Top Agencies and Brands Awarded at 2016 National American Advertising Awards
The results of the 2016 National ADDY Awards are in. Read on for the juicy details, inlcuding a link to the complete list of winners.
The AAF awarded National Gold and Silver ADDY Awards, with Leo Burnett Chicago and College for Creative Studies students winning Best of Show.
WASHINGTON, D.C., Jun. 15, 2016—Today's caliber of advertising was showcased at last week's annual American Advertising Awards Show and Dinner. Top creatives, brands and advertising agencies were awarded with Leo Burnett Chicago winning Best of Show in the Professional division and Jason Manns and Ellen Wareham, students of the College for Creative Studies, winning Best of Show in the Student division.
This year, the Competition received a record-number of entries for the local competitions at more than 40,000 entries. Leo Burnett Chicago won Best of Show in addition to its 3 Gold ADDY Awards and 2 Silver ADDY Awards for its work for Allstate Insurance Company, Eggo, Esurance and McDonald's. Also winning Best of Show were two students from the College for Creative Studies, Jason Manns and Ellen Wareham, for "Holocaust" in the Mass Transit category, which transformed a city bus into an old-fashioned train - similar to the kind that transported prisoners to Auschwitz - with the chilling text "Imagine not knowing your final stop." on its side.
"Tonight, we celebrate innovation, insight, creativity and technical expertise that is uniquely American," said James Edmund Datri, President & CEO of the American Advertising Federation, during the Show. "These awards acknowledge the achievement of that perfect combination of superlative creative, spectacular technique and stellar execution. We proudly showcase the best of the best, and celebrate a new class of leaders in the advertising industry who inspire us all."
Hosted by the American Advertising Federation (AAF), the American Advertising Awards is the advertising industry's largest and most representative competition, attracting more than 40,000 entries every year from local Club (Ad Club) competitions. The mission of the Awards is to recognize and reward the creative spirit of excellence in the art of advertising. This year was no exception with 135 top agencies and brands represented from across the nation.
View a complete list of winners here.
Student work from across the country was also recognized representing 47 colleges and universities. The 47 schools were collectively awarded 23 Gold ADDY Awards and 46 Silver ADDY Awards. View a complete list of Student Gold and Silver winners.
To learn more about the American Advertising Awards, contact Sara Yoskoski via email or at (202) 898-0089.
Chalk Talk 2016: Ready to Rumble
Thursday evening AAF Seattle and PSAMA are hosting Chalk Talk 2016, an opportunity for us all to take another look at the ads that worked and the ads that didn't. Check out this year's panelists and moderator.
It seems like Cam Newton is the only one who doesn't want to talk about Super Bowl 50... and even he might have an opinion about PuppyMonkeyBaby.
Thursday evening AAF Seattle and PSAMA are hosting Chalk Talk 2016, which is an opportunity for us all to take another look at the ads that worked and the ads that didn't. With #ChalkTalk2016 hashtag, there's a chance for you to get in the game, too!
Get your tickets now before they're gone.
We've assembled a fantastic panel and an amazing moderator to have a tremendous discussion. (That might be a record for most superlatives in one sentence.) Let's take a look at these wise and learned participants:
Chris Copacino
Account Director
Copacino+Fujikado
(Moderator)
Chris has been at Copacino+Fujikado for 12+ years, joining the agency out of school after graduating from Western Washington University. Early in his career, Chris worked predominantly on national brand, promotional and grand opening initiatives for REI. Over Chris’ time at C+F he has led several major agency accounts including Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Symetra Financial, Overlake Hospital and the Washington Forest Protection Association. Chris also oversees new business at C+F, managing all new client acquisition and business development efforts. Chris gets strong reviews from his clients for his ability to study and deeply understand their business. A lover of the creative process and unabashed agency guy, Chris blends a keen business mind with the understanding and appreciation of great creative work to achieve client objectives.
Scott Battishill
Principal / Founder of
Curator
Scott has been practicing PR for nearly 20 years. And no other term grates at him more than, “spin.” He's always disliked it. He believes that people don’t build relationships—certainly not ones that last—by spinning the truth to each other. Brands are no different. Consumers are loyal to brands they trust, that are human, to those that create an experience rather than an offering. With this philosophy in mind, he founded Curator to help brands build relationships with consumers in today’s highly complex marketplace of conversation. Prior to Curator Scott served as the SVP and Senior Director of PR for DDB Worldwide; overseeing the strategic development and execution of award-winning communications programs for major Fortune 100 companies and small development brands alike.
Mary Knight
Principal, ECD
Hydrogen
Mary started in Dallas, Texas on accounts like American Airlines, Doritos, Tabasco and Imperial Sugar. After falling in love with the Pacific Northwest, she moved to Borders Perrin Norrander in Seattle (now FCB.) There, Mary was part of the team that pitched, won and did award-winning work for Hewlett Packard, Group Health Cooperative, Tacoma Guitars and Boeing. She moved to FCB Chicago in 2007 to run Qwest and Kraft. While in Chicago, Mary also led Motorola, the Nestlè pizza business and the global Sharpie account. Mary returned to Seattle in 2012 as Principal and ECD of Hydrogen – an independent agency devoted to simplicity in advertising. Hydrogen’s regional, national and international clients including Keysight Technologies, Artemis Wines and Kenworth trucks. Mary has served on several prestigious juries including The One Show, Communication Arts, Effie and the National ADDYs.
Cal McAllister
Co-Founder, CEO
Wexley School for Girls
(As told and typed by his 6-year-old niece, Louisa.)
"Uncle Cow is a man, and he is nice! He is a joyfle man. He has 2 neeses, and 1 nefuwe. He likes chikins. He has soft scruffy hair. He has a nice wife named Amanda who takes showers 100 times a day. He has a verey good tast. He is a strong man. He is a writer at Wexley School for girls. His favorite house anamle is a dog. And he is a verey good prson. He is a nice, and cinde friend. He likes bar-ba-qie. He is a funny man, and is 42 years old. He is a asom prson, he is hansome, and a verey good dresser. He has 2 tatoos. He likes playing soccer. He takes shorter time in the bathroom than his wife. He has a verey smart brain. He is a little strange sometimes! " Wexley is a fan factory, cultivating and igniting consumer’s love for brands. It is an advertising agency that creates joy and laughter for engaged fanatics who deliver value – in the real world and on the wide web one.
Troy McCall
Creative Director
After stints as an Art Director/Assoc. Creative Director in Dallas, Denver, and Memphis, Troy now calls Seattle home where he continues to do freelance work for a wide variety of clients. Along the way, he's helped develop careers, launch new brands, and guide multi-faceted campaigns for Fortune 500 companies. Clients include the Dallas Cowboys, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Hilton Hotel Corporation, Microsoft, and FedEx. Troy is an avid sports enthusiast, and when he's not busy working, he can usually be found on the rugby pitch either playing or refereeing.
Ronan O’Mahony
Director, Brand & Advertising
T-Mobile
For the past 15 years Ronan has worked in advertising and brand strategy, both agency- and client-side. Ronan currently manages National, Local, and Hispanic advertising for T-Mobile, where he has worked since 2012. Prior to that Ronan was Director of Brand at Rhapsody.
Why Does the Creative Field Hate Negotiating?
The fine folks over at SVC contemplated this very same topic. And wouldn't you know it, they decided to create a class around it. It's called Negotiation Skills for People Who Don't Like to Negotiate. It's a one-day workshop this Thursday, June 25 from 10 am-5 pm. Read on for details.
Seriously, why do we find it so difficult? The fine folks over at SVC contemplated this very same topic. And wouldn't you know it, they decided to create a class around it. It's called Negotiation Skills for People Who Don't Like to Negotiate. It's a one-day workshop this Thursday, June 25 from 10 am-5 pm.
Here's the great/scary part: you can test out your negotiation skills before you even take the class. The fee for this workshop is negotiable. Yep, you can negotiate a lower fee via a five-minute Skype chat with the instructor.
So who is the instructor? He's Ted Leonhardt and he founded The Leonhardt Group. His firm grew to 50 employees and $10 million in annual fees under his leadership. Elements of the workshop include:
- What is it about people in creative fields that makes them less effective negotiators?
- Why people who work for clients in large corporations automatically value different things than you do?
- Is being too passionate about your creative work costing you?
- The importance of role-playing a negotiation before you get in the middle of one.
- Seven tips for making your negotiations more effective.
- How to assess your latest negotiation and learn from it.
You can learn more about the class and register here.
Congrats National ADDY Winners!
The 2015 National ADDY winners have been announced. Read on for our recap and full winners list.
The Tacoma Rainiers are big winners at the 2015 American Advertising Awards
It was a big weekend for us, filled with plenty of shiny, new hardware. The national American Advertising Awards took place at ADMERICA in Las Vegas and we had plenty of friends representing our district.
From our market we took home a total of 9 awards, including:
Tacoma Rainiers: 1 Gold, 2 Silver
Hornall ANderson: 1 Gold
DNA: 1 Silver
Wongdoody: 2 Silver
Student: Mike Harring: 1 Gold
Student: Andrew Adams: 1 Silver
See the full list of winners here.
Discounted Tickets for the Multicultural Marketing Summit
Hot off the heels of our Market Insights: Pacific Rim panel discussion (see the event pics here), there's another big multicultural marketing event coming to town on May 19th. It's the 2015 Multicultural Marketing Summit, and wouldn't ya know it, we're one of the sponsors.
This means that AAF Seattle members get discounted tickets ($100 off!) when you use the promo code that was emailed to you. Didn't receive the code? Email our lovely Membership Director and she'll send it off to you.
The one day event is designed to equip marketing professionals in the Pacific Northwest with better tools to approach the fastest growth segment of the US consumer base. This 2015 conference theme, “Creating the New Multicultural Marketing Paradigm," recognizes that traditional multicultural marketing practices have been challenged by the emergence of total market strategy and focuses on equipping marketers to adapt strategies to yield the greatest business impact in their industry environment.
Recognized national thought leaders speaking at the conference include:
· Javier Delgado, Director of Multicultural Marketing, Walmart
· Rajaa Grar, Sr., Brand Manager, Multicultural Marketing, Starbucks Coffee Corporation
· Valeria Piaggio, Head of Multicultural Insights, The Futures Company
· Cesar Melgoza, Founder and CEO, Geoscape
· Leslie Wingo, CEO, SandersWingo
· Jose Villa, President and Founder, Sensis
· Jeffrey Bowman, President and Founder, Reframe: The Brand
· Joe Ray, VP of Multicultural Strategy, LaneTerraLever
· Laura Swapp, Director of Multicultural Marketing and Partnerships, REI
· Tim Wang, Founder and Principal, TDW+Co
To register and more info, visit: www.pnwmulticulturalmarketingsummit.com and follow them on Twitter @PNWMCMktgSummit.
Now Accepting 2015-16 Board Nominations
Each year at this time, our board goes through a transformation process as some directors move on to new challenges, and new faces arrive to take their place. We know who's leaving, but we need to find the brave souls who are ready to step up and do the job.
Our openings for the 2015-2016 board year include the following positions:
- Communications Director
- Government Relations Director
- Programs Director
- Sponsorship Director
- Treasurer
- Vice President
If you're interested, first read the position description, then fill out and submit your application by 6 PM on Monday, May 11, when we'll review all submissions and contact interested parties.
Board Position Descriptions (.pdf)
Board Application (.dotx)
Nominations will be announced Wednesday, May 20th and submitted to AAF Seattle's membership for approval. A member-approved slate of directors will be announced to the public on Monday, June 1st.
The ADDY Winners Are In
And so are the embarrassing photos.
On Thursday, March 5th, we all gathered to announce the winners of the 2015 American Advertising Awards Seattle for a night that can only be described as, "Daaaaaaaamn that was fun."
We celebrated Larry Asher's success as he received the AAF Silver Medal Award. After delivering his speech of thanks and praise for his colleagues, he gave everyone at the show a free School of Visual Concepts class, further proving that he's the ever-activist in education in design and advertising.
Larry receives his Silver Medal Award
Taking home the Gold, Best In Show was Cole & Weber United for their work on the Columbia Crest campaign titled, "Crowdsourced Cabernet."
Special thanks to our sponsors, ArcMedia Studios, Topo Swope Talent, Print NW, TCG, The Seattle Times, Marketing NW, Commercialize Seattle and Hydrogen. They helped make magical dreams come true.
See the full list of winners here:
The ADDY Winners Have Been Decided
And now we wait.
Earlier this month, we wrangled some of the biggest names in the ad biz to fly out and judge our hundreds of American Advertising Awards submissions. Over a full weekend, they poured over some of the most amazing work we've seen so far and gave their brutally honest critiques on what the area's brightest had to offer.
Check out some of our pics from the weekend and join us on March 5 to see who they've deemed the best in advertising in our region.
Special thanks to our judges: Kat Gordon, Mike Roe, Howie Ronay, Jon Ruby and Emily Starolis.
After Hours: Hacker Agency Recap
We recently teamed up with HackerAgency as they invited us into their "home" for After Hours. The successful event included Agency BINGO to help break the ice for the attendees and asked them to get signatures of people who were the oldest, Ambidextrous, were Sounders season ticket holders and even asked people who were Carolina Panthers fans (that one might have gone blank the whole night) among other ice breakers on their BINGO card.
“I thought that their Agency BINGO activity, which was designed to facilitate conversation, was super engaging and well developed," said Charlotte Boutz-Connell, VP & Programs Director of AAF Seattle. "What a thoughtful way to welcome guests, by teeing them up for...not just small talk but actually interesting introductions and interactions!”
The folks over at HackerAgency—a direct marketing agency located in the heart of downtown Seattle—recommends that future hosts should start planning early. “I had an internal committee at Hacker to help me plan, " said Michelle Nolte, Art Director at HackerAgency. "I couldn’t have done it without them. And start planning early!”
Nolte also hopes that the group met great people and was exposed to what Hacker does. For more information on HackerAgency you can visit their website at hal2l.com.
The next After Hour events will be held on May 14 at Digital Kitchen.
Article by Brooke Saul | Photos by Scott Iwata
Art Bash 2014 Recap
Our ninth annual Art Bash was held on November 20 at 415 Westlake in South Lake Union, with artists contributing pieces interpreting the theme “Throwback Thursday.” The money we raised fully funded our Western Washington University diversity scholarship program with a surplus that will allow us to make a greater commitment to the program next year.
Much appreciation to the agencies and individual artists who contributed their time and talent to making it a gorgeous, clever, compelling show this year. Special thanks to our guest artist Danielle Champagne. Shout out to photographer David Speranza, and DJ Chris Carter, Strategy Director at Y&RG Seattle.
Of course, extra love goes to our sponsors The Seattle Times, TCG, Print NW, Hand Crank Films, Tag Creative, What Now? Exactly!, and Local Craft Tours.
Mark your calendars now for Art Bash 2015 on Thursday, November 12. If you have an idea for the 2015 Art Bash theme, let us know by emailing communications@aafseattle.com.
Mentorship Program Launching Soon
The brand new AAF Education Committee has launched, bringing together young professionals from agencies, corporate jobs and a couple freelancers to help get students into the advertising industry. They have successfully partnered with students at the University of Washington from various disciplines to support their local Ad Club and give it the AAF treatment, offering resources, curriculum, and networking opportunities to sign guest speakers and tours for the club.
Photo by David Speranza
Down the road in 2015, the committee plans to launch a mentorship program that pairs members of the student Ad Club with talented professionals in AAF Seattle to give them one-on-one expertise, and help them thrive and graduate to the larger club. The committee will also be expanding its efforts into other local universities.
For more information about the mentorship program or to get involved, email Nik at education@aafseattle.com.
Current Volunteer Positions
We couldn't make AAF Seattle operate without the help of volunteers. Whether you're looking to network, puff up your portfolio and resume, or fulfill your court ordered volunteer hours, we've got plenty of open spots to feed your ulterior motives.
Check out our positions and if you're interested, send us an email with the following:
- Your name
- Your job title
- The volunteer position you're inquiring about
- Qualifications or experience you may have that relate to the position
Photo by David Speranza
Communications Committee
Copywriter
Write snappy copy for event communications, blog posts, social media posts and other communication needs. Apply now
Art Designer
Design graphics and logos, and choose images for event communications. Layout newsletters and other advertisements. Apply now
Events Committee
Events Volunteer Coordinator
A key member of the Programs Committee, this position works directly with event producers on the team to ensure that an appropriate number of volunteers with necessary skill sets is secured for each event produced by AAF Seattle.
An ideal Event Volunteer Coordinator will be caring and proactive when interacting with current and prospective volunteers, and will ensure that the relationship with AAF Seattle is mutually beneficial and enjoyable.
In addition, this role is key for the overall organizational health as a facilitator of club engagement through volunteer service, and as an early point in potential leadership succession planning.
Basic responsibilities include:
Manage and maintain an accurate database of past and current volunteers with key information.
Collaborate with each event's lead producer to develop a plan for volunteer staffing needs, secure appropriate volunteers, attend the events to manage the volunteer team, and provide coverage as necessary.
Have a good understanding of each volunteer's qualities, strengths, interests and availability to ensure the best fit for the event and the volunteer.
Continually seek opportunities for event volunteers to deepen their engagement with AAF Seattle, including recommendations to join committees and/or the board of directors.
Continually recruit new volunteers through professional and social channels to ensure an ongoing pool of event volunteer.
Be an active and creative participant in the Programs Committee, influencing the events produced by AAF Seattle on an ongoing basis.
As an active participant and member of the Programs Committee, this role is expected to:
Attend Programs Committee meetings to report on progress (meetings are scheduled approximately every other month based on needs and team availability, most often a Sunday brunch format)
Provide ongoing support to teammates as they produce other programs throughout the year
Maintain updated information relevant to the role on AAF Seattle’s Google Drive
Advocate for the club's mission and activities including supporting promotional efforts through own social media and professional networks
AAF Seattle membership encouraged but not required for committee members
EVENT Day VOLUNTEER
This position works directly with Executive Director to assist with on-site registration, set-up and take-down. Apply now
The Boozy Taste of Victory
Waaaaaay back in June, we hosted the Market Insights: Distilling a Brand event where we invited experts behind Seattle's unique distilleries to speak about what it takes to build a brand in their competitive market. We also wanted an excuse to drink the fruits of their labor.
In honor of the event, Local Craft Tours graciously donated a gift certificate for two free distillery tours to give to a lucky event-goer. The winner of those certificates was Brittany Hunt. This is the story of her tour experience.
But first (dramatic pause), we're super excited to announce (more dramatic pausing) that we have two more tours to give away!
How to get a free distillery tour
For starters, you'll have to be present at our upcoming Art Bash event on Thursday, November 20. You can get tickets here. We'll be announcing further details on how to acquire said tour gift certificates soon. In the meantime, enjoy Brittany's review of her day of sipping and socializing.
Brittany and Daniel hop aboard their van local distilleries.
Our carriage awaits
Thanks to the Seattle AAF, Daniel Hunt and I toured three local distilleries. We were couldn’t believe what a fabulous tour it was! The trip started with a luxury van and surprise cocktails waiting for us on the drive. Our driver was amazing, and our group was a lot of fun.
Barrels and bottles of Batch 206 liquors.
Batch 206 Distillery
Our first stop was at Batch 206 Distillery, a true small batch artisan facility, located in the heart of Seattle. We tasted many award-winning products, including a gin with hints of cucumber, and a peach moonshine that was dangerously delicious.
The devil is in the details of Fremont Mischief.
Fremont Mischief
Our second stop was in Fremont Mischief, a family-run craft distillery with the finest rye whiskey and rum. They had a beautiful distilling room and lots of quirks with their brand: We learned about their M logo, their relationship with Jim Beam, and why their beautiful crow bottles are being phased out (You’ll have to visit to learn why!).
Letterpress Distilling owner Skip serves 'em up fresh.
Letterpress Distilling
Our final stop was at Letterpress Distilling, where the owner himself, Skip, poured us his very own vodka and limoncello. He crafts in small batches, and only uses real honey (not sugar or corn syrup) for the limoncello. I highly recommend trying it, and make sure to pronounce it “lee-mon-chello” - Skip will be impressed.
Overall the tour was a fantastic day. We wished we could have visited all the craft distilleries around Seattle. The tour is s a perfect activity for locals and visitors alike, and the hand-crafted flavors are a wonderful gift for the holidays. Five stars!
Visit Local Craft Tours online for tickets and more information.
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Brittany Hunt is a Master Cat Herder at Dynamo Plus Creative Studio and a regular around AAF Seattle events.
Need Art, Will Provide Canvas
Art Bash is coming soon!
We're looking for a collection of artists to create inspiring pieces for Art Bash 2014. You are invited to help us identify artists whose work you'd be proud to showcase. Whether the artist comes from your shop or someone who you've teamed with in the past and impressed you, we want your best.
Want to participate? Email events@aafseattle.com
Please include the following in your email:
- Name and email of the primary contact.
- Agency or company, if affiliated with one.
- The neighborhood where the canvas should be delivered.
What is Art Bash?
Art Bash is one of our biggest events of the year where we give Seattle's top creative agencies and partners blank canvases. They create art. We throw a party where you can bid on the art to help raise money for our Western Washington University Minority Student Scholarship Fund.
When: November 20, 6–9:30 pm
Where: 415 Westlake, Seattle
Tickets: $15-$35 online
Theme
This year's theme is Throwback Thursday, inspired the SVC Wayzgoose competition where we watched teams combine old and new technologies, design languages and themes. With that we are ushering in a "what's old is new again" mash-up into Art Bash.
The Canvas
We'll provide you with a 24" x 36" canvas. What you do after that is up to you. All we ask is that you produce something great and follow the theme, however you interpret it.
Please plan to return your completed work of art by Thursday, November 13 to the Y&R Group office in South Lake Union. Details will be included when we deliver your canvas.
Mobile First Recap
Ever since our last Market Insights event, our phones have been blowing up with your tweets, IMs, emails, texts, comments, pings...asking for more info about mobile first. App and you shall receive. We dialed up our expert panel and asked them a few follow up questions.
What are a couple key takeaways you hope that attendees got from the discussion of "Mobile First?"
James Spence
Associate Creative Director, Oracle Marketing Cloud
It’s better to take a small step forward than to come up with a perfect plan to solve everything. Using an iterative process like this allows you to try something, measure it, and apply what you the next time you make a change. You’ll learn more and get more done.
"Mobile first” is a great place to begin. Focusing on the small screen forces you to look at the constraints and opportunities, and build solutions that work for a growing number of mobile users.
That being said, it’s the one of many steps in developing a truly great customer experience. You also have to understand who your customers are, what they need, and how your company help them do this. You can then create content, build applications, and orchestrate interactions that enrich their lives by helping them solve real problems.
Responsive design is a tactic that should support a greater strategy. It’s not a silver bullet — it simply solves a presentation problem. Displaying content better for mobile doesn't make the content itself better or more relevant for your users.
David Burke
Agency & Brand Lead, HasOffers by TUNE
Responsive design is dated as a concept and limits the consumer experience. Begin to embrace adaptive web or RESS: Responsive Design + Server Side Components.
Web based tracking and cookie technologies aren't working as well in mobile. Server side technology solves this.
Anders Rosenquist
Director of Emerging Media, POSSIBLE Seattle
At a very tactical level, there is usually a lot of low-hanging fruit around optimizing for mobile. Ensure your emails present well on mobile. Make sure your location finder on your site works from a mobile device (and can auto-detect your location).
From a more strategic level, make sure you are providing a good mobile web experience. But instead of asking what app you should create to keep up with every other brand with an app, you should be thinking about the role of apps. Think about where they fit within your brand’s ecosystem, how they are supporting your goals, how are they being used in conjunction with other channels, and what repeat utility can it provide to you customers. You don’t want to just recreate your mobile web experience in an app, you want to provide something extra, something useful, something that will matter to you customers.
The panel from left to right: Andy Boyer, David Burke, Anders Rosenquist, James Spence. Photo by David Speranza
What additional thoughts do you have that are important?
David Burke
Mobile media inventory is under-priced right now. It's smart to take advantage of low cost and high reach.
Anders Rosenquist
Wearables are certainly going to be a huge market, comparable in size (maybe even bigger) than smartphones. Also, the internet of things (IoT) is going to be huge as well. We've only scratched the surface, but expect to see a proliferation of devices centered around a common communication language in the next 12-18 months.
Will you recap the resources that you personally find valuable for staying current on this topic?
James Spence
Design + Development
Luke Wroblewski:
http://www.lukew.com/ | https://twitter.com/lukew | http://www.abookapart.com/products/mobile-first
Brad Frost:
http://bradfrostweb.com/ | https://twitter.com/brad_frost | http://futurefriendlyweb.com/
A List Apart:
http://alistapart.com/ | https://twitter.com/alistapart
Smashing Magazine:
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/ | https://twitter.com/smashingmag
Email Marketing
Litmus:
http://litmus.com/blog/ | https://twitter.com/litmusapp
Campaign Monitor:
https://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/ | https://twitter.com/CampaignMonitor
Mail Chimp:
http://blog.mailchimp.com/ | https://twitter.com/MailChimp
Brian Graves:
http://www.brianleegraves.com/ | https://twitter.com/briangraves | http://responsiveemailresources.com/
David Burke
Performance In:
http://performancein.com/
iMedia Connection:
http://www.imediaconnection.com/
Anders Rosenquist
Boy Genius Report: great for gadgets and industry news.
http://bgr.com
GigaOM: solid industry insights with venture capital perspective.
http://gigaom.com
Daring Fireball: blog by industry vet John Gruber.
http://daringfireball.net
The Verge: good techie/geeky site.
http://www.theverge.com
Wall Street Journal tech blog: wide range of tech/mobile insights.
http://online.wsj.com/news/technology
Instapaper: a way to save articles that strips out ads for reading on phone or tablet.
https://www.instapaper.com/
Special thanks to our photographer, David Speranza. When he's not attached to a camera, he's busy compiling a curated guide of what shows are new and notable on his blog What's On Netflix Now? It's a regularly updated with movie lists, featured reviews, and monthly roundups of what's streaming.
Western Regional Conference Roundup
Your trusty board recently took Reno by storm in hopes to double our revenue and advertising brain power at the AAF Western Regional Conference. Now that they've all recovered from the whirlwind of experts, seminars, buffets and lounge singers, we asked them to share their thoughts and things they learned at the conference.
AAF Seattle board and friends
Martin McGee, President
What I wanted to get out of this conference was to network with other clubs in the region to see what is and is not working for them. I want to get ideas to implement in Seattle and possibly provide ideas for other clubs to try.
My priorities coming out of this conference are around planning for the club—both short and long term. While the club has goals identified for the current year, I would like to develop a multi-year strategic plan.
The ever photogenic Martin
Mark Kurtz, Diversity & Multiculturalism
AAF Seattle is a force in the Western Region. We have the foundation in place to grow. The landscape of the term "advertising" is expanding to include many forms of marketing and we need to flexible in order to cater to the needs of our members.
This conference reinforced the responsibility we have as advertising and marketing professionals to elevate our work to the highest level. Numerous examples were given throughout the conference that rely on the many skill-sets that AAF Seattle represents—especially around creative storytelling and how to connect audiences to those key messages in a meaningful and relevant way. The collective work that our members produce has the ability to impact billions of people and this is a great industry to represent.
Mark puts his lucky charm to the test
Charlotte Boutz, Vice President & Programs
I love to hear what other clubs are doing—both their success stories and their challenges. Each market is so different, so clubs approach serving their communities differently, but there’s still a lot to learn and share.
The Reno team did a great job producing “bonus” content that was not directly related to the business of the organization, but helped open our minds and keep the energy level up. I was especially inspired by the team at Goodby Silverstein & Partners sharing the NBA Jingle Hoops campaign, and Jonathan Woytek from Pereira & O'Dell on the Skype Stay Together campaign. Beyond the concept development, which was incredibly powerful in both cases for different reasons, the creative problem solving that these teams pulled off throughout the production processes was jaw dropping. What a fun pair of reminders of why we’re in this business, and what it takes to tell a good story well.
Charlotte enjoys the Reno nightlife
Audrey Berglund, American Advertising Awards
I always look forward to networking with other ADDY chairs and figuring out best practices based on their experiences. It’s a great place to share ideas and gain support.
This conference served as a great kickstart to this year’s American Advertising Awards. I got a lot accomplished in the way of event timeline, budgeting and committee building. I definitely have a plan of attack moving forward and am set up to run effective committee meetings.
Audrey strikes up a convo with the locals
Cindy Pennington, Executive Director
I want our membership to know that your elected board desires to learn more about growing and promoting the advertising industry in Seattle. They want AAF Seattle not just be relevant to the agencies, but to the businesses, vendors and clients in the Seattle area.
Cindy takes in the sights
Nik Amar, Advertising Education
I got some great ideas for programs from other clubs. It's a priority for me to work with the board to create greater, more bombastic membership drives, considering how essential membership is to the survival of our club.
Our club is large and diverse in membership and behavior. Members can take an active role in our club’s future through regular attendance and simply meeting and suggesting things to the board (not to mention volunteering).
Nik explores Reno's culture
Open Committee Positions
Believe it or not, your beloved club doesn't run on fairy glitter and sun beams. And even though your fearless board leaders put in a fair share of blood, sweat and ugly cry tears, they still couldn't make AAF Seattle operate without the help of volunteers.
Whether you're looking to network, puff up your portfolio and resume, or fulfill your court ordered volunteer hours, we've got plenty of open spots to feed your ulterior motives. Bonus: you get to hang with the best dang ad folks this side of the Snoqualmie Pass.
Check out our positions and if you're interested, send us an email with the following:
- Your name
- Your job title
- The volunteer position you're inquiring about
- Qualifications or experience you may have that relate to the position
Communications Committee
Copywriter
Write snappy copy for event communications, blog posts, social media posts and other communication needs. Apply now
Art Designer
Design graphics and logos, and choose images for event communications. Layout newsletters and other advertisements. Apply now
Communications Liaison
Serve as the go-between of the Communications Director and the Seattle American Advertising Awards (ADDY) creative team. Determine and execute a communications plan for the awards show. Manage the communications schedule and advise on communication capabilities within the club. Position duration is September-March. Apply now
ADDYs Committee
Commitment: 2-3 meetings/week depending on action items. Meetings last 30 minutes-1 hour. Position duration is September-March depending on volunteer role.
Competition Committee Volunteer
Call for entries through judging. Will identify and target companies to enter competition, manage collection of entries, sort entries for judging and coordinate judging day, including laying out work to be judged. Apply now
Judging Coordinator
Help Judging Chair recruit some of the best creative minds in the US. Coordinate travel, lodging, dinners and social events. Apply now
Creative Director
Responsible for concepting theme carried out through communications, print and digital materials, and the show. Apply now
Awards Show Coordinator
Acts as a liaison between the venue and the committee, negotiates rentals and F&B. Apply now
Sponsorship Committee
Sponsor Liaison
Serve as the go-between of the Sponsorship Director and the Seattle American Advertising Awards (ADDY) committee. Pursue cash sponsors for food and beverages, as well as in-kind sponsors for wine, beer and liquor. Position duration is September-March. Apply now
Seeking Board Members
Each year at this time, our board goes through a transformation process as some directors move on to new challenges, and new faces arrive to take their place. We know who's leaving, but we need to find the brave souls who are ready to step up and do the job.
Our openings for the 2014-2015 board year include the following positions:
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Membership
- Communications
- Government Relations
- Education
- Diversity
If you're interested, first read the position description, then fill out and submit your application before Monday, June 16th, when we'll review all submissions and contact interested parties.
Board Position Descriptions (.pdf)
Board Application (.dotx)
Nominations will be announced Friday, June 20th and submitted to AAF Seattle's membership for approval. A member-approved slate of directors will be announced to the public on Friday, June 27th.
ADmerica! 2014: Board Members Look Back
We sent a team of devoted board members to brave the sunshine, beaches and freezing conference rooms at the American Advertising Federation's national conference, ADmerica!, at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, May 28 - June 1.
We've asked them to recount their experiences from the trip. No conference or meeting recaps, just personal takeaways. We'll be adding their reports to this post as they come in.
Kirsten Martin, Sponsorship Chair:
ADmerica was a whirlwind – high energy, great contacts, and a chance to learn something new at every turn.
Best part of the weekend? It’s a tie between a wickedly entertaining (and informative) keynote by David “Shingy” Shing, AOL’s digital prophet, and the inspired efforts of student teams across the country reimagining the Mark Kay brand for millennials. Hobnobbing with industry and AAF leaders, and sharing in their work, at ADmerica has only reinforced my passion for what we do.
I left Boca Raton with a sunburn, a new appreciation for humidity, and a rash of new, far-flung professional relationships I’ll nurture in the years to come.
AAF Seattle board members (L-R) Audrey Berglund (ADDYs), Kirsten Martin (Sponsorship), and Renee Peterson (President)
Martin McGee, Vice President & Treasurer
From the sessions on club management to networking with advertising professionals from around the country, the ADmerica! conference in Boca Raton, Florida, was once again an inspiring and informative experience. As incoming President for AAF Seattle, I was particularly drawn to programming around improving club operations and how we can better serve our members, including developing and maintaining a strategic plan, a key factor to ongoing club success.
And, of course, it was great to see all of the award-winning advertising work, including several entries from Seattle, at the national American Advertising Awards Show.
AAF Seattle board members show their District XI spirit. (L-R) Audrey Berglund (ADDYs), Kirsten Martin (Sponsorship), Renee Peterson (President), Christine Gammill (District XI Governor), and Martin McGee (VP/Treasurer).
AAF Seattle Update: Creature Introduces James Keblas
When Creature announced they'd be doing a press conference from the steps of Seattle's City Hall at noon today, we knew we had to be there to cover it.
Aside from the obvious news they'd be hiring James Keblas to do something cool (turns out he'll be their new president), the chutzpah of thanking the mayor for firing him signaled the event would go off with Creature's trademark quirky style.
When this kind of interest becomes standard expectation for your brand, you know you're doing it right. Find out more about great branding at our next event, Market Insights: Distilling a Brand on June 19th.
Audio post-conference interview: