celebrate freedom

This is the anniversary of my leaving the Journal Review. On this day of celebration for me, I find that a directory that I helped design has won best in show in the HSPA 2011 ad conference. I'm thrilled to add this to my resume. I made that cover. Part of the cover illustration uses a photo that I took at the Lew Wallace Study. (see the extra bricks at the bottom) It needed to match that colors of the existing photo by Andy Barrand exactly but I couldn't stretch the photo to fill that space - and no place else in the world has that color of bricks. JOY!

HSPA advertising contest 2010

I attended the HSPA advertising awards last night, the Journal Review placed very well again this year.

All in the division B category, circulation of 6,000 - 14,999 daily.

Best Home and Garden
3rd place, Lauri Shillings- Sears

Best Financial Ad
3rd Place, Lauri Shillings, PFC "Spring Cash"
2nd place, Lauri Shillings, PFC "Back to School"

Best Automotive Ad
2nd Place, Lauri Shillings, Horner - "Back to School"
1st Place, Lauri Shillings, Horner - "Coming Soon- Buick Lacrosse"

Best Real Estate Ad
2nd Place, Lacey Wheeler, Linda Walsh- Carpenter realtors "Time is Running out"

Best Fashion and Personal Care
3rd Place, Lauri Shillings, Creek Jewelry "Diamond Remount Event"

Best Entertainment and Lifestyles
3rd Place, Lauri Shillings, Cville Parks & Rec "Yoga Classes"

Best Political Ad
2nd Place, Lauri Shillings, "Re-elect Michelle Cash"
1st Place, Lauri Shillings, "Elect Hal Utterback Sherrif"

Best Thinking Out of the Box Ad
1st Place, Lauri Shillings, Cville Square/Lamar Property Mgmt "Community Fair"

Best Multi Advertiser with a common Theme
2nd Place, lauri Shillings, Downtown Crawfordsville "Eggnourmous Event"

Best Non-inserted Niche Publication
3rd place, Lauri Shillings and Staff for "Montgomery County Cooks"
2nd place, Staff for "Montgomery County Essentials"

Best Non ROP and NON Traditional Product
2nd place, Lauri Shillings, Athena Sport & Fitness insert flyer "Yes You Can!"
1st Place, Lauri Shillings, Journal Review Reader Rewards Card


Best ROP Series or Campaign
3rd Place, Lacey Wheeler, Blue monkey bar "Go Bananas"
2nd place, Lauri Shillings, Muffs & Tails "Holy Cow- that's a loud Muffler"


Best Event Marketing ad
2nd place - Lacey Wheeler, Cville Square/ Lamar property mgmt "Boo Party"
1st Place, Lacey Wheeler, "Taste of Montgomery County"

HSPA advertising idea contest

well, I've been trying for 3 days to get our contest submission in the mail. I'm reminded again and again how much or our advertising is so outstanding while making these choices annually. I find ads I've forgotten I've made. I find ads my staff has made and go "WOW!"

Thinking we might at least place this year :)

No HSPA awards this year...

There will be no advertising awards for my design group this year. Not due to any lack of wonderfulness on my part, but I've found out that our upper management has neglected to tell me of the WAY over deadline of June 12, 2009 for entry submissions.
I realize that I should have kept better track of such things... But I know for a fact that they get those entry submission packages WAY in advance. For the record... I would have sent my own money in to enter.. the darn tightwads wouldn't have even had to put up the lousy $100 bucks....

Here's a link to the last 2 years standings- Just to prove that I MIGHT have won a few more this year had been given the opportunity...

Awards are Fascinating!

Awards!

For those of you who are interested, here are the complete list of HSPA awards that our design department won on the 12th of September, 2008
Best Home Furniture Ad-
2nd place, Danny McMurray, for Home Furniture "quality furniture"
Best Misc. Color newspaper ad-
2nd place, Lora Patton, for Creek Jewelers "holiday"
1st place, Lauri Shillings, for Dari-licious "banana split"
Best Misc. Black and White newspaper ad
2nd place, Lora Shanks for Moondance Cafe "coffee"
1st place, Danny McMurray for Zahn's floor covering "we're everywhere you walk"
Best Small Space Newspaper Ad
2nd place, Lauri Shillings for Davidson's Greenhouse "orchids"
Best multiple advertiser page with a common theme
1st place, Lauri Shillings for Veterans day tribute "Lest We Forget"
Best Non ROP and Non Traditional Products
2nd Place, Entire Staff of the journal review for 'To Your Health'
1st Place, Entire staff of the Journal Review for "Essentials" things to see and do in Montgomery County
Best Creative Designer in the state for 6,000-14,999 division
2nd place, Lora Patton
1st place, Lauri Shillings
Best Black and White Newspaper advertisement overall
Danny McMurray for Zahn's Floor covering "we're everywhere you walk"


I'm so proud of my design group!!!!

Yeah! Awards: shiny objects are so fascinating

Well the design staff at the Journal Review and myself have done it again. We have pretty much closed out the competition in our division of daily cirulation - 6,000 to 14,999 - with our advertising design ideas. Please note that the other 'paper' in Crawfordsville, Indiana was forced to run in the less than 5,999 daily circulation. Go figure, they seem to tell anyone who will listen that their circulation is MUCH higher than that..... I guess some like to be disillusioned about size......

According to the HSPA (hoosier state press association) We have won Major Awards! (cue the fishnet stocking lamp visuals now...) Shaylan Owen was my lead designer at the Journal Review from spring of '06 until just this last Friday, September 21. (Ironically the day of the awards gala in Indianapolis, Indiana.) Shaylan is going on to pursue a higher wage and an "L-shaped" desk at the Bloomington Herald-Times starting Monday, September 24th. Congratulations Shaylan!

A listing of our accomplishements
The Journal Review took home from the event, including 13 first-place awards.

Best Financial institution/Professional Newspaper advertisement:
2nd place for Athena Sport and Fitness Center, 'leave your old body behind", designed by Lauri Shillings, Sold by Mike Boots
1st place for Nelson Jewelers "As One", designed by Shaylan Owen

Best medical Ad
1st place for Dr. Terri Winn, the Kids Dentist "Braces", designed by Shaylan Owen sold by Heidi Stewart

Best Auto Dealer Ad, Color
2nd place for Etter Ford, "Edge", designed by Melissa Dean
1st place for Duke's Gold Speedway 'Overstocked', designed by Lauri Shillings

Best Auto Dealer Ad, Black & White
1st place for Etter ford, "customer appreciation day" designed by Shaylan Owen

Best Real Estate Newspaper Ad
1st place Remax "We've turned 15", designed by Shaylan Owen Sold by Heidi Stewart

Best Classified Ad (non auto, non real estate)
3rd place for Journal review "night owl" designed by Lauri Shillings
2nd place for Forge Industrial Staffing "job fair" designed by Lauri Shillings

Best Misc. Color Newspaper Ad
2nd place, Nelson Jewelers "Diamonds" Designed by Shaylan Owen
1st place, County Market "holiday" designed by Lauri Shillings, sold by Mark Deacon

Best Misc. Black and White Newspaper Ad
2nd place for Vance Tree Farm, designed by Lauri Shillings, sold by Heidi Stewart
1st place for Overlay Proposal, designed by Shaylan Owen

Best Small Space Newspaper Ad
1st place for Creek Jewelers "journey' designed by Shaylan Owen, sold by Mike Boots

Best Multiple Advertiser Page with Common theme
1st place for "Face of Remembrance' veterans tribute, designed by Lauri Shillings

Best Community Wide Special Section (including progress)
2nd place for 'Montgomery County Directory'- Staff contributing
1st place for 'Side Effects'- staff contributing

Best Targeted Newspaper Special Section
1st place for 'Montgomery County Cooks!'

Best in-Paper Promotion
1st place Shaylan Owen for, 'Candid' photo contest

Best Creative Designer- 5,999-14,000 Daily circulation
3rd Place, Lauri Shillings
1st Place, Shaylan Owen

Best Color Newspaper Ad
2nd Place, Shaylan Owen for Nelson Jewelers "as one"

Best Black and White newspaper ad
3rd place, Shaylan Owen for 'Overlay Proposal'
2nd place Shaylan Owen for Remax "We have turned 15"

So, all I have to say is WOW!
I shall have to wallpaper the other half of my 'cubicle' at work with the awards from this year. That should balance out last years...
I must say, I was pretty surprised at the awards banquet that they kept calling our name. For a minute I was a bit embarrassed by the undue attention we were garnering from the other groups.
- I got over that.