ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 28, 1996 TAG: 9601260041
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: G-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MEGAN SCHNABEL STAFF WRITER
How do you form your first impression of a new city?
Quite likely, it's with the help of local advertising.
In a visitor's mind, classy, creative ads equal a classy, creative city. Advertising in poor taste? It reflects on the community, too.
So be thankful, said Lynn Lavery, that the Roanoke Valley is home to creative, talented advertising minds.
"Roanoke should be glad that they have this quality," said Lavery, president of L. Lavery & Co. advertising in Macon, Ga., and one of the regional judges for this year's annual American Advertising Awards. "The quality of work in this market is excellent."
Lavery was joined in judging by Todd Lepley, a copywriter for The Marketing Group Inc. in Pittsburgh, and Cheryl Canterbury, owner of a graphic design firm in Huntington, W.Va.
In awards presented Saturday night, The Packett Group of Roanoke captured the largest number of prizes - 22 first- and second-place awards - followed by The Maddox Agency of Roanoke with 10. The competition was sponsored by the Advertising Federation of the Roanoke Valley.
The judges, who reviewed the entries Jan. 20, awarded 31 Addys, or top-level prizes, and 60 citations, which are second-place awards. Not every category included an Addy winner.
The award for best-of-show was given to Russell McKenney Advertising of Roanoke for a public service poster and radio campaign created for the Harrison Museum of African-American History.
The campaign, which promotes the museum's traveling exhibit, includes a series of three black-and-white posters and two radio spots.
Public service campaigns often can be more creative than advertising that clients pay for, Lavery said, because not-for-profit clients tend to be more receptive of unusual ideas, perhaps because they aren't paying for the marketing services.
As with all the best entries, the Harrison Museum campaign worked as a cohesive unit, the judges said, with art, music and copy all working together to present a message.
If just one facet of a campaign isn't quite right, Canterbury said, the entire effort can fall flat.
"Just because something is creative doesn't mean it works," Lavery added.
While the judges agreed that Roanoke area print advertising is stronger than its electronic counterpart, all three cited several electronic campaigns. They awarded two Addys and nine citations for television and radio spots.
A television commercial created by The Maddox Agency for Lewis-Gale Hospital received an Addy for its production quality and its unique look at health care. The spot, which featured the song "Only You," puts human faces on the hospital by showing patients and doctors rather than buildings and statistics.
"It took more liberties than most hospital spots," Lavery said. "They did something different."
A new category, interactive computer design, drew two entries. A citation was awarded Blair Communications of Lynchburg for a kiosk, designed for the city of Lynchburg, that explained sewage containment and treatment processes.
"It's nice to see a variety of work," Lepley said. "Sometimes, in small markets, executions get copied."
This year's competition drew a large number of student entries as well, said Lindy Adams, president of the Advertising Federation of the Roanoke Valley.
The judges awarded three student awards and three student citations for work done by students at Radford University, Virginia Tech and Virginia Western Community College.
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Russel McKenney Advertising won the award forby CNBbest-of-show for its public service poster and radio campaign
created for the Harrison Museum of African-American History. Chart:
All about Addys.