Shula's 347 Grill Makes Texas Debut at Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa

The hottest score this summer is 347 – Shula's 347 Grill at the newly opened Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa. A new restaurant concept for the area, Shula's 347 Grill is making its Texas debut and is now open for business, with a celebrity-filled, invitational grand opening planned for today.

The chic 5,385 square-foot space at 1701 Commerce Street in downtown Fort Worth just across from the Water Gardens exudes a casual, energized atmosphere and features a fully appointed 255-seat restaurant, high-impact bar and 24-seat private dining room. Dark hardwoods and pigskin covered walls complement the décor, with photographs that showcase local sports stars and legends as well as Fort Worth landmarks.

The restaurant’s namesake, Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, the winningest coach in NFL history with 347 career victories, will join in festivities along with other sports personalities and local luminaries on July 30.

“Shula’s 347 has everything from gourmet salads to fresh specialty fish,” said Virginia Benke, head of food and beverage at the Sheraton. “Shula’s exclusively serves Premium Black Angus Beef burgers as well as the famous Shula Cut steaks, the best beef money can buy, using the same aging process as the legendary Shula’s Steak Houses.”

The Fort Worth Shula’s 347 Grill is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday-Thursday, and 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday.

AAF-Tenth District Announces Inaugural Inductees to Southwest Hall of Fame

It is with great pleasure the Tenth District of the AAF announces the inaugural class of The Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame.

• Ray Ackerman - Ackerman-McQueen, Oklahoma City
• Wayne Cranford - Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods, Little Rock
• David B. Keith - Past Chairman, American Advertising Federation
• Fred J. Korge - Baxter + Korge, Savage Design, Houston
• Earl Littman - Goodwin, Dannenbaum, Littman & Wingfield, P.O.P. Broadcasting, Houston
• Stan Richards - The Richards Group, Dallas
• Lowe Runkle - Lowe Runkle Company, Oklahoma City

Five additional inductees to be included in the inaugural class are men from our region who have already achieved membership in the national Advertising Hall of Fame, hosted by the AAF.

• Sam Bloom - The Bloom Agency (Now Publicis), Dallas
• Roger Enrico - PepsiCo, DreamWorks SKG, Dallas
• Morris Hite - Tracy-Locke, Dallas
• Stanley Marcus - Neiman Marcus, Dallas
• Leiner Temerlin - Temerlin McClain, Temerlin Consulting, Dallas

The mission of the Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame is to honor men and women from our region who have distinguished themselves in their careers, who have contributed to the betterment of advertising and its reputation, and who have made volunteer efforts outside the workplace. Nominees are not required to be members of an AAF club and may represent all disciplines within the advertising industry.

The celebration honoring the 2008 Inaugural Class will be held in Dallas on November 11, 2008.

Nomination forms for the 2009 Class and the deadline to receive them will be announced later in the year.

Magazine Day 08 Sorts Out Role of Magazines in Down Economy

The AAF-Fort Worth's annual Magazine Day will be the focus of the August Meeting. In addition to our outstanding speaker, Dom Rossi of Magazine Publishers of America, we will have representatives from 12 area publications to provide sample copies, information about their publications and more. Be sure to join us EARLY - at 11:00 a.m. - on August 20 at Joe T. Garcia's for this always sold-out event!

About Dom Rossi's presentation: A soft economy changes a lot of the rules in media and marketing. “Marketplace momentum” which we all have benefited from for the last six years is no longer an ally as consumers re-trench. In their minds “What I need” begins to trump “What I want” and most recognized brands start to feel the pain.

Utilizing a “media neutral” format, this presentation looks at media mix in a soft economy, and what has to be done to help nudge consumers back into a “What I want” consumption frame of mind. In a typical purchase funnel we call that nudge the “Persuasion Red-Zone”. It’s driven by two critical performance metrics; “Purchase Intent” and “Drive to web”. Based on close to $10 million in advertiser funded “cross-media” ROI research that includes TV, Magazines and On-line, the presentation will examine what media play what roles in a purchase funnel, with special attention being paid to the “Red-Zone”. Because the numbers are allowed to speak for themselves, there are no media winners or losers, but there are some media mandates that will absolutely begin to emerge.

If you agree with the pundits that getting the mix right is the most critical aspect of media planning today, you will want to see this presentation.

We'll also get to see the Kelly Awards Video - the best in magazine advertising from last year.

Prior to (and probably after) the meeting, you'll have an opportunity to visit with our sponsors about the publications and opportunities they offer in their own magazines.

There will also be free Magazine Day t-shirts for the first 80 PAID registrants for this program, compliments of Rosa's Cafe - Texas.

Thanks to our sponsors for this program: Magazine Publishers of America, The Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas Magazine, Parker County Today, Fort Worth Key Magazine and Branch Smith Publications. Business Week - Austin, D Magazine and Meredith Publications.

AAF District 10 Summer Leadership Conference to Feature Outstanding Speakers, Workshops

The 2008 AAF-District 10 Summer Leadership Conference will be held in Abilene, Sept. 18-20. Attracting participants from the four-state region of Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, the conference will feature both professional development and club development speakers and workshops.

Chad Rea, one of the featured speakers, began his award-winning career creating and designing for some of the world’s hottest creative shops where he worked on more than 100 iconic brands including Coca-Cola, Adidas and Hummer. Inspired by his world travels and past brand-building experience, Chad formed 86 the Onions, a prolific brand communications firm specializing in youth and entertainment brands. This company pioneered the industry’s movement to media-neutral problem-solving, creating innovative marketing solutions for several high-profile clients including Target, Mountain Dew, SoBe, ESPN X Games, Starbucks and Virgin Records.

In March 2007, at the height of his company’s success, Chad answered his true calling and created ecopop, an in-house incubator of intellectual property designed to instigate positive change. (For more information, visit chadrea.com or go to ecopop.com.)

Other speakers include Emmy Award-winning reporter Jeff Crilley, as well as professional development workshops on "True Colors," Goal-Setting and Attaining, Research, Trade Show Insights, and Jingles; and club development workshops on ADDYs and How to Host a Conference/Convention.

For more information on speakers and workshops - or to register for this conference - visit http://www.aafabilene.com/conference08.html.

AAF-FW Elects Board

Celebrating its 99th year, The Fort Worth chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), Fort Worth’s oldest civic organization, named industry heavy weights to its board of directors and swore them in at the sold-out July 16 meeting sponsored by Range Online Media and held at Joe T. Garcia’s.

The new officers are: President Mike Roundtree, Roundtree Advertising and Marketing, Inc.; Presidential Advisor Lynne Swihart, Balcom Agency; First Vice President Jason Parker, The Graphics Group; Second Vice President Keith Powell, Fort Worth Key Magazine; Secretary Treasurer Elisa Jackson, Kearley & Company; and Immediate Past President Kent Dean, Rosa’s Cafe – Texas;

Board members include Casandra Brown, Rassai Interactive; Amanda Gibson, Concussion; Leigh Hickman, Warren Douglas; Steve Higdon, Redstone Visual Impressions; Lindsay Lee, Skyline DFW Exhibits & Graphics; Joe Shankles, The Color Place; Tom Van Gunten, Lockheed Martin; and Rene Smith, Concussion.

“I am excited for everyone to get to know the new leaders of the AAF-Fort Worth,” said Roundtree. “They are experts in this industry and are focused on advancing the business of advertising as a vital and essential part of the Fort Worth economy.”

The new AAF-Fort Worth leadership is tasked with setting AAF-Fort Worth strategic direction, providing fiscal oversight, ensuring necessary resources, enhancing AAF-Fort Worth’s public standing and monitoring and strengthening AAF-Fort Worth programs and services.

While AAF-Fort Worth has a long history, its purpose remains the same as in the beginning – elevating standards and practices in advertising through peer review programs and through continuing training and education initiatives. Today, AAF-Fort Worth has almost 200 members and provides resources on many special projects relating to advertising. These include legislative, public service and educational activities.

For more information about AAF-Fort Worth and its upcoming events, visit www.adclubfw.org.

July Meeting Was Full of Excitement

The July Meeting of the AAF-Fort Worth was exciting - for a lot of reasons.

First, our speaker was David Dietze of Google. His presentation attracted a sell-out crowd of 135 participants.

Second, past District 10 Governor and past Central Region Chair and former AAF-Amarillo president Marc Eisenberg provided an amusing and yet responsibility-driven swearing-in ceremony for new and continuing board members and officers.

And finally, Mike Wood, professional in residence at TCU, thanked the Ad Club for its support of the TCU student team over the years. He noted that, for several years, the team has ranked highly at the district level in the National Student Advertising Competition. Last year, TCU's team won first place at district and went on to take 8th place at the National competition. This year, TCU's team came in second place at district, and was selected as the wildcard team to compete at the national competition. This year, TCU's team placed fourth at national, and he showed off the trophy that accompanied that win.

All in all, it was a very good meeting, packed with great advertising people and lots of good information.

Veteran Adman and Silver Medal Recipient Dies

Story and photo from the Star-Telegram

Story by Mark Agee

Stray dogs would tug at David Snyder’s heartstrings. If he saw one while driving, he couldn’t resist inviting the animal into his station wagon so he could find it a home.

His plan didn’t always work.

"We ended up keeping a lot of them," said Marriane Snyder, his wife of 62 years. "The most we ever had at one time was five. You’re not supposed to have more than three, but no one ever told on us."

Mr. Snyder, of Fort Worth, a retired vice president of advertising for the Star-Telegram, died Saturday afternoon. He’d had Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases for the last few years. He was 85.

He grew up in Fort Worth and graduated from Arlington Heights High School. He joined the Army Air Forces during World War II as a gunnery instructor and flight engineer in the Pacific Theater.

He met his future wife while delivering groceries for his uncle’s store, and the two married after he returned from the war. He got a job at the Fort Worth Press, where he worked his way up to advertising manager. In 1952, the Star-Telegram hired him as a retail advertising salesman. He became a vice president in 1981.

Mr. Snyder was also a fisherman and a gardener. He owned a racing boat, sports cars and a pecan orchard near Granbury, but he was all work on weekdays, a former co-worker said.

He won the prestigious Silver Medal Award from the American Advertising Federation. He not only didn’t take vacations but gently chided others who did, said former Publisher Wes Turner, who was hired by Snyder.

"He had a great heart, and he was a real father figure for a lot of us," Turner said.
Mr. Snyder was also a bit of a prankster, said Melinda Mason, who worked for him and is now community relations manager for the paper.

Mr. Snyder once convinced her that he cooked his Thanksgiving turkey each year over the chimney on his rooftop.

"It was really elaborate. He said his neighbors would watch, and he described a wire basket he would put the turkey in," Mason said. "He was making fun of my naivete, and I really fell for it."
His daughter, Kelle Snyder Hill of Houston, had not heard that story but she said she wasn’t surprised.

"He was so precious," she said.

Mr. Snyder is also survived by his son, Tracy Snyder of Benbrook.

Jim Stuart to Speak in Fort Smith

Jim Stuart, past president of AAF-FW and past AAF District 10 governor, will be the featured speaker at the July meeting of AAF-Fort Smith, Arkansas. His presentation, "Get it? Got it. Good!" is all about listening, learning, leading and loving - some of what it takes to succeed in the business of ideas.

For 15 years, Jim Stuart was chief executive officer of Stuart Bacon Advertising in Public Relations, the agency he founded with Randy Bacon in 1987, which served a variety of local, regional, national and international clients with full-service advertising and public relations capabilities.

In 1996, Stuart Bacon was named to the Inc. 500 list of America’s fastest growing private companies. The agency was selected 1998 Employer of the Year by the Downtown Fort Worth Rotary Club, 1998 Small Business of the Year by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, and in 2000, named by ADWEEK as one of the largest in the Southwest.

In an interactive presentation and discussion, this veteran adman, agency principal, university instructor and, briefly, Starbucks barista will share with the Fort Smith group some hard-knock wisdom, a handful of how to’s and a few secret recipes for success in creating, communicating and inspiring.

AAF-FW's July Meeting is a Sell-Out

Two days before the July meeting, the Ad Club's program, "Google's Digital Landscape: Ten Best Practices," featuring David Dietze of Google Marketing, is a sell out. Those who wish to add themselves to a waiting list may do so by clicking here.

Hondo Group Welcomes Three Summer Interns

The Hondo Group, a Fort Worth-based marketing communications company, is pleased to announce the addition of three summer interns to their Texas team. The interns will serve as assistants in various departments throughout the company expanding their knowledge of the creative and operational processes within the organization.

A diverse group of students from three schools were recruited to fill the summer internship positions. Hondo welcomed Sara Facundo (UNT), Tara Kuykendall (University of Central OK) and Jessica Lo (TCU) to the Fort Worth office.

"It is exciting to meet college students with such a profound interest in expanding their education," said Lynn Balinas, president of The Hondo Group. "We are eager to teach the interns what we know as well as learn fresh ideas from them."

Ad Club Hires New Executive Administrator

If you’ve attended the last few meetings of the AAF-Fort Worth, you may have noticed a new face at the door. Or, if you’re a long-time member of the Ad Club, you may have recognized a familiar face. Lori Campell was recently hired as the Ad Club’s new Executive Administrator.

While Lori is new to most of our members, those who were members in the 1980s will remember Lori from a time when she was the public relations and advertising manager at First National Bank of Fort Worth (now Bank of America), and was a member of our club.

Since then, Lori has been a lender at three banks – in areas ranging from private banking to Executive and Professional Lending to SBA Lending to Commercial Lending. In 2004, she elected to leave banking to pursue a less-structured worklife and became self-employed, offering bookkeeping services and Quickbooks advisory services.

With a career that has given her strong experience in all things financial, as well as in marketing, Lori is uniquely positioned to help our club move forward over the coming years. Join us in welcoming Lori to our team!