The American Advertising Federation Awards, colloquially the ADDYs, are like the Oscars of advertising. They recognize creative ad design across platforms—from print ads to electronic media. This year’s theme was “Battle of the Brands,” so people came out in spades either dressed to the nines in red carpet attire or decked out in sophisticated rocker grunge. In both cases, leather was a defining outfit element.
The only difference between the Oscars and the ADDYs is that there are no acceptance speeches, and therefore no justifiable reason to play winners off the stage with pre-recorded elevator music. Awards are also given out in levels: gold, silver, and bronze. Oh, and only a handful of A-list actors are ever able to attend. Okay, so there are a few differences… We digress.
The award ceremony itself is conducted by the American Advertising Federation, with competitions at the local, district, and national levels. This past Friday, the ADDYs in Fort Worth were held at the historic Ridglea Theater on Camp Bowie Blvd. The bright white and red ceiling lights of its outdoor entryway produced a majestic feel, and the featured band—fittingly named The Swags—helped solidify the rock’n’roll atmosphere of the event.
Upon entering the famed theater, there was a gallery of each present agency’s submitted creative work: everything from brochures to billboards to videos and clients ranging from the Fort Worth Zoo to Driskill Guitars and everything in-between.
The event kicked off after guests had perused the gallery and chowed down on the varied assortment of fare and cocktails, with The Swags performing hits like “Moonage Daydream” by David Bowie and “Ex’s and Oh’s” by Elle King to get the crowd pumped.
Once everyone had taken their seats, the main event began, with an accented-announcer and a jazzy slideshow displaying the winners in each of the numerous categories of both student artwork and agency designs. The winners’ submissions for each category were almost as diverse as the guests’ getups, with the award for Best in Show going to Red Productions for their video entitled “Relevance Matters,” a funny look at the utility of the Internet when searches are done within the proper context.
But enough about everyone else! J.O. received a Special Judges Award for Outdoor for our Worthington National Bank billboard design. We are proud and honored to have been recognized, and we can’t wait for what next year’s ADDYs have in store!
Cheers,
J.O.
