July 22, 2001 – Bellows International received the highest honor of the evening at the Advertising Club of the Virgin Islands' 20th annual Advi Awards presentations Saturday night — the Best of Show Award, for its print ads for both Evian and Natural Resources bottled waters. The judges could not decide which ad they liked better, so they combined the two, according to club president Norita Lee.
As usual, Austin Advertising walked away with the lion's share of the awards — three gold and 22 silver awards in addition to one of three Judges Awards. The St. Thomas agency also received the Donald Plantz Radio Award, for its Island Marine "Blackbeard" spot, and the Donald Plantz Television Award, for its Innovative Wireless "Lamp Post" spot.
Making the next best showing in total number of awards was another St. Thomas agency, Mock LeBlanc Brown, with three gold and eight silver awards.
The Ad Club's St. Croix chapter made a strong showing with Acuda Design Studio taking home three gold and five silver awards.
Bellows International also received three gold awards.
Mike Perron, owner of The Paint Depot and one-time Canadian copywriter, walked off with two gold and two silver awards.
Advertising professionals and guests gathered at the Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas for the annual recognition of artists, producers, writers and others responsible for creating most of the locally produced advertising seen and heard in the territory over the past 12 months. Master and mistress of ceremonies for the evening were Radio One talk-show host Sam Topp and singer-musician Janet Reiter.
All told, 16 winners walked away with a total of 66 media category awards plus the eight special honors awards.
The Donald Plantz Print Award went to The Paint Depot for its "Preparation 'H'" ad. The panel of off-island judges gave an Angel Award to Alliance Marketing Communications for its HIV awareness campaign, "Be Safe in the V.I."
The special Judges Awards went to Acuda Design Studio for its Solitude Design T-shirt, to Austin Advertising for an MSI Galvalume radio spot, and to Mock LeBlanc Brown for its Cingular Wireless Triathlon Banner. The Judges Awards went to entries considered for the Donald Plantz Awards but which did not get the highest votes. Judges Awards can be given only in categories where at least one gold award has been made.
The evening was also a celebration of the Ad Club's 20th anniversary, with tributes to early advertising pioneers, including a video of Ad Club founder Bob Austin offering his congratulations, an ice carving of the club's new logo, an anniversary cake and a champagne toast offered by Terry Robinson to founders and charter members of the club. A special performance by the Memorial Moravian Church Gospel Choir singing "Freedom and Dignity," punctuated the evening with song.
For a complete list of the Advi winners 2001 click here.
