sfBIG provides a great networking platform for online marketing professionals in the Bay Area. Its events are always informative, well organized, dynamic and fun. Strongly recommended!
Inaugural honors by sfBIG salute best online ad campaigns, agencies, industry leaders
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — June 30, 2010 — San Francisco Bay Area Interactive Group (sfBIG), has announced the winners of its first BIG Star Awards for digital marketing excellence among local agencies, ad campaigns and industry leaders.
Presented at a sold-out event sponsored by AOL in San Francisco, awards were given for the best in online creative, media, mobile, social and local agency campaigns. Also honored were the next "BIG" digital startup, salesperson, media planner and agency. Special honors went to a community service volunteer and a lifetime achievement recipient.
Winning agencies, companies and individuals included Goodby, Silverstein and Partners, Mediasmith, AKQA, Pereira & O'Dell, 5th Finger, Engine Company 1, Sprout, Ootem Advertising, Heather Holcomb of the Wall Street Journal, Meg Donovan of AKQA, Mark Crafts of Team View Group and sfBIG president John Durham.
"The extraordinarily high quality of work by these organizations and individuals proves that the Bay Area is the epicenter of innovation in digital marketing," said John Durham, who received the organization's first Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the local digital marketing industry.
"These awards are about recognizing an advertising community that has locally grown, yet globally applied ideas. The digital world takes note as the San Francisco Bay Area sets the standards and trends for the online industry," said Durham.
Durham and Scot McLernon founded sfBIG in 2004 as a networking and professional development organization for Bay Area online marketing professionals. Now the second largest group of its kind in the U.S. with more than 650 members, sfBIG holds frequent content events and networking activities. Members also work in partnership with the San Francisco Unified School District in a donation project to bring more computers to public school classrooms.
"The judges had a tough time selecting winners from so many creative entries and talented nominees," said Jon Raj of Cello Partners, who served as master of ceremonies and lead judge for a panel of some two dozen sfBIG executive board members and others who participated in the judging. "The best entries were those that married engaging creative with cutting-edge technology to come up with bold, innovative campaigns."
The complete list of BIG Star Awards:
- Best Online Campaign — Goodby, Silverstein and Partners for Sprint Now
- Best Digital Media Plan — Mediasmith for Haiti Earthquake Relief
- Best Use of Rich Media — AKQA for Visa Go
- Best Use of Social Media — Pereira & O'Dell for LEGO Cl!ck
- Best Digital Campaign, Local Agency — Engine Company 1 for "The Secret Lives of Seahorses" (Monterey Bay Aquarium)
- Best Use of Mobile — 5th Finger for MyCoke Rewards
- Next BIG Digital Startup — Sprout
- Next BIG Salesperson — Heather Holcomb, Wall Street Journal
- Next BIG Media Planner — Meg Donovan, AKQA
- Next BIG Agency — Ootem Advertising
- Lynn Ingham Community Service Award — Mark Crafts, Team View Group
- Lifetime Achievement Award — John Durham, Catalyst: SF
The BIG Star Awards dinner was held at the City Club in San Francisco on June 24. Rich LeFurgy of Archer Advisors was the keynote speaker.
###
About sfBIG
sfBIG (San Francisco Bay Area Interactive Group) is a non-profit professional association founded in 2004 and dedicated to promoting and supporting innovation in digital marketing among brand marketers, publishers and agencies through educational, networking, and association events. Feel free to follow, connect, and fan with us on Twitter, Linked In, and Facebook.
Contacts:
Duffy Jennings
(408) 896-6900
duffy@duffyjennings.com
Stephanie Yang
(415) 518-5731
stephanieyang2000@yahoo.com