Ad 2 Dallas, a philanthropic and networking group for passionate young advertising professionals, earned BEST PUBLIC SERVICE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN for its work on Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support’s Be Her First Step campaign, directed and edited by Sai Selvarajan, in the annual ADMERICA! competition in Chicago, IL. Ad 2 Dallas tops the shortlist for awards honoring the best nonprofit advertising campaigns in the nation. Hailed as the highest honor a city’s Ad 2 chapter can attain, the award recognizes excellence for public service in advertising.
To be eligible for the award, the chapter must create a holistic advertising campaign for a local nonprofit at no cost to that nonprofit. Judges included President/Chief Creative Officer at Douthit Design Group Dwight Douthit, Senior Art Director and Founder of Blacks in Advertising Candace Queen, Founder of We Are Next Natalie Kim, and Incoming Governor for AAF District 14 and Design Manager of the Sacramento News & Review Christopher Terrazas.
Ad 2 Dallas worked with Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support to develop the Be Her First Step campaign aimed at educating Dallas/Fort Worth on how we can be her first step away from domestic violence. The campaign, which included TV, out of home, digital ads and website content creation garnered over 56 million impressions and delivered over $690,000 in value over 5 months.
“Ad 2 Dallas has set the standard for innovation, impact and imagination in advertising,” said Suzanne La Forgia, President of AAF Dallas. “This award is a testament to the skill, ingenuity, and vision of the public service team.”
“We wanted to showcase Dallas as a hub of advertising and creativity in a way that makes a positive impact in our community,” said Jesse Barnett, Ad 2 Dallas’ Public Service Director. “We’re so honored to have been recognized for our work.”
Ad 2 Dallas was able to donate all of this media thanks to local Dallas organizations including Bedford Advertising, Big Outdoor, Clear Channel Outdoor, XL Digital Imaging, Lucky 21, Lucky Post, Richards/Lerma and Spectrum Reach. Ad 2 Dallas’ Public Service Directors are Jesse Barnett, Michelle McCain, Chris Petrawski and McKenzie Teng.
About AD 2 DALLAS
Ad 2 Dallas, an affiliate of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), is a volunteer-based organization for advertising professionals who are 32 or younger. Ad 2 Dallas helps up-and-coming professionals gain the skills and contacts they need to become tomorrow’s industry leaders through networking and educational events, public service opportunities and social gatherings.
For more information about Ad 2 Dallas or if you would like to become a member, visit www.ad2dallas.org.
Sonic Branding For Social Media: Engage, Align, Connect
By Chad Cook -- With more than five billion people accessing social media daily, savvy brands understand the importance of cultivating a strong social identity. They devote massive resources toward brand awareness, audience targeting, content strategy and community engagement. Yet, while they know that social platforms are critical to boosting sales and attracting new customers, many neglect one of the most effective tools for connecting with consumers: sonic branding. Marketers often associate sonic branding with catchy mnemonics used by big brands like McDonald’s, Netflix and Intel in their advertising. But that is a very limited view of what sonic branding is and what it can do. Sonic branding is a way to build awareness and stimulate engagement across all touch points, from advertising to broadcast digital, in-person and social. And it’s not limited to members of the Fortune 500. Brands at all levels can benefit from a sonic identity that is memorable, engaging and reflective of its core values. Sound has been scientifically proven to be deeply tied to memory and emotion. There’s a reason that certain songs stick in your head and bring back memories formed years or even decades earlier. So, it’s surprising that sonic branding is often an afterthought in marketing plans. That is especially true in social media marketing. Faced with tight deadlines and strained budgets, creative teams are often tempted to select music for their content simply because it “fits.” Unfortunately, that may result in content that is in tune with what’s trending but is out of tune with brand identity. Effective sonic branding, by contrast, requires thoughtful strategic planning,... Read More