Hermes Awards

Well I was notified today that the Dimebag Darrell Tribute Album website I designed in Flash won a Hermes award. I will find out what level at the awards banquet on Feburary 9, 2008. I know from setting up tables that this year there were a lot of really good pieces out there. I really was hoping at least one of my web designs would come through (I submitted 3). Hopefully next year I will win something in print but my competition is steep. I am competing with all the local design agencies, whose clients have multi-thousand dollar budgets and they are working with a design team. For me to win ANYTHING is a huge honor!

Thank you all for giving me the opportunity to create award-winning designs for you!

Hermes Awards!

A little background before I start rambling..

The Greater Dayton Advertising Association's Hermes competition is the first tier in the American Advertising Federation's three-tiered ADDY competition. Entering the Hermes/ADDY competition supports our entire industry, because the AAF and its local and district affiliates use the proceeds to enhance advertising through programs such as public service, internships, advocacy groups, advertising education, and consumer awareness.

In each division the Hermes (GOLD ADDY) is recognition of the highest level of creative excellence and superior to all other entries in the competition. Entries also considered outstanding and worthy of recognition receive a SILVER ADDY or a BRONZE ADDY. The number of awards given in each category is determined by the out of market judges, based on their opinion of the quality of the work in that category. Those who win the Hermes (Gold ADDY) will automatically be forwarded to the 5th District competition. Those winning Silver ADDY's are eligible to forward that work on to District. Winners of the District competition will advance to the National ADDY competition.

I entered the Vision Marketing Group email campaign last year and it won a Bronze. I am competing with local advertising and interactive marketing firms in the Dayton area. This year I am entering 6 total pieces (2 HTML websites, 1 Flash website, 1 marketing campaign, and 2 logos). If you are a client I will keep you posted immediately if I were to receive anything. Otherwise, stay tuned and if I get anything, I'll reveal after the show on February 9th.

The Gimmick That Stole Christmas

By April Smith, Aibrean's Studio

It is a little late for Christmas, but then again, it was a little late when I was watching ABC’s Duel on their website. Have you ever really thought about those marketing ploys that holiday advertisers make to get swarms of parents in their stores (with their children) to buy things for their children that they don’t need?

Advertising gimmicks and marketing ploys may just be the trigger that starts a conversation between you and your child (or if you are a child -- between you and your parent) about the existence of characters such as Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer and Santa. These kinds of conversations might be sparked if you enjoy game shows and watching game shows with said child/parent. I was watching ABC’s Duel and while fixated on who was going to win, I discovered to my amusement, that Rudolph was an advertising gimmick through one of the questions. Montgomery Ward was too cheap in 1939 to out-source a Christmas story so they had one of their copy writer’s work up one to use for a children’s coloring book promotion that we now know as Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. After the writer got rights to the story, he had his brother-in-law write up lyrics, sent them off to famous singers, and then it was recorded by one and sold -- to the count of fifteen million copies. A small price to pay for explaining the existence of Rudolph -- and to that end -- Santa, just after watching an innocent game of Duel?

But what about the advertising changes so that people aren’t offended? Really, if you don’t want to call it a “Christmas” tree, why don’t you hang it upside down in your house? That’s how it used to be before Martin Luther changed tradition. The nativity scene is now oh so “off-limits”, but Santa was created from a Bishop who used his inheritance to help those impoverished. It’s quite a transition from the modern-day Santa that was created by Coca-Cola to increase their sales isn’t it?

Have those gimmicks that are now weaved into threads of reality stolen Christmas? Have they delved deeper into uprooting our morals? Shall we choose to lie in order to diminish chaos, but still give into those advertisers who clean our pocketbooks so tiny tots can bang on their new toys merrily? This commercialism has faded the true reality until a family sits beside a newly purchased television, watching a newly released gameshow. Then the question pops up and is answered… but then the audience, the family sitting at home gets bombarded with the all too real question from a child,

“Rudolph isn’t real? What about Santa?”