THE BAR WAS RAISED THIS YEAR, both in terms of the quantity and quality of entries to the 2003 PRO Awards, sponsored by PROMO to recognize the best in promotion and integrated marketing. Nearly 400 exhibits were received, up 60% over last year, and returning judges said they were struck by the caliber of the work presented. Is this yet another indication of the long-awaited turnaround, or were brands and their agencies just putting their very best efforts into whatever work came through the pipeline and eager to let the world know about it? Could be either and both.

The winners from among these finalists (listed alphabetically by category below) will be announced Wednesday, October 1, at the PRO Awards Gala held in Chicago in conjunction with the PROMO Expo. For more details, visit www.promoexpo.com.

Best Multidiscipline Campaign

Do You Know a Brawny Man?

DVC Worldwide
This campaign for the Georgia-Pacific paper towel brand took the PMA's Super Reggie earlier this year. Our judges liked the workman-like thoroughness of the he-man next door contest, which incorporated in-store, Internet and p.r. components to bring new life to a tired brand.

Kickoff 2002

National Football League
If you didn't hear about this one, which rock were you under? Ostensibly intended to lift New York tourism from its post-Sept. 11 malaise, this party in Times Square gave professional football a big shot in the arm. Sweeps, merchandising, Internet and, oh yes, lots of TV coverage were served up.

Stoli — Look Beneath the Surface

LIME Public Relations & Promotions
Event as art, via Diane von Furstenberg. The designer provided a signature gift wrap for this holiday promotion, which the vodka brand used in-store and ads. It then went the extra step, wrapping an entire landmark NYC building in the “holiday spirit.”

WONKAaahh!!!

Frankel
This candy maker grabbed loads of kid-attention (its key demographic) with its new screaming (!) candy, plus screaming contests staged at theme park roller coaster venues. Internet, on-pack and in-store initiatives supported.

Best Use of Advertising

No finalists selected

Best Use of Event Marketing (5 or Fewer Venues)

Kickoff 2002

National Football League
See above

Loews Cineplex “ReelMoms”

Marinelli Communications
Talk about empathy with your target market! Rumor has it that this campaign, which invites new moms into movie houses for midday screenings and chat with other moms, originated with a house-bound wife of a Sony/Loews exec.

Oxygen: Addicted to Love

The GEM Group
The “cable network for women” hyped its Addicted to Love Week programming with local “speed dating” events at a slew of mall stores. The events put consumers into eight-minute chats in the hopes of a love connection. Local radio contests, as well as TV and online, supported.

Snuggle Fiesta del Cariño Hispanic Laundromat Party

Mass Promotions
Who wouldn't want to get close and cuddly with this fabric softener brand, especially as represented by its spokes-bear? Based in laundromats in Hispanic neighborhoods, this campaign included sampling, coupons and photo ops.

Best Use of Event Marketing (More than 5 Venues)

Matchbox Across America 50th Birthday Celebration

Source Marketing
In a year of anniversaries, this road tour for the little cars long-beloved by young boys (and a fair number of girls) provided plenty of hands-on retailtainment.

Mobile Investigation Unit

Court TV
Calling all would-be detectives! The law-and-order cable channel touted its programming via crime solving labs. The tour included a partnership with KlaasKids, free digital fingerprinting to families and child safety education. Branded trucks were modified for local affiliates and sponsors.

Route 2002: An American Road Trip

BBDO Detroit
While this dealer-activated road tour featured a menu of DaimlerChrysler brands, each could shine. Consumers in this competitive category could appreciate both the whole and its parts.

Snapple Dye Hard Tour

Marketing Werks
This is not your father's iced tea…unless dad is into purple hair. In a push for its new flavors and to grab more of the tween/teen market, Snapple put a slew of “extreme” hair stylists on a bus and sent them out to find the youth of America. Let's hope they converted them on beverage choice, not coiffure.

Best Mobile Marketing Program

Chevrolet Olympic Torch Relay

Campbell-Ewald
In the ramp up to the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Chevy's nation-wide road tour incorporated dealer incentives and consumer sweeps (for impossible-to-get tickets) and a heavy dose of p.r.

Dying for a Smoke?

Upshot
Teen sensors for “cool” are notoriously finely calibrated, and this anti-smoking campaign actually hit the mark, with glam-styled hearses and MIB-styled “funeral directors” who could talk about the consequences of cigarette use — without talking down to their audience.

HP Bringing It Home Tour

AMP
Product trials via a truck in the parking lot are nothing new — but when the products are as high-end as these Hewlett Packard peripherals, the goal is to make the complexity seem approachable. According to audience polls, this event succeeded in hitting that mark.

Mobile Investigation Unit

Court TV
See above

Best Use of Direct Marketing

Camp Jeep

BBDO Detroit
Great creative reinforces the rugged, adventurous brand image that keeps these customers coming back year after year. As this campaign has proven in years past (earning it a spot in the PROMO Hall of Fame), it's not a brand — it's a lifestyle.

Lexus Lap of Luxury

Power Pact LLC
Typically overlooked by high-end auto marketers, upscale women jumped at the chance to win spa visits in exchange for test drives. As one judge said, “Luxurious treatment is what this brand is all about.”

Little People First Birthday Club

Eric Mower & Associates
To reach parents, this continuity program for Fisher-Price offers a free First Birthday Kit, including a guide to the perfect party, dollars-off coupons and nine Little People-themed invitations, to be customized with a picture of baby. Eastman Kodak joined in with a photo coupon to complete the invitations.

Mariah's Strong Return

Universal Music Group
In an effort to boost the singer's comeback album, Universal turned to her loyal fans, with a combined direct mail and Internet campaign that renewed interest in Carey's personality and music.

Most Innovative Communication Strategy

CDC Youth Media Campaign

Frankel
With childhood obesity now officially at epidemic levels, this campaign aims to get kids off the couch and moving. Integrating in-school and media campaigns, it operates independently of packaged goods and other traditional brands.

Meow TV

LIME Public Relations & Promotions
Building on the insight that people who own cats are obsessed by them, Meow Mix cat food has moved to all cats, all the time, via its new cable channel. With (sandpapery) tongue firmly in cheek, they offer up such viewing treats as “Cat Yoga,” cat interviews and more.

Sony Ericsson City Jack

Fathom Communications
Strong graphics helped this campaign stand out in the crowded mobile communications market.

There's a Rainbow on My Plate

Swardlick Marketing Group
Also aimed at kids and their health priorities, this campaign from Crayola and Dole teaches nutrition while encouraging children to make wise food choices.

Best Use of Interactive Media

7Up Breakout Sessions E-CD

Disc Marketing
In another foray for the fickle teen market, 7Up packaged music from breakthrough bands onto a CD premium.

Heineken Trimester CD

Ryan Partnership
Distributors can walk through a virtual bar stocked with Heineken product, and follow the on-premise promotions available for each. Strong graphics and navigation added to the appeal.

Make Your Mark

Brand Buzz
The Sony brand becomes part of the filmmaking process in this campaign, which encouraged consumers to use its technology to express themselves in film.

My What a Kiss

Entertainment Marketing, Inc.
A virtual mermaid interacted with consumers for the launch of a new fragrance brand by Club Med and Coty, Inc. The campaign became the centerpiece of a national kissing contest and sampling event.

Most Effective Long-term Campaign

Camp Jeep

BBDO Detroit
See above.

Kellogg's American Dream Promotion

Draft
This miles-reward program has evolved each year, further refining its appeal to various key demographics.

Take Flight with Red Baron

Noble & Associates
For Red Baron food servers and end users, this promo offered a trip to the former and a nifty P-O-P to the latter.

Ulitmate Air & Ground Campaign

Velocity Sports & Entertainment
To highlight the launch of its new ground delivery services, FedEx used a football tie-in to convey its two-tiered service.

Best Campaign Generating Brand Awareness and Trial Recruitment

AT&T Wireless and American Idol

Einson Freeman
While this wasn't the first campaign to incorporate text messaging, AT&T's promotion put the technology on the map with the American public, who eagerly dialed in to vote in the talent competition.

Be a Prom Star

Frankel
Tuxedo-rental firm Gingiss needed a focused campaign to reach that notoriously cool-conscious teen boy market. They got it with this cohesive program.

Do You Know a Brawny Man?

DVC Worldwide
See above.

Who Brought the Donuts?

WatersMolitor
According to Dunkin' Donuts, each customer has a chance to be the office hero. Just bring in a fresh batch of pastries — and oh-by-the-way, each tray-sized donut box includes a sweeps entry form.

Best Campaign Generating Brand Volume

Do You Know a Brawny Man?

DVC Worldwide
See above.

Georgia Getaways

Ventura & Company
As tourism across the country struggles to rebound from its three-year downturn, the Georgia Tourism Board developed a multi-tiered campaign for vacationers, with an emphasis on direct marketing, to bring families back to its towns and resorts.

Power Up with CopperTop

Circle One
Gillette's Duracell battery division mounted this in-store campaign to build usage with juice-guzzling electronics.

WONKAaahh!!!

Frankel
See above.

Best Campaign Generating Brand Loyalty

Camp Jeep

BBDO Detroit
See above.

Dole MyGreens

Seismicom, Inc.
This loyalty progam pushed purchase frequency for packaged salad via $10 discounts in online shopping at 10 e-tailers. Also included in-pack codes for offers at Dole's Web site, recipes and coupons from Dole, Hormel, Hidden Valley, Treasure Cave and Athenos Cheese, and an instant-win game with the chance to win a $100 online shopping spree.

Little People First Birthday Club

Eric Mower & Associates
See above.

The Starbucks Stirs You, Vespa Moves You Sweepstakes

Marden-Kane
For a retail brand that claims it does no promotion, this in-store sweeps sure had the aroma of marketing. The creative and prize all played well to the barrista flavor Starbucks has already leveraged so well.

Best Business-to-Business

Golfweek Relaunch Program

Golfweek Magazine
The witty creative for this campaign driving advertising in the magazine set it apart from the non-finalists.

Red and Yellow's Fundraising Solution

Draft
Those little candy guys come out to play on all the materials to promote and execute a non-profit fundraiser.

Upfront Skit

Court TV
The ad sales team from the cable channel played with the minds of prospective advertisers during presentations staged during the lead up to its new season. Fake cops cornered a clued-in ad buyer into touting Court TV's lineup before the unsuspecting audience of prospects.

Zings Appetizer Product Launch

Noble & Associates
This basic — but polished — campaign drove restaurant and catering buyers to higher volume orders of prepared foods.

Best Account-Specific Campaign

The Great Grocery Giveaway

The A Team
To build its customer database as well as boost sales of its Eight O'Clock Coffee, A&P Supermarkets staged a six-week sweeps, with weekly prizes in store merchandise for several locations.

Kris Kringle Private Elf

Court TV
This ad-driven promotion featured the Big Guy himself as a quasi-personal shopper via Sears, Roebuck & Co. (the campaign's sponsor). TV work was backed by a Web site designed to bolster Christmas-gift sales for the retailer.

Scotts Garden Party

U.S. Concepts, Inc.
There were no quartets, canapes and white gloves, but Scott's in-store garden parties at Wal-Mart's across the country moved an awful lot of tools, grass seed and lawn furniture last spring.

Wal-Mart 2002 Veterans Day Promotion

Idea Connections
Wal-Mart honored veterans with this in-store promotion using Kodak Picturemaker machines. Customers were invited to display photos of military family members, past and present, in an All-American celebration of those who have served in uniform.

Best Dealer or Sales Force Campaign

Breast Cancer Awareness

Power Pact LLC
A tactful and effective campaign from pharmaceutical marketer Aventis, designed to support patients through their cancer treatment. Includes support group, phone cards and even coupons for taxi rides to keep office appointments.

Heineken Trimester CD

Ryan Partnership
See above.

RadioShack Monopoly “Go for the Dough” 2

Promotion Group Central
The follow up to an earlier incentive campaign for franchisees.

Whirlpool Super Sunday Champions

Strategic Marketing Resources, Inc.
How can you go wrong with the Super Bowl as an incentive? In a year when big ticket item sales were down, this campaign helped boost results.

Best Small Budget Campaign (Under $50,000)

Forensics Day

Court TV
By funding a free, desperately needed educational tool for high school science teachers, Court TV turned cause to coin, drawing attention to the plight of an under-funded science programs.

Krispy Kreme Store Opening

Noble & Associates
A delightfully old-style campaign to build buzz in a small town on a small budget. Included everything but 76 trombones leading a big parade down Main Street.

Mariah's Strong Return

Universal Music Group
See above.

Wise Snacks Superstars

Eric Mower & Associates
This on-pack and coupon deal (with a beverage offer) was a volume builder for the chips brand.

Best Idea or Concept

KOOL-Play on the House

141 Worldwide
This campaign put Vegas flavor back into online gaming.

Meow TV

LIME Public Relations & Promotions
See above.

Spotlight on Teachers

OPTS Events
As the new bank in town (the town was New York City), Washington Mutual wanted to build a rep as the bank that cared — so it bought out all the seats on Broadway for one Saturday matinee and then give them away to teachers.

Wild About Writing

Momentum
To win at retail during back-to-school, PaperMate partnered with Animal Planet and Scholastic in a campaign that included the San Diego Zoo, direct mail and an Internet-based essay contest for a shot at a guest appearance on one of Animal Planet's programs.

Best Creative

Camp Jeep

BBDO Detroit
See above.

Do You Know a Brawny Man?

DVC Worldwide
See above.

dnL “FlipIt”

Brand Buzz
Marketing support for dnL was turned upside down and inside out with an “upside-down” perspective. The $5 million “Flip It Shot” sweepstakes offered $5 million if the winner could score a basket during halftime of the PAC-10 semi-final men's basketball championship game… while hanging upside down. An eBay auction provided consumers the chance to bid on the first 30 cases of dnL.

Playoffs 2002-2003

National Football League
This strong TV campaign was led by promotion and builds the NFL Playoffs as a brand unto itself.