In October 2026, some of the Umpf team travelled to Budapest to attend The Solal Awards 2026, the global scheme recognising excellence in marketing within the retail, leisure, and destination sectors.
One of 127 shortlisted entries from 18 countries, we’re delighted that our Wonder Wall activation for St David’s Cardiff was awarded a Silver in The Solal Awards’ Best Placemaking Category.
The judges called The Wonder Wall “an extraordinarily creative, innovative and brilliantly executed project that demonstrated how leveraging a major pop culture event can generate spectacular marketing results”.
The trophy rounds off an already-impressive awards run for The Wonder Wall activation, including:
- Best Marketing Campaign win at the 2025 Revo Awards
- Three PRmoment Awards including PR Stunt of the Year
- A CIPR Excellence Award for Best Beauty, Fashion, and Lifestyle Campaign
The Solal Awards are considered the gold standard accolade within the industry, so it’s an honour to have our work named among this year’s winners – one of just two UK entries awarded in 2026.
Additional comments from the judges include: “…The project stood out for its fresh approach to placemaking, going beyond traditional references to local identity or community initiatives.”
“The judges emphasised that The Wonder Wall became part of a broader cultural story rather than simply a marketing activity leveraging the band’s popularity.”
“Another important strength was the lasting nature of its impact. The installation remained in the centre significantly longer than originally planned, becoming a recognisable meeting point and photo opportunity. In the jury’s opinion, this confirmed that the project went beyond a one-off event and created an attractive feature within the space that visitors wanted to return to.”
We knew the Wonder Wall campaign was something special, driving footfall for St David’s Cardiff and generating headlines around the world, but some might say it’s the cherry on top to see our work continue to resonate with judges and peers well over a year since its launch.
Read more about this year’s winners this year on The Solal Awards’ website.
Find out more about Umpf’s 80+ awards.
