Blog: Chad Wiebesick

Does Ann Arbor have its own Mad Men culture? Chad Wiebesick says yes. As the Interactive Strategy Director at Perich Advertising + Design and president of the Ann Arbor Ad Club he probably knows what he's talking about. Guess what he'll be writing about in this week's guest blog?

Chad Wiebesick - Post No 4: Ann Arbor Advertising Awards Show Honors the Best in Creative Excellence

 

Each year Ann Arbor hosts the area’s most revered and anticipated advertising awards show – the Ann Arbor ADDY Awards. With hundreds of local entries and the chance to compete nationally amongst 50,000 entries, the stakes are high and the competition tough.

Conducted annually by the American Advertising Federation (AAF),
the local Ann Arbor ADDY Awards is the first of a three-tier, national competition. Local winners from Ann Arbor continue to the regional level, competing against winners from Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana. Regional winners then compete nationally. Entry in the local ADDY competition is the first step toward winning a national ADDY. The ADDY Awards is the advertising industry's largest and most representative competition, attracting over 50,000 entries every year across the nation.

The Ann Arbor ADDY Awards recognizes exceptional advertising created in Washtenaw County and throughout Southeastern Michigan. The awards honor advertising excellence in all media including print, broadcast, online, out-of-home and public service advertising.

This is Ann Arbor’s 14th year in hosting the ADDY awards competition. In the past, Ann Arbor firms have won at the national level. Can Ann Arbor repeat history? It’s an incredible opportunity for national recognition. Last year’s national winners included work from BBDO, Deutsch, Leo Burnett, Ogilvy, and a host of smaller shops.

A panel of outside judges will gather in Ann Arbor in late January to select the local winners out of over one-hundred anticipated submissions. Last year, work was entered for the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation, Detroit Institute of Arts, Saleen Automotive, Walsh College, and many other companies. Only the most creative advertising campaigns win in their respective categories.

The ADDY’s is the Academy Awards of Ann Arbor advertising. The awards are prestigious and the ceremony is exquisite. You’ll feel at home wearing a tuxedo or gown, drinking a cocktail, and mingling with the city’s best and brightest advertising and creative executives. The Ann Arbor Ad Club ADDY awards winners will be honored during a gala on February 19th at the University of Michigan’s Rackham Graduate School. Proceeds from the ADDY awards help support the Ann Arbor Ad Club’s educational programs, public service projects and proactive government relations efforts.

To be eligible for consideration of an ADDY, all work must have been published or aired between January 1st, 2009 and December 31st, 2009. Entries are welcome from members and non-members and must be received by 5 p.m. before January 18th, 2010 at either University Litho, 4150 Varsity Drive in Ann Arbor or at Print Tech, 6800 Jackson Road in Ann Arbor. For more information, contact Blaine Aldrich at (313) 660-4122 or email judging@a2ac.org. Or, just drop me a line.