Canton Advertising Federation Honors Local Superheroes of Advertising at its Annual ADDY® Awards Gala

The Canton Advertising Federation awarded local advertising heroes for creative excellence at its 2013 ADDY^® Award gala Thursday night at the Krassas Event Center in Canton.

Guest emcee, Kevin Rapp of StoneKap Productions, presented a total of 91 awards throughout the night – 24 gold, 42 silver, and 19 bronze awards. Area advertising and marketing agencies, photographers, freelance professionals, students and others submitted 240 total entries.  

The highest honor, the Best of Show Award, went to Canton’s Innis Maggiore for SarahCare’s “Home By Dinner” print ad campaign that one judge said, “When I first saw these ads, I was just so intrigued by the beauty and design finesse.”

Both the People’s Choice Award and Judges Awards were highly anticipated, and last night marked the first ADDY^® Awards People’s Choice category and award presentation.

People’s Choice Award went to:

• Malone University for “Legends Run Here” poster campaign.

Judges Awards went to:

• Cassel Bear for Miller’s Three-Business Brochure.
• Innis Maggiore for the GuideStone “Your Future Starts Today” poster campaign.
• Grabowski & Co. for the Employers Health 2011 Annual Report and the Timken Corporate Overview.

Evening highlights included: StoneKap Productions’ Holiday e-card – a comedic testimonial-style video about holiday caroling in restrooms at retail stores, was the highest scoring entry and will advance to compete at the district level.

Three entrants, Sourballpython Studios, StoneKap Productions and student Alexander Somoskey, won awards for every entry they submitted.  

Students made an appearance alongside local professionals – with 12 entries and five students receiving awards, and Alexander Somoskey receiving two golds and one silver award.

The event theme, THE AMAZING ADDYS, showcased heroes defending advertising and creativity. Superhero characters were brought to life by illustrator/animator, Matt McComb of Ironfuzz Design through drawings, life-sized cut-outs and interactive trading cards. 

Kristie Bryant Fitzgerald, president of Canton Advertising Federation, a local chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), believes this event showcases the exceptional talent and quality of our local advertising professionals.

“Every year, the Canton Advertising Federation upholds creative excellence by uniting and honoring local advertising heroes – who make it easy with their amazing artistry and skill,” she says. “Gold winners will move on to the district ADDYs, and from there winners will move to the AAF’s national competition. The Canton Advertising Federation thrives on giving our members opportunities to shine professionally.”

The silver and gold ADDY^® winners included: A LA MODE designs, Cassel Bear, Clear Channel Outdoor, Communications Exhibits Inc, Daniel Kelly Creative, Grabowski & Co., In The Round Design Group, Joan M. Mack Graphic Design Services, Malone University, Innis Maggiore, StoneKap Productions, Todd Biss Photography, Sourballpython Studios, WRL Advertising and student winners Alexander Somoskey, Virginia Floom and Sarah Harris. 

Judges for this year’s event were Julie Tibus, creative director and brand strategist at Hile Design in Ann Arbor, Michigan.; Jon Brooks, director of creative services at Hafenbrack Marketing in Dayton, Ohio.; Colleen Stubbs, creative director at Altman-Hall Associates in Erie, Pennsylvania, and former governor of AAF District Two; Alan Rado, owner of Adrado and adjunct professor at the International Academy of Design and Technology in Chicago, Illinois.

The board members in charge of Canton Advertising Federation ADDY ^® Awards included event chair Angela M. Wright; competition chair Jennifer Draher, Grabowski & Co.; promotions chair, Joan M. Mack, Joan M. Mack Graphic Design Services; and the committee members including Matt McComb, Ironfuzz Design; Eugene Starr, Stark State College; Gabe Wood, Guber Creative; and Jarrod Rizor, WRL Advertising.

The event was made possible by generous sponsors Malone University, Communication Exhibits, Inc., Massillon Plaque Co., Grabowski & Co., NCM Media Networks, ASAP Advertising, WordKraft, Smithberger Photography, Emerge, Jeremy Aronhalt, and A LA Mode designs.

The AAF, a not-for-profit industry association, conducts the ADDY Awards through its 200 member advertising clubs and 15 districts. It is the only creative awards program administered by the advertising industry for the industry.

The Canton Advertising Federation

Canton Advertising Federation brings area advertisers, agencies, media, suppliers and academia together to promote professional development and positive awareness of the advertising industry. As part of the American Advertising Federation, the nation’s oldest and largest advertising trade association, CAF provides opportunities for members to build work-related skills, expand their business network and tap into resources on local, regional and national levels. In addition, members regularly share their time and talents to help local organizations, as well as students pursuing advertising and marketing careers. To learn more about CAF, visit www.cantonadfed.org.