ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 16, 1997 TAG: 9702180002
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MEGAN SCHNABEL STAFF WRITER
A brochure for Center in the Square's Endowment Campaign won best-in-show honors at this year's American Advertising Awards, presented Saturday night at the Jefferson Center.
The full-color spiral-bound book, designed by The Packett Group of Roanoke, included testimonials about Center in the Square from an actress, a teacher and other local people who use the center, along with their photos.
Tucked inside each booklet was an original crayon drawing by a local child, showing what Center in the Square means to him or her.
That was one of the small touches that sold this year's three judges on the piece.
"It was so well executed," said Tom Culberton of the GetSmart agency in Dubuque, Iowa. "Every element was considered." From its bright colors to its photos of smiling people to the childrens' drawings, the piece was "happy" and consistently designed, he said.
Culberton was joined in the judging by Miki Graban, art director for the Liggett-Stashower agency in Cleveland and Lyle Lavidge of Lavidge & Associates in Knoxville, Tenn.
The judges, who reviewed the entries Jan. 18, awarded 32 Addys, or top-level prizes, and 59 citations, which are second-place awards. Their comments are from interviews while they were in Roanoke.
Not every category included an Addy winner. The judges also awarded two student prizes.
The area's newest advertising agency walked away with the most first-place awards. Access, started in October by former Robert Claiborne Agency copywriter Todd Marcum and former Maddox Agency art director Tony Pearman, won eight Addy awards and eight citations.
Other top winners were Packett, with five Addys and 10 citations and the Robert Claiborne Agency, with four Addys and 11 citations.
Access also received a special judges' award for a series of three magazine ads for Motorcycle Wear, a shop on Williamson Road. The one-column black-and-white ads, featuring photos of leather clothing with taglines such as "You gotta love a woman in leather [or else]," were simple yet effective, the judges said.
"This is proof that you don't necessarily have to use lots of space to get across an idea," said Lavidge.
While advertising for print media such as newspapers, direct mail and magazines traditionally has been stronger than broadcast in the Roanoke area, several radio and television spots received special recognition from the judges: In the television self-promotion category, WSET-TV (Channel 13) of Lynchburg won an Addy for a spot advertising Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy and WDBJ-TV (Channel 7) won an Addy for TV special effects.
Access received an Addy for a 30-second TV spot for Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp. And Robert Claiborne Agency won two first-place awards for radio spots promoting A Cuppa Joe, a Roanoke Times column.
In the public service categories, the Advertising Federation of the Roanoke Valley won an Addy for a television spot that is part of its campaign against child abuse. AD2 Roanoke, an organization of young ad executives, won a public service Addy for a television spot created for Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
Local Addy winners will be sent on to compete at the regional level.
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1. The spiral notebook brochure (cover at left; inside,by CNBright) designed by The Packett Group of Roanoke to promote Center in
the Square won the best-in-show award. color. 2. Access won a
special judges' award for a series of three magazine ads for
Motorcycle Wear, a shop on Williamson Road.