Future announces 2005 Golden Joystick awards

05/04/05 - Future has today announced the appointment of consumer PR and brand consultancy Kazoo as the PR agency for the forthcoming Golden Joystick awards.

The announcement was made as Future continues to gear up for the annual gaming awards ceremony, which takes place this year on Friday, November 4th - at the Park Lane Hotel, Park Lane, London. Future will make further announcements over the coming weeks, revealing a revised range of award categories and the names of the first sponsors on board for this year's event.

Kazoo will work with Future to build on the runaway success of last year's Golden Joystick awards, which received a record-breaking 200,000 votes across 16 categories. The 2004 ceremony also received far-reaching interest across consumer media, thanks to coverage from major media outlets, including The Sun, BBC Radio One and BBC Online.

Briefed with delivering a comprehensive consumer PR campaign, Kazoo will focus on securing high profile media partners across print, radio and TV. Building the Golden Joysticks brand beyond its core audience of the games industry and hardcore gamers, the agency will generate a steady flow of news and features in the national press leading up to the awards ceremony in November.

Adele Pegden, Managing Director of Kazoo said:

"Gaming is such an integral part of contemporary lifestyles, and we are delighted to be working with Future on this year's Golden Joystick awards to deliver a PR campaign that reflects this. Over the next 6 months we will be working to secure some high profile media partners that will ensure awareness beyond a core gaming audience and bringing in a few high profile celebrities to add a touch of glamour, as well as driving news and features around the awards in the wider consumer press."

Emily Ford, Product Manager for Future said:

"Last year's Golden Joysticks were a fantastic success and we are looking forward to pushing things even further in 2005. Kazoo are well-known for their consumer-facing coverage of games and this makes them the ideal PR partner for the event. With their expertise we are looking for more gamers to take part and vote, reaffirming the Golden Joysticks as the only major gaming awards chosen by those who matter - the people who play them."

ENDS

Picture caption

Little Britain's Marjorie Dawes and The Sun girls present Sonic the Hedgehog with the "Ultimate Gaming Hero" award at the 2004 Golden Joystick awards.

About Future

Future plc was founded in the UK in 1985. Today, it publishes over 100 special-interest consumer magazines worldwide with strong portfolios in the computing, games, music, sports, motoring, crafts and leisure sectors. It is the sixth largest magazine publisher in the UK and last year was reported as being the fastest growing US magazine publisher at newsstand. Future employs 1,200 people in offices in the UK, US, Italy and France. Over 100 international editions of Future's magazines are also published under licence in 30 other countries across the world. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange (symbol FUTR).

About Kazoo

Kazoo is a consumer PR and strategic brand consultancy offering a unique mix of media relations, sponsorship and marketing skills. Our expertise covers all areas of youth and contemporary lifestyle with sector experience including entertainment, computer games, online gaming, consumer technology, telecommunications, retail, FMCG, fashion and beauty.

For more information please contact:

Will Guyatt, Communications Department, 01225 822517.

Adele Pegden, Kazoo, 0207 4794310.