for the firm, as Oliver elaborates further.

“COVID-19 has in fact accelerated our space, shining a light on positive influencers and as a result influencer marketing has taken a series of leaps in its evolution over the last year. It has expedited the channel towards purpose-driven marketing and propelled digital creators and talent into the mainstream consciousness as much as it has into the creative void left by exposed production crews. As consumers in this time of crisis, we’re turning more than ever to our communities and to those voices who add value to our lives. To those creating compelling content which entertains, supports, drives conversations, and nurtures communities, think Joe Wicks, Dr Alex, or Marcus Rashford. All of these have used their influence for good, and in turn brands have been turning to influencers through this crisis to help them to humanise their brands and give them an authentic voice.”

Bringing the interview to a close, Oliver discusses the firm’s approach to recruitment before outlining some of the exciting plans the team at The Firth have in store for 2021 and beyond.

“When it comes to recruitment, we are always striving to create the most culturally diverse team to help us to understand all cultures within our society. By doing so, our staff feel like they can be themselves at work and help our clients to connect with and speak to broader audiences. Moving forward, we will continue to grow the business in line with the market and increasing client demands. Furthermore, it is our hope that 2021 will be a year of expanding our operations into new markets!”

The campaign reached 1.2 million consumers and had 121,000 engagements, delivering on all KPIs and driving positive sentiment for HUN Wines. 

Mark Woollard, Co-founder and CEO of HUN Wines comments: “We were delighted to be offered the opportunity to be the first brand to use The Fifth and Storyful’s new measurement tool. The comprehensive metrics will allow us to evaluate how well aligned the selected influencers are to our strategic aims to then enhance future campaigns.” 

Oliver Lewis, Group MD and Founder of The Fifth, added “As the market grows exponentially, this tool will be invaluable in enabling brands to navigate the space and connect with the right influencers. When combined with our premium influencer discovery and management service, it gives clients an in-depth examination of how each carefully selected influencer performed in a campaign, far beyond impressions or reach.”

Dara Healy, Executive Director of Intelligence at Storyful concluded: “We have long considered the role of influence in the new information environment. Out of this work came Storyful’s Cosmos tool, which maps digital communities and the interconnections within those communities to analyse influence and information flows between individuals. Our collaboration with The Fifth has been built around Cosmos and the result is an accurate assessment for each influencer.”

We decided to choose an exciting, diverse and ‘genreless’ line-up that we thought best captures the exciting sounds in the UK music scene right now. It was such a pleasure to work with Kimbo, Babeheaven, Cheryll and Ella Grace.

Nobody in the room had heard live music for almost a year. When each artist took to the stage and made their first noise, it was electric. It was like experiencing live music again for the first time, in a new and bizarre intra-Covid safe zone, but the way my body reacted was familiar; the goosebumps hugged the back of my neck like an old friend. 

To see all of the exclusive performances and interviews with the emerging artists, check out our Youtube channel and subscribe here.

If you represent any up and coming artists or are a brand looking for sponsorship, we’d love to hear from you. 

Thanks to my team at The Fifth and extended fam at WhyNow. The artists, Babeheaven, Cheryll, Ella Grace and Kimbo for being superstars. The presenters Arielle Free and Jake Denton. To the Shoreditch Studios team. Becky and Millie at UROK Management, Emma at Your Army, Charlotte at Kobalt, James at Red Light Management, Pip at Friends Vs Music, Jason at Developing Sounds, Ace at Starseed Entertainment. Lighting Designer – Jamie Corbidge, set by Lucie Brooks Butler. Lighting supplier – Dave at Storm Ltd, Sound suppliers – Robin at Capital Sound and Luther at SSE Audio and Cover it Up.