Well it snowed, but it didn’t stop 15 college students from walking the downtown corridor and visiting 6 agencies to learn what they do, what their office is like, what opportunities await in the future, and what dogs they have to pet. Students started at the South end of Main Street at Crowley Webb and headed North moving on to Luminus, The Revs, The Martin Group, dPost, and ending the day at Block Club.
This event was a great opportunity to see the variety in both sizes and styles of local agencies. Crowley Webb and The Martin Group being the larger of agencies on the stop offered a great look into the full-service, multi-department side of agency life. Luminus, The Revs, dPost, and Block Club each offered a look into the personality and grind that the mid-sized agencies bring to the local ad landscape (also dogs, these 4 all have dogs).
This inaugural event sold out in 24 hours. There is a strong desire from the local college student body to visit and learn about agencies in our area and uncover the mystery. AAF Buffalo will look to provide more of these opportunities in the future with the help of our member companies. We look forward to the next one!
In what has evolved into an annual event, the third installment of our BrandHack event featured a local non-profit looking for an updated icon set and 11×17 poster to be used in places like bus shelters and message boards around their target neighborhoods. The Foundry’s mission is to increase neighborhood prosperity by empowering individuals through education and entrepreneurship. One of the ways they accomplish this is by offering memberships for their four makerspaces – wood, metal, tech and textile.
Four teams of students (and a pro or two) representing St. Bonaventure, Buff State, UB, Daemen and Hilbert took to UB’s Center for the Arts and were tasked with designing the elements The Foundry was looking for to brand and promote their makerspaces. Leading the teams were seasoned professionals from the area – Megan Sweeney from Gelia, Andrew Martis from martin., Chelsea Turton from Luminus, and Casi Hall from Invest Buffalo Niagara. These designers provided guidance and advice for the teams from brainstorming and development through execution.
The format remained the same from 2017. Teams had five hours to organize and create their ideas before pitching them to our two judges, as well as The Foundry’s representative.
Our two judges, Frank Conjerti from Quinlan and Amber Rampino from 19 IDEAS, offered their expertise throughout the event, and made sure the teams were on track and accomplishing what they had to on the tight deadline. While representing The Foundry, Deb Sarlin provided the students with an in-depth description of what the makerspaces’ goals are and what the client’s hopes were for the materials.
Each team beat the clock and produced some well-executed, unique work along the way, including some pro bono work in the form of a short video, merch designs and a website. Congrats to all the students and captains for producing another great event!
“We were so impressed by the energy and dedication involved in the BrandHack event. The fact that we may use some of the work produced within the Buffalo community is fantastic!” said Deb Sarlin, Director of Education at The Foundry.
Check out the results of the 3rd annual BrandHack below:
WINNER: UB/Buffalo State/Pro captained by Megan Sweeney
RUNNER-UP: St. Bonaventure captained by Chelsey Turton
Due to a scheduling conflict we needed to move the date of the WNY American Advertising Awards show earlier than normal. In doing so we felt a rematch of last year’s wrestling-themed show wouldn’t be fair to all of our attendees and entrants with a shortened training schedule, so we turned over the creative reigns to our pals at Gelia.
As you may have seen in The Road to the ADDYs series, co-chairs Brittany Klotzbach and Jason Yates have been on a months-long journey to make this The Greatast ADDYs Ever. In a nod to Old Hollywood-style award shows, with an appropriately satirical spin on our industry, it’s safe to say the hard work of the entire ADDYs committee allowed the 420 attendees inside Kleinhans Music Hall to properly recognize the greatast advertising our region created in 2017.
Judges from Baltimore, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Washington D.C. scored over 500 professional and student entries in January. Without further ado, see who had an extra great night by bringing home some hardware.
Professional Winners
A repeat of last year’s local competition, Crowley Webb brought home the most ADDYs with a total of 35 awards (14 gold, 21 silver). The Martin Group added 22 ADDYs (6 gold, 16 silver) to decorate their new digs on Main Street. Gelia (4 gold, 14 silver) and White Bicycle (3 gold, 8 silver) were the other firms to crack double-digit awards. Rounding out the top five was Telesco Creative Group with nine ADDYs (2 gold, 7 silver). A total of 26 companies took home at least one gold or silver award.
Best of Show
The best of the best on the greatast night in advertising went to Crowley Webb, picking up the Best of Show Award for their campaign for the Irish Classical Theatre Company’s The Wake.
Special Awards
In addition to the all of the work that is created, we pause each year to recognize several professionals for their contributions and accomplishments in the Buffalo creative community. The 2018 recipients were:
Mike Gluck, President at Gluckworks – Levy-Osborn Award for Excellence in Communications – This award was created to recognize outstanding achievement and service in the communications industry.
Brittney Sikora, Designer at White Bicycle – AAF Buffalo Future Star Award – This award honors an outstanding young professional in the marketing and advertising field who has demonstrated great potential in their early years in the industry.
Matt Low, VP, Creative Director at Crowley Webb – Joe Crowley Award for Service – This award recognizes not only hard work, but also outstanding achievement in furthering the activities and interests of AAF Buffalo.
The Veritiv Creative Use of Paper Award
An award designed to make digital natives a little twitchy, the Veritiv Creative Use of Paper went to a new winner this year as Crowley Webb creatively used paper for their 2017 Holiday Card for Praxis. A special thank you goes to Jean Clemens from Veritiv for her continued support of AAF Buffalo and this award.
The CommUNITY Award for Inclusive Advertising
Introduced for the 2018 competition, the CommUNITY Award for Inclusive Advertising recognizes content that extends beyond stereotypical portrayals and depicts multicultural communities and individuals as the complex, multifaceted, and dynamic groups they are. The award recognizes advertising that addresses issues experienced by under-represented communities and gives voice to groups that have been stereotyped or ignored in media and by society, increasing viewer’s perceptions and understanding of multicultural communities.
Crowley Webb’s poster campaign for Buffalo Prep earned them the first edition of the CommUNITY Award for Inclusive Advertising.
As mentioned earlier, college students were also included in the action. Taking home the Student Best of Show were Noah Herman, Danny Rosina, Randy Oviasogie, Jason Murawski, Danielle Romaneo, Joseph Pietromicca, Jessica Mjoen, Anna Simpson, and Shelby Janczyk of Daemen College for their Daemen All High: See and Be Seen campaign.
A total of 20 ADDYs were awarded in the student competition with winners coming from Buffalo State College, Canisius College, Daemen College, St. Bonaventure University, and Villa Maria College.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
The 2018 WNY American Advertising Award Show would have been less great if it weren’t for the support of our sponsors FB Displays & Designs and VSP Graphic Group.
The Road to the ADDYs keeps going…
The gold and silver winners in both professional and student categories will have the opportunity to compete in the AAF District 2 American Advertising Awards with the hope of moving on to the national show in Chicago in June.
Congratulations to all the winners and another successful year of work in WNY!
See all the greatness in the 2018 American Advertising Awards show book below and make sure to view pictures from the night on our Facebook page which will be uploaded in the coming days.
Another great ADDYs Preview Night is behind us and what a night it was! The AAF Board of Directors and ADDYs planning committee were proud to have the opportunity to display 474 professional entries and 53 student entries, which included campaigns, billboards, print, broadcast and multi-media, among other assets. We had our largest crowd yet as over 160 attendees viewed a year’s array of diverse and impressive work while enjoying an evening of camaraderie with Buffalo ad industry peers.
Many thanks to all who planned and coordinated the evening, and congratulations to all for your award-worthy entries.
In no particular order, here are the best big game ads in the opinion of our board members:
Paige Meckler –Budweiser “Stand By You”
I’m a sucker for heart-wrenching commercials every year. I like that their spot doesn’t feature beer. Instead, it was about water. Specifically, the ad highlights the company’s disaster relief efforts. In my opinion, Budweiser can do no wrong. A+!
Tim Bouchard –P&G (Tide) “Every Ad is a Tide Ad”
I’m a sucker for clever ideas. I also love when jokes span across multiple jokes, in this case multiple commercials. The real reason I thought this campaign (yes campaign, not just commercial) was top notch was the main point wasn’t the joke, it was the value proposition that in almost every profession, every industry, every commercial there is a need for cleanliness and tidy clothing. This angle gave them legs so they could play with the audience and entertain them by having a spot during each of the four quarters. It was just plain fun.
Greg Pokriki –Amazon “Alexa Loses Her Voice”
The Alexa ad combined starpower and humor in a really creative way. It subtly showed you Alexa’s capabilities while being self-deprecating and self-aware. They managed to humanize a somewhat robotic voice and sometimes faceless, huge corporation. They’ve also followed up on it, encouraging users to ask Alexa to do her Gordon Ramsay impression. I shhh’d someone out loud at my Super Bowl party during this ad, so you know it was worth watching.
PS: My least favorite ad was probably the 15 seconds of a black, blank screen. They just didn’t get the message across.
Ally Balcerzak –Budweiser “Stand By You”
I’m not a fan of the beer, but Budweiser’s ads usually make my top five favorites and this year is no different. The company tactfully placed the spotlight on a major philanthropic initiative that has had a positive impact on millions of people this year alone. Pairing a Skylar Grey cover of Stand By You with visuals of the line flipping from beer to water says everything they wanted to without seeming boastful. This ad is a perfect example of the power of “show, don’t tell.”
Brittany Klotzbach –Febreeze “Bleep Don’t Stink”
Although there are so many different advertising tactics to get the viewers attention, the commercials that usually have the biggest impact on me during the Super Bowl are the comical ones. This ad made me laugh with its light-hearted humor and proud parents for not having a smelly child. I think this 30-second ad served its purpose, and there’s even a catchy hashtag that I would guess the company will build off of in upcoming advertisements.
Grace de Rosa –P&G (Tide) “Every Ad is a Tide Ad”
Definitely the winner of the Superbowl commercials for me. Just one second when you think it’s just another typical car commercial or Budweiser horse, David Harbour breaks the fourth wall. As the game went on, I began to think that every commercial he was going to pop out wearing impeccably clean clothes. In that way, they made every commercial come back to them – genius. Also, throwing Hopper into anything is a win for me.
Dan Nesselbush –E*Trade “This is Getting Really Old”
While I enjoyed the Amazon’s “Alexa Loses Her Voice” ad for validating my conspiracy theory that they are listening to my every move with that device. I respect the incredibly deep pockets of Procter & Gamble and their Tide campaign with an endless selection of Tide ads to choose from, many related to various P&G brands. My favorite ad of the night came from E*Trade with “This is Getting Really Old.” I thought the idea and execution was creative and humorous without using the crutch of celebrity appearances. Plus it did what an ad is supposed to do, get me thinking about how their service relates to me – yes, I’d like to find ways to retire by the time I’m 85.
Jenna Hutzler –NFL “Touchdown Celebrations to Come”
Humor in design is a tall order. So many things can go wrong but the NFL ad was genuine, light-hearted and was the perfect comedic relief in a sea of ads that felt like they were trying too hard this year (“Dilly, Dilly” has lost its momentum for me). I was watching with more than a few people who did not understand the Dirty Dancing reference and it was still well received. The movements OBJ and Eli Manning were the perfect amount of awkward but they nailed the jump at the end. It also supplemented nicely a year of carefully curated end-zone celebrations!
Andrew Bevevino –Squarespace – “Make It Happen”
This is probably a dark-horse pick, but my favorite ad of this year’s Super Bowl was the Squarespace ad with Keanu Reeves. Typically, I’m looking for a Super Bowl commercial to make me laugh. The spots that have long, serious voiceovers are lost on me, probably because I’ve seen so many of them over the years. I also don’t love the corporate social responsibility-themed ads, because they always seem a bit contrived. So, this Squarespace ad was right in the sweet spot for me. It was short, memorable and funny. I’m also a big Keanu Reeves fan, so I’m sure that helped Squarespace’s cause, at least as far as I’m concerned.
April Brown –Amazon’s “Alexa Loses Her Voice”
Amazon’s “Alexa Lost her Voice” ad is Super Bowl commercial gold. It does a great job of showing off how people are using Alexa, but also brings a creative twist to the sheer terror that could ensure for all avid Alexa users if she really did lose her voice. Ending it with Anthony Hopkins had me nearly in tears.
I also thought Tide did an incredible job of putting their spot together in way that leaves you guessing (and laughing) until the very end. And while Tide is getting a lot of praise for that, I think Tourism Australia deserves some too. Their spot with Chris Hemsworth and Danny McBride had our entire party up in arms about a remake of Crocodile Dundee–only to find out that it’s not actually happening, Tourism Australia just wants you to visit. I think the “element of surprise” strategy is really smart and especially effective when you have over 100 million people tuning in.
Josh Gumulak – “Doritos Blaze vs. Mtn. Dew Ice”
This ad has everything you could possibly ask for in a fun Super Bowl spot. Two superstar actors rapping a couple classic verses from Busta Rhymes’ “Look At Me Now” and Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On”? Check. Shameless and entertaining product plugs? Yup. Catchy hashtags? Sure. A double entendre shoutout to Game of Thrones’ Fire and Ice? Definitely. It may not have been the most socially focused ad of the night, but it wasn’t meant to be. It was meant to be a good time, and it certainly followed through.
Lauren Carmer –Verizon’s “Answering the Call”
Humorous commercials have played well in past years. And while I can’t get that Doritos vs. Mountain Dew lip sync battle out of my head, Verizon’s spot is sticking with me in a different sense. Several major brands appealed to the heart instead of the funny bone. Some missed the mark, sounding disingenuous in an attempt to be trendy. But spots like Verizon’s and Budweiser’s warmed my cold, shriveled heart with stories of people helping people. Verizon took it a step further, developing a corresponding website where visitors can listen to more thank you messages, share their own stories, or donate to the American Red Cross. I like how Verizon used this public stage to of course sell you something but also make a greater impact.
Kyle Rogers –Amazon’s “Alexa Loses Her Voice”
I hate to jump on the bandwagon but I can’t in good conscience vote for anything other than this 90 second piece of marketing brilliance. Aside from just generally being the funniest ad out there, Amazon brought together a collection of celebrities that span and connect with different demographics. I also appreciate the foresight to eliminate a potential PR issue with the altering of the Alexa’s name to prevent all of our respective echoes from responding to the ad. This was Amazon’s first Super Bowl commercial and I’m glad they took advantage of the opportunity to put Jeff Bezos out there. For many, this was the first time seeing his face and his visibility will go a long way to humanizing a company whose technology and vast stores of data can be frightening and concerning for a lot of people.
Where do you work, and what does your role entail?
I’m a graphic designer at Delaware North. I work for their Parks & Resorts subsidiary, designing marketing materials for 6 different properties around the country. Some are national parks such as the Grand Canyon and Sequoia, and some are resorts such as Sea Crest Beach Hotel and Honey Creek Resort. I collaborate with my team of marketing managers and develop graphics for on-site needs as well as promotional campaigns (signage, emails, web elements, social graphics, catalogs, brochures, etc.). I’ve only been in this role for just about four months but am loving every second!
What drove you to get into the advertising/marketing biz?
Growing up, my favorite class was always Art. I loved anything and everything creative, and as I got older I learned more and more about creative problem solving and the conceptual side of art. I decided to go to UB for Fine Art, without really knowing where I wanted to end up. I was also working at Delaware Camera at the time and met a photographer from an ad agency who needed an assistant for a couple of client photo shoots. The agency he was with at the time ended up needing my help all summer. I only knew the basics of Photoshop at this point, but it was enough. We spent all summer shooting caps and apparel, silo’ing and saving them out for multiple uses. This was how I learned what an ad agency was and what they did, and I fell in love. I desperately wanted to work with the Designers and Art Directors there, but still had a lot to learn before starting a design internship. That fall, I got into the Communication Design program at UB, learned anything and everything I could get my hands on, and interned as a designer at the agency the following summer.
What do you like best about what you do?
I like the strategy involved with what I do. I love to brainstorm different ways to solve the same problem. I love thinking out of the box and using creative solutions to deliver results to the client.
What advice do you have for emerging talent in your field?
AAF Buffalo brought Anne Esse here in 2016 to give a talk about how to evolve in your career, and she said a lot of things that I think students would benefit from hearing. She talked about “leaning into the discomfort”—instead of saying, “look at what I don’t have” say, “look at what I could do with that…” Don’t be intimidated; be curious. Get beyond what’s in the way so you can thrive. I think all of this is critical at the beginning of your career because you need to build up a momentum. You need to put fear aside and meet new people, show off your skills and start getting paid to do whatever it is you’re passionate about.
Tell us about organizations/charities you’re passionate about.
The American Cancer Society – I photograph their “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” kick-off breakfast and 5k every year. Each event is full of so much heartfelt support, hope, respect and inspiration. I love being able to contribute to finishing the fight against breast cancer.
What are three things you use at work every day?
MacBook Pro. Sketchbook. Brain.
What was your first job?
My very first job was being a “crew member” at Cold Stone Creamery! Scoopin’ ice cream and singin’ for tips. It was so much fun, and I ate so. much. ice. cream.
When you’re not working, how do you spend your free time (hobbies, side projects, etc.)?
My husband and I have a canoe that we love to take out whenever possible. We load it up with our dog and explore different small lakes all over WNY.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Garbage television! Snooki & JWow, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, The Bachelor…all of it! The really, really bad, bad, awful stuff that melts your brain.
Describe yourself in one word.
Effervescent.
What’s your favorite restaurant?
Kuni’s.
Duff’s or Anchor Bar?
Gabriel’s Gate
Now, let’s talk a little about AAF Buffalo.
Why did you join AAF Buffalo?
To get involved with the advertising industry outside of the agency I work for. To learn, to grow, to meet new people and contribute to the club’s mission.
What role(s) do you play on the AAF Buffalo board?
I’ve been a co-chair for the ADDY awards 2 years in a row and I’m also on the Academics and Membership committees.
What has been your proudest moment in your role on the board?
Seeing the ADDYs come together always makes me feel like such a proud momma, especially the year FARM did the creative because of how involved I was with every little detail.
What’s your favorite AAF Buffalo event?
Aside from the ADDYs, I really love the networking trivia events!
What do you enjoy most about AAF Buffalo?
Connecting people and helping them learn new things. I especially love doing this for students. To be a helping hand at the beginning of someone’s career is super fulfilling to me.
How has AAF Buffalo impacted you professionally?
I’ve grown a lot since being elected to the AAF Buffalo board of directors. I’ve developed my leadership skills, grown a ton of public speaking courage and have met a lot of different professionals from around the WNY advertising community. I’ve also had the opportunity to take on new challenges that I wouldn’t typically come across in my day to day. The ADDYs being one of them. I also love the promotional creative work I get to do for the club.
Why would you encourage others to join AAF Buffalo?
You’ll meet new people and learn new things that will influence your career. Whether you want to grow in your current role or start a completely new career path in the advertising world, AAF Buffalo has a lot to offer to its members. You’ll get out of it what you put into it, and the potential for making stuff happen is my favorite part.
I’m looking to try and spend more time with my niece and nephew in Syracuse this year.
Shannon Silva
My resolution for 2018 is to be as happy as I am in 2017.
Greg Pokriki
If I spent as much time reading books as I did reading my Twitter feed, I would have already finished every great, must-read novel. So my resolution is two-fold: spend less time on social media and use that new-found time reading books.
Ally Balcerzak
I’m sticking with two resolutions I made for 2017 but never actually accomplished: to read more books and re-learn Spanish.
Brittany Klotzbach
I would say my New Year’s resolution is to be more active and volunteer in my community, and enjoy time with my family as much as possible!
Paige Meckler
Be the person my dogs think I am.
Erin Haskell
I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions. Waiting until the new year feels arbitrary to me. If I see something I want to improve I tackle it throughout the year. No waiting!
Grace de Rosa
Eat more vegetables – I know, it’s ridiculous but meat>vegetables any day. My husband and I need to be a bit more healthier I guess…
April Brown
My resolution is based on one word this year: FOCUS. Being more focused will help me accomplish personal goals both short and long term. Being more mindful of how I spend my time everyday is how I plan on focusing on what’s important to me. I waste a lot of time scrolling through social media, so that’s the first thing I’m going to change. There are always a bunch of little things I “plan on doing” or “have been meaning to do” so I think “focus” will help me with that. Here’s to a mindful 2018!
Kyle Rogers
To buy a house and plan a wedding without any episodes of cardiac arrest.
Dan Nesselbush
Carve out time for personal projects and do a better job anticipating when I really, really need to do my Christmas shopping.
Josh Gumulak
Cut down on waste. Similarly to what April is saying, which is great, I tend to also spend a lot of time on social media, as well as keeping up on current events and pop culture in general. Not that I plan to cut down on it, but to go about it more efficiently and consume similar amounts but in shorter, better spent periods of time, is one of my resolutions.
“And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.” -Rainer Maria Rilke
Occupation: Marketing Manager, Great Lakes Orthodontics
Erin Haskell, Great Lakes Orthodontics
Where do you work, and what does your role entail?
I just joined Great Lakes Orthodontics as the marketing manager after having spent 10.5 years at Crowley Webb. My role at Great Lakes Orthodontics involves digging deep into understanding the clients we serve, orthodontists, dentists and dental labs, the products we sell (there are over 3,000 of them!) and the services we provide (we create custom orthodontic appliances, like retainers, but we also make specialty appliances things like sleep apnea and sleep disordered breathing.) I’m in charge of taking leading a small team to strategically create and manage all marketing messaging and communication to these many customers. I also look at company data to find business insights we can turn into actionable marketing initiatives.
What drove you to get into the advertising/marketing biz?
Ever since I was little I was always fascinated with cool direct mail pieces. I remember vividly getting a direct mail from Zoo Books, a children’s magazine that was all about animals, zoos and safaris. The direct mail piece was a foldable, cardboard safari suitcase. I remember thinking “this is so neat”, and it inspired me to follow an advertising and marketing career path.
What do you find challenging in our industry?
I think one of the most challenging things facing our industry is the proliferation of new media options and fragmentation of audiences. I also think that consumer’s attention spans have shortened so significantly that we’re lucky when we truly gain their attention so we need to make those interactions meaningful.
Describe a recent success.
One of the first “wins” I’ve had at Great Lakes was the idea for integrating emoji “stickers” into our retainers. We’ve offered images in our retainers for years, but when I was training I noticed that these images (think a tiny dime-sized sticker embedded in the acrylic of the retainer) looked kind of dated. I also noticed that they were mostly circular in shape. Then it came to me: EMOJIS! From there we launched the line of emojis at the largest North American Orthodontics trade show, and we’ve implemented the internal elements to be able to manufacture these as part of our product line.
What advice do you have for emerging talent in your field?
Learn as much as you can at every job you have, even if it’s not your dream job.
What was your first job?
My first job out of college was a marketing assistant job at a b2b company that sold infection control supplies. Super “boring” products but I learned a ton about b2b marketing, manufacturing, ISO certification processes and customer service. It was a good learning opportunity.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Cake. Wine. Lululemon.
What’s your favorite app or social media outlet?
I like instagram. So many dogs to follow. None of the political drama.
What’s the last thing you read?
1Q84 by Haruki Murakam.
What’s your favorite hidden gem in WNY?
I like Devil’s Hole in Niagara Falls. I need to go there more often.
Why did you join AAF Buffalo?
I was encouraged to by my bosses at Crowley Webb, and I was thrilled they suggested it.
What has been your proudest moment in your role on the board?
I was super proud that I managed to pull off a sports related event, Uberbowl, with no working knowledge of sports.
What’s your favorite AAF Buffalo event?
Bowling.
What do you enjoy most about AAF Buffalo?
I love the brilliant minds we have on the board. I love the connections to the ad community that I still have even after leaving the ad agency world.
How has AAF Buffalo impacted you professionally?
AAF has brought me closer to more professionals outside of Crowley Webb, and it’s allowed me to build strong connections across the industry. I love the spirit of the group, the fantastic execution of ideas, and that AAF Buffalo is a leader in educating our community through our skillshops and speakers series.
What’s one pro tip you can share with our membership that will make their lives better or easier?
Get involved. Come to events. Say hi. You never know when you’ll meet your next boss or coworker because this industry is always changing.
Why would you encourage others to join AAF Buffalo?
If you’re serious about staying on top of your game in this business it helps to network with the area’s brightest minds. And the events and people that AAF Buffalo bring together create opportunities to continue learning and growing.
Ugly shoes and ugly sweaters abounded at this year’s Jingle Bowl on Wednesday, December 6. AAF Buffalo hosted its 4th Annual Holiday Bowling Tournament at Kenmore Lanes to support the Food Bank of WNY.
Buffalo’s creative minds came with open hearts to donate non-perishable food items amassing 649 pounds, enough to warrant its own show on TLC. Or as we like to put it, 540 meals for neighbors in need.
Manzella Marketing, Luminus, Telesco Creative Group, Gelia, Parkway Digital, FARM, The Revs Agency, Crowley Webb, Goldberg Segalla, 19 IDEAS, and Quinlan came together for the cause before hitting the lanes with their best Lebowski impressions.
Sixteen teams of four, including eleven company-sponsored teams, came to represent. But only one took home the glory and the coveted golden pin.
Manzella Marketing sleighed, pinning down prizes in every category. Scott Fierle was named the top men’s bowler, Nicole Meisenburg was named the top women’s bowler, and the Manzella team was named top team, sweeping the tournament. (Can you say ringer?) They wiped the floor with the rest of us, but we’ll spare you the details.
Thank you to Quinlanfor sponsoring the event and to Kenmore Lanes for having us. And thank you to Big Ditch Brewing Co., NOCO Express, and Certo Brothers for donating additional prizes.
Head over to our Facebook page if you want to see the full gallery of all the beautiful people who joined us in ugly shoes and sweaters
Each year, amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, we like to throw a few extra things on your to-do list with the American Advertising Awards. Here is a quick recap of some new highlights for the 2018 WNY American Advertising Awards (or ADDYs if you resist change).
The David I. Levy Communicator of the Year and Osborn Award for Creativity have been combined
AAF Buffalo’s roots trace back to a pair of organizations – the Professional Communicators of Western New York and Art Directors/Communicators of Buffalo – each with their own special awards to acknowledge individuals who helped shape our region’s creative scene.
The Professional Communicators of Western New York presented the David I. Levy Communicator of the Year annually while the Art Director/Communicators of Buffalo awarded the Alex Osborn Award for Creativity. Now united as one group of marketing communications professionals, AAF Buffalo’s board decided that the time is right to combine the awards due to parallel criteria for the honors.
In an effort to preserve the legacy of David Levy, one of the top ad agency executives in Buffalo from the 1950s through the 1980s, and Alex Osborn, the inventor of brainstorming and manager of the Buffalo office of Barton, Durstine & Osborn (precursor to the global agency BBDO), we’ve merged and reintroduced the awards into one honor each year which will now be known as the Levy-Osborn Award for Excellence in Communications.
The Levy-Osborn recognizes outstanding achievement and service in the communications industry. Recipients of this award are individuals who, through a consistent, high degree of original thinking in their field, have left an indelible mark on the Western New York creative community. Winners have a distinguished record of achievement over an extended period of time, which includes contributions to their company, the industry and the community. Nominations for this award, as well as the Joe Crowley Award for Service and Future Star, are being accepted until January 8, 2018.
CommUNITY: a commitment to a more diverse ad industry
Our board was honored to win first place in the AAF Club Achievement Awards Competition for Diversity & Multicultural Initiatives in 2016-17. We had the privilege of attending the Mosaic Awards gala during ADMERICA 2017 and drew inspiration from those who are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the industry, which was evident through their creative work and organization-wide initiatives. Following that event, one goal of our executive board was to take action locally to increase awareness of those inclusive advertising practices and encourage the development of a more diverse community of marketing professionals in Western New York.
While we’re in our second year of working with high school students at Buffalo Prep, we decided the next step we’d take at the professional level would be through the creation of a local category in the American Advertising Awards competition. New for 2018, the CommUNITY Award for Inclusive Advertising is designed to mirror some of the principles of the aforementioned Mosaic Awards program.
The award recognizes content that extends beyond stereotypical portrayals and depicts multicultural communities and individuals as the complex, multifaceted and dynamic groups they are. This award recognizes advertising that addresses issues experienced by underrepresented communities and gives voice to groups that have been stereotyped or ignored in media and by society, increasing viewer’s perceptions and understanding of multicultural communities.
Changes with national American Advertising Awards categories
The public service print ad category will now accept campaigns.
Public service print ad campaigns of 2-4 pieces can be entered under category 22B. Work that qualifies as public service is advertising that has its goal being the improvement of the public’s health, education and/or welfare. Advertising work done for non-profit social organizations or causes, charities or NGOs should be entered in a Public Service category. Other Public Service submissions include work done for local, state and national governmental bodies, public safety, environmental, diversity, religious and education.
The Apps category has expanded this year to Apps, Games and Virtual Reality to accommodate virtual reality entries.
39E Virtual Reality: The computer-generated simulation of a three-dimension image or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way by a person using special electronic equipment.
The Elements of Advertising division now has a CGI category.
86B Computer Generated Imagery (CGI): Computer graphics to create or contribute to images in art, printed media, video games, films, television programs, shorts, commercials, videos and simulators.
Complete details about entering the 2018 WNY American Advertising Awards, along with exclusive behind-the-scenes videos following the production of the show, can be found at greataddys.com
Introduced for the 2018 competition, the CommUNITY Award for Inclusive Advertising recognizes content that extends beyond stereotypical portrayals and depicts multicultural communities and individuals as the complex, multifaceted, and dynamic groups they are. The award recognizes advertising that addresses issues experienced by under-represented communities and gives voice to groups that have been stereotyped or ignored in media and by society, increasing viewer’s perceptions and understanding of multicultural communities.
Buffalo’s creative minds came with open hearts to donate non-perishable food items amassing 649 pounds, enough to warrant its own show on TLC. Or as we like to put it, 540 meals for neighbors in need.
Manzella Marketing sleighed, pinning down prizes in every category. Scott Fierle was named the top men’s bowler, Nicole Meisenburg was named the top women’s bowler, and the Manzella team was named top team, sweeping the tournament. (Can you say ringer?) They wiped the floor with the rest of us, but we’ll spare you the details.
Thank you to 