2014 Hermes Creative Awards Entry Spotlight: Columbia College

While the winners for the 2014 Hermes Creative Awards won’t be announced until May 1, we’re showcasing select entries that stand out. Keep checking back to see if your work will be highlighted.

Hermes Creative Awards Company: Columbia College
Location: Columbia, Missouri
Title of Entry: Academic Affairs Holiday Card
Category: 149. E-Card

Columbia CollegeHoliday e-cards take many forms, but almost all of them are cut from the same Christmas cloth. You can almost always count on snow, Santa, reindeer, fireplaces, and presents to be part of the holiday mix.

Columbia College had a different idea. It took some of those same traditional icons, shook them up and created an e-card that’s a throwback to the 60s.

With a nod to stop-action film and the famous “Rudolph” television program, Columbia’s e-card tracks Santa as he treks across the country from one campus location to another. There is also a witty open and close.

*****

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2014 Hermes Creative Awards Entry Spotlight: Tilling Creative

While the winners for the 2014 Hermes Creative Awards won’t be announced until May 1, we’re showcasing select entries that stand out. Keep checking back to see if your work will be highlighted.

Hermes Creative Awards Company: Tilling Creative
Location: Harefield, Great Britain
Client: Castrol
Title of Entry: “Castrol EDGE Titanium FST Technology”
Category: 163. Marketing (Product)

Tilling CreativeEngine oil is not a very sexy or dramatic product. You pour it into your engine and the viscous liquid lubricates the motor. Oil is a hard sell, but not to Tilling Creative.

The Greater London-based agency created a video message for Castrol EDGE Titanium FST that kicks in the turbo and redlines the RPMs. Blending a fetching model with stylistic graphics and special effects, the video essentially dares viewers not to buy the new oil.

Castrol EDGE Titanium FST Technology

*****

 

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2014 Hermes Creative Awards Entry Spotlight: The Hoffman Agency

While the winners for the 2014 Hermes Creative Awards won’t be announced until May 1, we’re showcasing select entries that stand out. Keep checking back to see if your work will be highlighted.

Hermes Creative Awards Company: The Hoffman Agency
Location: San Jose, California
Client: City of Fremont
Title of Entry: City of Fremont: Talking the Language of Business, Not Government Speak
Category: 98. Government Website

The-Hoffman-AgencyWhen the California City of Fremont enlisted The Hoffman Agency for public relations assistance, the firm wanted to do something different from traditional government PR efforts, which is how ThinkSiliconValley.com was born. The site would anchor the communications campaign and focus on the Fremont’s business proposition, associating the City with the famous Silicon Valley.

The Hoffman Agency team set out to create an “ungovernment” website, one that didn’t adhere to typical government design, copy and structure standards. They succeeded.

When you hit the site, you’re more likely to think you’re looking at a web designer’s online home than one promoting a municipality because of the clean look and feel. There’s no clutter or information overload.

On top of the superb design (PaperSkyDesigns and Planet 4 Designworks were part of the Hoffman team), another refreshing element is the conversational tone of the copy. Plus, The Hoffman Agency used responsive design, so the site renders beautifully on any device – phone, tablet, laptop or PC.

Think Silicon Valley

*****

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This Week’s Latest Tech Gadgets – April 14, 2014

By Gregg Ellman
@greggellman

Reviews of the Grove Dock for iPhone, Innergie Lifehub USB charging hub and Beanco Tech’s Mobile Home.

Grove Dock for iPhone

Without knowing what was in a box I recently received in the mail, one would think it was a brick.

Grove Dock for iPhoneActually, it was the three-plus-pound solid steel Grove Dock for iPhone, which works with the iPhone 4 up to the new iPhone 5/5s lightning cables.

Built into the base is a cable management system to run your cable up to the device. Once it’s there, it wedges in place (and stays there) to let you dock your phone for charging.

The steel base comes in black or plated silver, but actually what makes this an attractive piece is the wood covering available in bamboo (my review unit), walnut or maple.

All your phone functions are accessible when docked and there are rubber bumpers on the bottom to prevent any surface scratching.

The dock costs more than the average, but it’s really a great item and even works with most iPhone cases.

It’s also 100-percent USA made in Portland, Ore., and personalized engraving is available with orders of 10 or more.

http://grovemade.com $79 for Bamboo, $99 for maple or walnut

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2014 Hermes Creative Awards Entry Spotlight: Trinity Senior Living Communities

While the winners for the 2014 Hermes Creative Awards won’t be announced until May 1, we’re showcasing select entries that stand out. Keep checking back to see if your work will be highlighted.

Hermes Creative Awards Company: Trinity Senior Living Communities
Title of Entry: “Happy Video – Senior Parody”
Location: Livonia, Michigan
Category: 146. YouTube Video

trinity senior health communitiesBy now, we’re sure most of you have heard Pharrell Williams’ catchy pop sensation, “Happy.” The tune is irresistible, provoking at least a wiggle from all its listeners. To accompany his phenomenal hit, Pharrell and his team created a 24-hour music video with a variety of people jammin’ out to the song.

The song and video were so contagious that the staff, residents and their families of Trinity Senior Living Communities wanted to take part in all the happiness, making their version of the music video.

Trinity’s reel opens with the message: “We asked our residents one question…Are you happy?” Combine the contagious beat with the dancing, clapping and smiles of participants and you’ve got a great version of “Happy.”

*****

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2014 Hermes Creative Awards Entry Spotlight: Istanbul Cevahir Shopping and Entertainment Center

While the winners for the 2014 Hermes Creative Awards won’t be announced until May 1, we’re showcasing select entries that stand out. Keep checking back to see if your work will be highlighted.

Hermes Creative Awards Company: Istanbul Cevahir Shopping and Entertainment Center
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Title of Entry: “Privilege Passport”
Category: 82c. Sales Promotion Campaign

How do you get shoppers to spend money during difficult times? That was the dilemma faced by an upscale shopping mall in Istanbul, Turkey, when a massive socio-political protest was taking place during the height of tourism season.

As the PR team at the mall put it, they “made lemonade out of lemons.” The mall targeted foreign tourists at major hotels and distributed 14,000 “privilege passports” offering discounts and gifts. Apparently many consumers love a bargain even during difficult times. Several thousand tourists found their way to mall and increased sales by 10%.

Cevahir Privilege Passport

*****

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2014 Hermes Creative Awards Entry Spotlight: CBD Marketing

While the winners for the 2014 Hermes Creative Awards won’t be announced for a while, we’re showcasing select entries that stand out. Keep checking back to see if your work will be highlighted.

Hermes Creative Awards Company: CBD Marketing
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Client: Firestone Industrial Products
Title of Entry: “Hula Girl Print Campaign”
Category: 4. Magazine

CBD - Market What's MeaningfulHow many tire advertisements have you seen? What has caught your eye or made you think?  In the crowded tire market place, manufacturers are touting everything from toughness to longevity, safety to value.

Firestone approached CBD, a marketing firm in Chicago, looking for different approach. CBD’s mantra is, “Market what’s meaningful.” They created a simple print ad that quickly captures your attention while sending a clear message. It’s a “wink-and-a-nod” ad that says it all with one picture and one line.

CBD Marketing - Firestone Hula Ad

*****

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2014 Communitas Awards Spotlight: Cooksey Communications

Communitas Awards Company: Cooksey Communications
Title: “Twenty Years of Companywide Community Leadership and Involvement”
Location: Irving, Texas
Category: 1. Leadership in Community Service

Cooksey CommunicationsThe staff at Dallas-area public relations firm Cooksey Communications considers community service and leadership integral to how they do business. Now in its 20th year, Cooksey Communications has grown to one of the largest and most respected PR firms in the area by being an integral part of the volunteer landscape.

“We all individually and collectively volunteer our time and energy to our community,” said owner and president Gail Cooksey. “Volunteerism is fulfilling, fun and energizing.”

Cooksey demonstrates the importance and value she places on community involvement with her participation as a board member for a number of organizations including the SPCA of Texas, North Texas Commission, Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber, Junior Achievement, 35W Coalition and Society of Watercolor Artists.

Gail CookseyBut Cooksey isn’t the only community executive involved in the community.

Senior vice president Colby Walton is currently serving on the board of directors and executive committee for Leadership Fort Worth, while senior vice president Karen Cooperstein is a board member of the Dallas Stars Foundation and Irving Cares. Vice president Jason Meyer is on committees for the Fort Worth Chamber, Dallas Regional Chamber and the North Texas Commission.

Besides assisting community organizations individually, the firm provides pro bono services for a variety of advocacy efforts and nonprofits.

For instance, last year the Cooksey team planned and executed a major press conference for Proposition 6, a constitutional amendment that would generate much needed revenues to fund long-term water resources for Texas. The amendment passed by an overwhelming margin in the November 2013 elections.

Another example is the pro bono media relations services provided for the Vogel Alcove Performance Event, an annual fundraiser that generates approximately $1 million in funding for the childcare center for homeless children.

Through individual action and working together as a company, the entire Cooksey Communications team exemplifies the spirit of communitas, the Latin word meaning “people coming together for the good of a community.”

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2014 Hermes Creative Awards Entry Spotlight: Helium Creative

While the winners for the 2014 Hermes Creative Awards won’t be announced for a while, we’re showcasing select entries that stand out. Keep checking back to see if your work will be highlighted.

Hermes Creative Awards Company: helium creative
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Title of Entry: EDSA Design Matters 2013
Category: 18. Magazine

helium creativeEDSA is a group of land planners and landscape architects who create sustainable spaces to live, work, learn and play. EDSA’s work spans the globe, reaching 100 countries. To tout their accomplishments and to spread their brand, the firm enlisted helium creative of South Florida to design a magazine.

The results are stunning. The graphics are bold and colorful, the layout hip, the photography fascinating and the writing crisp. “Design Matters” is a stellar publication that complements the creative work of EDSA.

helium creative design matters
helium creative design matters

*****

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2014 Hermes Creative Awards Entry Spotlight: Ultra Creative

While the winners for the 2014 Hermes Creative Awards won’t be announced for a while, we’re showcasing select entries that stand out. Keep checking back to see if your work will be highlighted.

Hermes Creative Awards Company: Ultra Creative
Title of Entry: “Boissons de Madame Babineaux”
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Category: 55. Other in Design

Ultra CreativeAn unassuming box marked with 13/13 arrives on your doorstep. Curiosity reveals a custom wooden crate from the mysterious Madame Babineaux, thick with the mystique of the French Quarter’s darker corners. Inside, a black sealed packet unveils thirteen “cards of good riddance” that suggest a year-end pop culture cleansing ritual. Relax with a mug of hot chocolate elixir and reflect on 12 scourges that were visited upon us in 2013, and with good intentions, conjure a message from beyond to reveal what 2014 holds in store.

Boissons de Madame Babineaux was Ultra Creative’s 2013 gift to friends and clients. From vanishing ink to breathtaking design, this gift is unique and unforgettable.

Credits
Art Direction: Jessica Ward Hill, JoEllen Martinson Davis, William Burns, Jen Sheeler Copywriting: Megan Auld-Wright
Production: Todd Schneider
Printer: First Impressions Group

Ultra Creative Mysterious Box
Ultra Creative Box Contents
Ultra Creative Card Deck
Ultra Creative Vanishing Ink

*****

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