Everybody’s amped about the AAAs.
Not just because it was the most anticipated night of the year for the Buffalo advertising community, but because it was truly electric. (Watch your step near that Tesla coil).
Our fearless leader, AAF Buffalo President, Lindsay Neilson, put it best: “This was a year unlike any other show we’ve done before.” But it was also one of the more rewarding ones we’ve put together. With so many of our Buffalo agencies getting involved this year, this truly felt like a show for – and by – everyone in our ad community.
And what a brilliant, dazzling, radiant, additional-electrical-adjectives-looking community it is. If you haven’t seen the photos or the slow motion video from that night, check ‘em out. Y’all look positively conductive.
The night began with a greeting from Edison and his candy-filled light bulbs – such a bright idea. We had some supercharged snacks, buzzy bevvies, and a slow motion glambot wired to capture the energy of the night. Everything from the decor to the show reels to the fits, food, and Saxman Slim made for a night to remember.
We recognized an up-and-coming whippersnapper in Sean Donovan for our Future Star Award. Our Joe Crowley Award for Service went to Chelsea Carney – whose dedication to the board is unmatched. Riveter Design brought home the Mosaic Award for everything they bring to not only the advertising community but our community at large. And we honored the incomparable Tricia Barret of Crowley Webb with the highly coveted Levy-Osborn award for Excellence in Communication for being the ad badass she is.
And the honors for Crowley Webb didn’t stop there as they also took home the Best of Show for the Highmark Stadium Talegate Trailer! Congrats to them – and everyone – for their achievements. The Martin Group took home a show-topping 53 awards as well as being a Best of Show Finalist for their Health Lives Here campaign. Rounding out the finalists was Stronghold Studio for the supercool Listening Bar Branding. And congrats to Henny Zack from Villa Maria for taking home Student Best of Show!
We had five judges from across the country evaluate 477 professional entries. They had a ton of glowing things to say about the craft here in the Electric City so our thanks go out to Chris, Amy, Eva, David, and Mick. You were all thoughtful and purposeful in your judging and discussions – we were lucky to have you.
The thanks continue though, as we could not have put on such a stunning event without the help of Crowley Webb for tackling the show reels, Farm for their killer showbook, Agency 15 for making all the social and comms look effortless, dPost for the intro, gallery reels, and slow mo booth, Riveter for kicking off the Entries for All initiative, Frank Coppola for his mother-fluxing decor, Mr. Smith and In-Room Plus for their help in developing the kickoff and branding elements, and of course all the board members that made the evening possible: special shoutouts to my stellar co-chair Hailey for tackling her first year as AAA co-chair like an experienced vet, to Lindsay for keeping this train of insanity on the rails, and to Mike, Kit, and Devan for their endless support in keeping this thing on budget and on brand.
And an extra special thanks to our host, Electric City, and our sponsors NBC Universal, AI Digital, and Digital Table Advertising. This show could not have happened without you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Cheers, all. Thanks to you all for coming out and making our 2025 AAAs absolutely voltaic. (That’s a word, right?)
For those not intimately familiar with the advertising industry, it can often be a puzzle. What exactly does a project manager or an account manager do? And what’s the role of an account executive? The creative department, with its myriad of titles, can be equally perplexing. For instance, what does a creative director even do anyway? In our panel discussion, the experts shed light on these roles and their day-to-day activities. But they didn’t stop there. They delved into various topics, from Buffalo’s unique advertising culture to Delaware Blue Hens 
Outside these topics, the panelists discussed:
Before we get into the whole “camp” of it all, we just gotta say: the dedication and passion from everyone who put this show together was nothing short of inspiring. Oftentimes in our industry, things can get cliquey and competitive, politics get in the way of partnerships… it’s a thing. We get it. It happens. And yes, 
Crowley Webb
(and it’s worth mentioning again… this show would not have happened without the massive support and guidance from 
The 2023-2024 club year is in full force and this year’s Annual Meeting was held at one of our favorite locations, Big Ditch Brewing. 
By the end of the night we raised $3,800! All of the tips went directly to the AAF Buffalo scholarship fund and will be used to support high school and college students interested in continuing their studies in advertising.
Huge shout out to the participating companies for lending their bartending talents for the night and adding their own personal touches to the open bar.
Buffalo Prep Day kicked off Wednesday, 8/9 with 13 students from Buffalo Prep touring local agencies. The Martin Group was the first stop on the list, where the students enjoyed some breakfast and got to know some members of the agency. They heard from TMG’s creative director who spoke to them about a PUMA x Footlocker campaign that the agency worked on a while back. The students were filled with curiosity of what it’s like to work at an agency and had a variety of insightful questions.
Next stop, just on the other side of Shea’s, dPost welcomed the kids from Buff Prep and took them on a tour of the post facilities and our studio spaces. They were engaged, asked all the right questions and champed at the bit to dive into the workshops we set up. They sprinkled shredded paper in slow motion, dressed a set, and talked gear before heading to our green room to break down some of our favorite projects. They were hungry for lunch but even hungrier to learn. Still, we know better than to get between teenagers and pizza so onto Crowley Webb for a lunch ‘n learn!
To end the journey, Crowley Webb was thrilled to welcome Buffalo Prep students, providing an overview of Crowley Webb, showcasing some of the recent work, and highlighting ways to get involved in the advertising industry no matter what your passions are. We finished the afternoon with pizza and a tour of our agency, including our latest video addition, CW Studios!
