AAF District 10 Presents Southwest Airlines with Innovation and Leadership in Advertising Award

James Edmund Datri, president and CEO of The American Advertising Federation (AAF) presented AAF Tenth District’s highest honor of leadership and innovation in advertising to Southwest Airlines and its portfolio of agencies on May 12 in Austin. Dave Ridley, senior vice president, Marketing and Revenue Management for Southwest Airlines, accepted the award at a special dinner at GSD&M Idea City.

The Innovation and Leadership in Advertising Award (ILA) recognizes Southwest Airlines and its agencies for many years of inventive advertising programs. This is the fourth year AAF has hosted the ILA Award that highlights companies that exemplify excellence in Media Use, Employment in AAF District Ten, Diversity and Creative Leadership.

In accepting the award, Ridley said, “Wow, to follow behind AT&T, JC Penney and Walmart! What an honor! On behalf of Southwest Airlines, we’re honored to be recognized tonight from the American Advertising Federation 10^th District for this very prestigious award. We could not have made this journey here without all of agencies and partners who have helped made this possible. “

Southwest Airlines’ partner advertising agencies that shared in the award included: GSD&M Idea City – Austin; Camelot Communications, Inc. – Dallas; Y&R Brands/Wunderman Southern California – Irvine, Dieste, Inc. – Dallas; and Dae Advertising – San Francisco.

Kevin Cassis, president of the Austin Ad Federation, kicked off award ceremonies. In welcoming more than 225 guests and congratulating Southwest Airlines, Cassis said, “We’re so pleased that the ILA event was held in Austin, a world class creative center. Competing against cities like New York and Chicago, the Austin Ad Fed will be recognized as the Division One AAF Club of the Year at the national AAF convention in June.”

Southwest Airlines’ Dana Williams, director of Marketing and Communications, also presented a fall internship for an ILA Scholarship recipient. The internship winner, Erin Landy, a University of Texas Advertising major graduating in 2011, will receive a $5,000 scholarship from the AAF Tenth District.

Said Datri, “It was an honor to be a part of this year’s ILA ceremonies – by all accounts the very best yet! A great brand (Southwest), a great spot (GSD&M Idea City), great food, great energy, a great and distinguished crowd, and a host of top-notch sponsors made the event a huge success. Bravo and congratulations to Ann Iverson – ILA Committee Chair; John Aguillard – ILA Committee Co-Chair; Governor Goldston; Executive Director Kevin Dobbs; and the AAF Tenth District Leadership for a wonderful and successful event. The Tenth District Shines Bright!”

Event sponsors included: VISA, BET Networks, Coca-Cola, 4 Guys Interactive, Gannett Digital Media Network, Microsoft Advertising, VML and The Wyndham Hotel Group. In-kind sponsors included: Clampitt Paper, GSD&M Idea City and The Whitley Printing Company, all of Austin.

ABOUT THE AAF

The American Advertising Federation (AAF) headquartered in Washington, D.C., acts as the “Unifying Voice for Advertising.” The AAF is the oldest national advertising trade association, representing 40,000 professionals in the advertising industry. The AAF has a national network of 200 ad clubs located in ad communities across the country. Through its 225 college chapters, the AAF provides nearly 7,500 advertising students with real-world case studies and recruitment connections to corporate America. The AAF also has 130 blue-chip corporate members that are advertisers, agencies and media companies, comprising the nation’s leading brands and corporations. For more information, visit the AAF’s Web site at www.aaf.org.

RED PRODUCTIONS SHOOTS FEATURE FILM EXCLUSIVELY IN FORT WORTH

Setting for comedy “Searching for Sonny” honors local film production company’s roots

Fort Worth gets a taste of Hollywood starting this week as local film production company Red Productions begins shooting “Searching for Sonny,” a comedy written and directed by Cowtown native Andrew Disney.

“It’s been a long time since a full-length feature film was shot here,” said Red Sanders, ‘Sonny’ producer and owner of Red Productions. “We’re excited to use our lens to bring notoriety to the community that has supported us from the beginning and that has such a strong devotion to the arts.”

According to Sanders, scenes for “Searching for Sonny” will be shot at the following well-known local sites:

· Trinity Valley School

· Historic Electric Building

· Ol’ South Pancake House

· Caravan Inn

· Spinks Airport

“After combing the country for the right script, we ended up finding the perfect one in our own backyard,” continued Sanders. “Andrew Disney is extremely talented and shares in our vision to bring great filmmaking to Fort Worth; we’re excited to be teaming up with him for ‘Sonny’ and beyond.”

Cast members joining ‘Sonny’ include Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Masi Oka (“Heroes,” “Get Smart”), Minka Kelly (“Friday Night Lights,” “500 Days of Summer”) and Jason Dohring (“Veronica Mars”). They appear alongside Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney, who form the New York City comedy duo BriTANick, best known for their recent Internet sketch video “Movie Title.”

Members of the community who are interested in participating as extras in the film are welcome to send an e-mail to extras@redproductions.com and are asked to provide their contact information, age and gender.

About “Searching for Sonny”

“Searching for Sonny” is a film that tells the story of Calvin, Elliot and Gary who return to their high school reunion to discover that their old buddy, Sonny, is missing under mysterious circumstances. After run-ins with the law, an ex-girlfriend and the corpse of the high school quarterback, the mystery turns meta when they realize that everything happening seems eerily similar to a play they performed in high school – a play Sonny wrote. To learn more, visit www.searchingforsonny.com or visit its Facebook page.

About Red Productions

Red Productions is an Emmy award-winning film and video production company based in Fort Worth, Tex., specializing in feature, documentary, commercial and industrial films to be distributed through theaters, TV, DVD and the Web. To learn more, visit www.redproductions.com or visit its Facebook page.

National Expert in PR Measurement Speaks May 19 in Fort Worth

The Greater Fort Worth Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America announces that on May 19, Katie Paine, a national expert on public relations measurement, will lead a half-day professional development workshop and luncheon presentation on public relations and social media metrics.

Both the workshop and the luncheon will be held at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth and PRSA members and non-members alike are invited to attend. For additional information, including workshop pricing, or to register for the events, visit www.fortworthprsa.org.

Paine’s morning workshop will begin at 8:00 a.m. and cover the key elements of engagement, including quantitative, qualitative and new relationship metrics. She will also discuss cost- effective measurement solutions for budget-conscious companies. Over lunch, Paine will lead a session reviewing the principles of measurement and how they apply to the new, wild world of social media. The luncheon and the workshop are sponsored by the Balcom Agency.

Paine is the CEO and founder of KDPaine & Partners LLC and author of Measuring Public Relationships: The Data Driven Communicator's Guide to Success. She also writes the first blog and the first newsletters dedicated entirely to measurement and accountability. For the past two decades, Paine has been providing marketers and communications professionals the tools, data and information to help them make better business decisions.

2010 National ADDY Awards

Saturday June 12

Orlando, Florida

With over 60,000 entries annually, the ADDY® Awards are the world’s largest and arguably toughest advertising competition. The ADDY® Awards represent the true spirit of creative excellence by recognizing all forms of advertising from media of all types, creative by all sizes and entrants of all levels from anywhere in the world.

Entrance to the ADDY® Awards is included in 2010 AAF National Conference Registration. To purchase a separate ticket, please complete this form and return to Lucille Hill via fax: (202) 898-0159, or e-mail: lhill@aaf.org.


Tickets will be available for pick up on site at the AAF national conference registration desk, beginning Wednesday, June 9. Please be sure to claim them prior to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 12.

Meet the Future of Advertising

NSAC Recruiters Expo
This June, the best advertising students in the country will all be in the same room. Be there to meet them.

NSAC Recruiters Expo
June 11, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek & Waldorf Astoria, Orlando, Fla.

Hosted during AAF's National Conference 2010, the NSAC Recruiters Expo offers companies the opportunity to meet and explore career opportunities with the national finalists for the National Student Advertising Competition. These students have been judged to be the best by the country's top advertising executives in their district competitions.

Students will have the opportunity to learn about internships and career opportunities from recruiters representing some of the nation's top advertising, marketing and communications companies.

To learn more about the AAF National Conference, please visit www.aaf.org/conference. For questions or more information about recruiter packages, contact Candace Elliott at celliott@aaf.org.

Fort Worth Professional Earns Accreditation in Public Relations

Margaret Ritsch, director of public relations with Balcom Agency in Fort Worth, Texas has successfully completed the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations, entitling her to use the APR professional designation. The announcement was made by the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB), a consortium of nine professional communication organizations that directs this competency certification program.

The Accreditation program aims to improve the practice of public relations by assessing competence in 60 areas of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with the profession. The Examination is designed for public relations professionals with five to seven years of job experience and/or a bachelor’s degree in a communication field. Candidates who successfully complete the rigorous process, including presenting his/her portfolio to a Readiness Review panel of three peers and sitting for a computer-based Examination, are granted the APR.

“Earning the APR reflects a mastery of the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to succeed in our increasingly complex profession,” said Felicia Blow, APR, 2009 chair of the Universal Accreditation Board. “Practitioners who achieve the designation are demonstrating their commitment not only to our profession, but also to a strong code of ethics and to the betterment of their organizations and clients.”

The computer-based portion of the Examination is administered throughout the year at more than 300 Prometric Testing Centers. The Readiness Review is conducted prior to the computer-based portion of the Examination by a panel of three Accredited members of one or more of the nine organizations participating in the UAB. Professionals earning the APR must maintain their credential through continuing professional development, providing leadership to the profession and serving their local communities.

About the Universal Accreditation Board
The UAB was established in 1998 by a coalition of public relations professional organizations that today includes the Agricultural Relations Council, Asociación de Relacionistas Profesionales de Puerto Rico, Florida Public Relations Association, Maine Public Relations Council, National School Public Relations Association, Public Relations Society of America, Religion Communicators Council, Southern Public Relations Federation and Texas Public Relations Association. Each organization contributes resources and senior-level volunteer members who represent all segments of the public relations profession.

For more information about the UAB and the APR designation, visit www.praccreditation.org.

April Luncheon Features The Man Behind the Brand

Learn the secrets behind some of the best known brands from The Man Behind the Brand, Erin Patton. Patton is widely regarded as one of the nation’s foremost experts on branding, sports marketing and urban consumer behavior. As Founder & Principal of award-winning brand management consulting firm, The Mastermind Group (TMG), he has counseled Fortune 500 brands including Jordan, Double-Mint Gum, Motorola, AT&T, Exxon-Mobil, Adidas, Converse, Mercedes-Benz, Ford Motor Company, Coors Light, Absolut and Macy’s in addition to global sports icons LeBron James and Venus and Serena Williams.

Patton also currently serves on the faculty of the SMU Cox School of Business Department of Marketing as an Adjunct Lecturer. His book, “Under The Influence: Tracing the Hip-Hop Generation’s Impact on Brands, Sports & Pop Culture” serves as a practical guide for marketers and media practitioners looking to define this transcultural audience and translate its $300 billion market opportunity in a new consumer paradigm and digital age. Books will be available for sale (and autographs) at the luncheon for $25.

When:

April 21, 2010

11:45 am to 1 pm

Where:

Joe T. Garcia's

"La Puertita," 2201 N Commerce St

Fort Worth, TX 76106

Fee:

Executive Member Included with Dues

Non Member $35

Professional or member of another AAF Club $20

Student $15

RSVP:

Click here to RSVP by April 20, 2010

{algo+rhythm} welcomes Woodward Oge

{algo+rhythm} welcomes Woodward Oge as their Digital Strategist and will be the agency’s lead for Strategic Initiatives in Social Media.

Woodward brings over 9 years of deep and diverse sales, marketing and analytical experience to {algo+rhythm}. Most recently, he worked as a consultant to the Boy Scouts of America, helping develop a digital and social media strategy for their re-branding initiative. He has been involved in international transactions with some of the world's biggest airlines at Source One Spares, including Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines and Cathay Pacific. Prior to getting his MBA, Woodward was self-employed as an equity options trader. He has worked as an analyst in institutional equity sales at Lehman Brothers and as a financial advisor in the Private Client Group at Merrill Lynch.

He holds an MBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurship and a BBA in Finance, both from Texas Christian University.

Twitter: twitter.com/WoodwardOge
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/woodwardoge

AAF-Fort Worth to Honor TCU Football with Dateline Award

The American Advertising Federation – Fort Worth (AAF-Fort Worth) will recognize the Texas Christian University football program with the 2009 Dateline Award for the team’s success in bringing the national spotlight to Fort Worth.

Sponsored by TCU ISP Sports Network, the Dateline award presentation and luncheon will be on Thursday, March 25, at Joe T. Garcias from 11:45 am to 1 pm. To register for the event, click HERE by Wednesday, March 24.

“The impressive performance by the TCU Horned Frog football team this season has given Fort Worth national exposure and showed the nation the pride that Fort Worth has for our city,” said Jason Parker, president of AAF-Fort Worth.

As the Frogs began their regular season, which ended in an undefeated 12-0 season, the nation began to take notice of the underdogs in purple. Following TCU’s climb to number four in the BCS rankings, ESPN College Gameday headed to Fort Worth for the first time on November 14, to cover the Horned Frogs battle against the Utah Utes. The city of Fort Worth received national exposure and Lee Corso donned the famous SuperFrog head in support of a Frog victory, for the second time that season.

The Utah victory sealed the Frog’s number four BCS ranking and following Air Force and New Mexico losses, the Mountain West Conference Championship. All the while the city of Fort Worth and the nation rallied behind the Frog’s quest for a BCS bowl game, which culminated in an invitation to the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, AZ to compete in their first BCS bowl game.

“There is a real ‘town and gown' relationship that you feel here,” said Chris Del Conte, TCU’s athletic director. “We try to paint the town purple. The mayor of Fort Worth declared Fridays to be ‘Purple Day,' and every city employee wears purple. Those are the sort of things that happen when you're the only team in town.”

Previous Dateline Award recipients include celebrity the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, Chef Tim Love, the North Texas Speedway, the Van Cliburn Competition and Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.

ADDY Gala Photos: A Picture Perfect Cause

Commemorate your ADDY experience and donate to a good cause. You can purchase Fort Worth ADDY photos for $5.00 and Photographer Ed Blinn will donate the proceeds to Advertising Education Sponsorships (AES), which financially assists local students in the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) and provides student scholarships.

Don't forget to check out the gallery posted on the AAF-Fort Worth Facebook Fan page.

AAF-FORT WORTH REACHES OUT TO HELP THE HUNGRY

More than two dozen members and friends of the American Advertising Federation-Fort Worth volunteered Saturday morning at the Tarrant Area Food Bank, where they packed non-perishable foods for distribution.

According to the food bank, one in eight Tarrant-area residents received emergency food assistance from the service organization in the past three months.

“More people than ever need a little help these days, and the Tarrant Area Food Bank is an incredible organization serving our community as well as 12 neighboring counties,” said Jason Parker, president of AAF-Fort Worth. “The level of service it provides given its day-to-day challenges is amazing, and our members find it gratifying to volunteer their time to assist the organization in its fight against hunger.”

AAF, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009, has a long history of civic contribution, supplying creative and advertising talent to a host of local organizations over the years, including an annual benefit concert to support Limbs for Life.

If you are interested in requesting volunteers from AAF-Fort Worth or joining one of our volunteer projects, please fill out our volunteer form.

To learn more about the Tarrant Area Food Bank, visit www.tafb.org.

Click Here to view the volunteer photo gallery.

FORT WORTH ADVERTISING INDUSTRY ANSWERED THE QUESTION: WHO’S YOUR ADDY? WITH IMPRESSIVE ENTRIES FROM LOCAL COMMUNITY

Fort Worth’s advertising elite gathered at The Ashton Depot February 27, 2010, for a gala to celebrate the 2009 ADDY® Awards and show.

The Best of Show honor for the 2009 ADDY® Awards went to Warren Douglas for their Briannas’ campaign, developed for Del Sol Food, Co.

As Best of Show, Warren Douglas may assume the role of campaign creator for the 2010 ADDY® Awards. Balcom Agency handled this years’ creative – which included the lyrical theme, “Who’s your ADDY?”

Robeegraffix Advertising Design, llc received the Best of Show – Print award for the Board of Director’s Gift book, created for Fort Worth-based XTO Energy Inc.

Red Productions won Best of Show - Electronic Award for their Dallas Cowboys Season 2009 campaign – season opener created for the Dallas Cowboys.

Three special judges awards were also given at Saturday night’s event.

The Balcom Agency won a special judges award for “Fossil Fuels. They’re a Gas” billboard created for the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. Concussion won a special judges award for “Armed Forces Bowl – More than a Bowl Game” Campaign. And the third special judges award went to Red Productions for their Christmas Card video 2009.

In addition to professional awards, several students were recognized at Saturday’s gala with outstanding creative on display from Texas Christian University, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of North Texas and Westwood College.

Student Best of Show was awarded to Mitchell Ditto of the University of North Texas for his Seventh Generation Campaign. And special judges awards went to Megan Mead of The University of North Texas, Martha Cornejo of TCU, and Katelyn English of TCU.

The contest drew 640 total entries. Gold ADDY winners will now compete in the Tenth District ADDYs in April in Amarillo, Texas. Winners at the district level will move on to the National ADDYs on June 10 in Orlando, FL.