Barley Communications and Leadenhall Market have been recognised with the Communications and Marketing Award at the 2025 Innovation Excellence Awards, hosted by The Stationers’ Company.
The award celebrates the success of Revitalising a heritage brand: Bringing the markets back to Leadenhall — a campaign that reintroduced weekend market trading to the historic Leadenhall Market after a 40-year hiatus.
Working in partnership with the City of London Corporation, Barley led the strategic delivery of 13 Weekend Markets, transforming the Victorian landmark into a vibrant destination for culture, commerce and community. The campaign successfully addressed the challenge of low weekend footfall in the Square Mile by blending heritage storytelling with contemporary marketing, creating new reasons for Londoners, tourists and families to visit.
Through integrated communications — from strategic PR and influencer engagement to striking social media content — the campaign achieved a 109% year-on-year increase in weekend visitors and 150% growth in tenant turnover. It also delivered more than 684 million opportunities to see across media coverage, an 181% increase in followers on Leadenhall’s social channels, and the introduction of eight new tenants.
The revitalisation of Leadenhall Market has redefined how historic spaces can connect with modern audiences. By reimagining the market as a dynamic, inclusive and sustainable cultural hub, the campaign has set a new benchmark for place-based innovation in the City of London.
You can read more about the awards here.