Urban Splash accepted the award at a ceremony organised by trade magazine Estates Gazette in partnership with The Chartered Surveyors Company in London. The award recognises the innovative marketing campaign employed by the company to raise awareness of the Urban Splash brand in Leeds and to promote Saxton, its first development in the city during the run up to the first public sales launch.

It is the second award this year for Urban Splash's Saxton promotional campaign. It scooped Best Marketing Campaign at the Yorkshire Property Awards in February.

The campaign involved 11 designed gnomes which appeared in bars, theatres and restaurants around the city transmitting bluetooth messages about Saxton's unique selling points, such as its allotments and what are thought to be the largest landscaped gardens of any UK city centre development.

Along with the two-foot gnomes, a life-sized blue allotment shed complete with giant vegetables and white picket fence appeared in various public areas, accompanied by a fly poster campaign throughout the city and the surrounding area. The judges praised the campaign as "a fresh, vibrant and humourous campaign that made its green message abundantly clear and was spot on with its audience targeting".

Simon Gawthorpe, managing director for Urban Splash Yorkshire, said: "It is wonderful to receive further recognition for what was a hugely successful campaign that contributed to the first phase of the development selling out.

"The scheme is coming on brilliantly – we are really starting to see it taking shape. We are now taking registrations for the second phase."

Saxton is a 410-unit development, regenerating two ex-council blocks on the Eastbank of Leeds and will have a wealth of green space including large landscaped gardens, a meadow, an orchard and 27 allotments which will be available to purchasers and members of the surrounding existing community.