Langley Castle Scoops Gold at Prestigious PR Awards

Langley Castle Hotel based near Haydon Bridge in the Lower Tyne Valley and its PR agency, Catapult PR, have won a coveted PRmoment Award, scooping the Culture, Media, Sport and Travel Marketing Communications Campaign of the Year gold award.

The judges were wowed for the PR campaign conducted between February 2020 and February 2021, which covered everything from a national press story about a ghostly mix-up at the castle, to thought-leadership messaging that resulted in Langley Castle becoming the ‘poster boy’ of the Government’s official staycation campaign.

The creative campaign also included the devising of the world’s first Bubble Wedding, Pooch Smooches for Covid-compliant check-ins for canine visitors, the launch of a Tales of Langley Bear podcast and charming children’s story, coverage generated around I’m a Celebrity’s link to castles and a concept soon to be revealed.

The judges commented on the campaign, ‘Loving Langley During Lockdowns’, which saw off competition from shortlisted organisations or agencies in Aberdeen, Belfast and Yorkshire, by saying: "This shows the power of a true PR approach, reverting to creative, timely media hooks in difficult circumstances." 

The campaign was also shortlisted and a runner-up for the Media Relations award.  The organisers commented that to be shortlisted for these awards was “tough” and to win is a “massive achievement”, having received hundreds of entries and not shortlisted some of the UK’s largest agencies and organisations.

Langley Castle and Catapult PR now hope this is the start of an awards roll for 2021, having already swept to glory in the Northern Marketing Awards in November 2020.  

The campaign was also a finalist for one of the highest accolades in the PR industry – a national CIPR Excellence Award from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, in the category of Best Travel, Leisure and Tourism Campaign’.  Whilst the campaign was just pipped by one for EasyJet, Catapult PR took home two other CIPR Excellence Awards.

On June 29, Langley Castle will also be in contention for a PRCA DARE Award, in the Best Low Budget campaign category.  

The awards success highlights the power of positivity and the adaptations that the castle made, when having to operate under lockdown conditions.  Finding creative ways to keep generating national headlines throughout the year – and  since – enabled the campaign to stand apart, especially when the hotel was closed for much of this period.

Langley Castle’s executive general manager, Margaret Livingstone-Evans, says: “This award win has given a big lift to the team and will enable us to further promote the castle and demonstrate that we may have a medieval heritage, but we also have a very dynamic and go-ahead 21st century approach.  

“We have a very exciting initiative to reveal over the next few weeks, so watch this space!”

More information about the castle can be found at www.langleycastle.co.uk or by calling 01434 688888.                                                                                                           

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Editors notes

Langley Castle, built in 1350, is located in Langley-on-Tyne, Northumberland and is one of the few authentic, fortified medieval castles in England. It has a rich history, with strong links to Jacobite rebellions, is located just a stone's throw from the World Heritage Site of Hadrian's Wall and boasts features including battlements, seven-feet-thick walls, window seats set into the walls and the best example of medieval garderobes in Europe. It is one of the most exquisite wedding venues in the north and also offers a wide range of options when it comes to exclusive use, with the castle being available for weddings, family celebrations, Bar Mitzvahs and Bat Mitzvahs, D&D-style events and a wide variety of corporate functions.