Photo/Design Courtesy of AAF-District 8

Rapid City-based marketing and communications firm Message earned Best of Show honors and a Judge’s Choice Award at the AAF-District 8 Regional competition in Minneapolis, Minnesota for a brand video created for Black Hills Ammunition. The video showcases how the zeal and quirkiness of Black Hills Ammo’s employees provides the ultimate connection to the ammunition they produce.

In addition, Message won three golds for a product catalog photo series, print campaign and integrated brand campaign for Black Hills Ammunition. A silver Addy was also awarded for Black Hills Ammunition’s full-page ad.

The ADDY® Awards are the nation’s largest advertising competition. Each year the competition begins at the local level with the 210 AAF clubs across the country. Entries must first be submitted in a local competition to be eligible for regional and national competitions. Local winners advance to one of the 14 regional district competitions and District winners advance to the national finals. The National ADDYS® are held in conjunction with the AAF National Conference; June 1-4, 2011 in San Diego, CA.

Advertisers featured in the AAF District 8 show included Martin Williams, Olson, Appleton Coated, Adventure, Insight Marketing & Design, Lawrence & Schiller and the Karma Group, among others.

View AAF-District 8′s Best of Show Award Winner here

A full list of AAF District 8 winners can be found here

Message won 6 gold and 7 silver ADDY awards for work entered in print, broadcast, design, sales promotion and mixed/multiple media marketing categories.
This year’s ADDYs had more than 120 entries from Black Hills area advertising agencies, design firms and marketers. Message also won the Tommy award or Best of Show
in the mixed-media, national consumer category for Black Hills Ammunition.

Margaret Skillman was awarded the Silver Medal Award, which recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions to advertising
and have been active in furthering the industry’s standards.

The 2011 AAF-Black Hills ADDYs were judged by nationally recognized creative directors, including Adobe Systems Flash Evangelist Paul Trani
and Senior Writer/Producer Barbara Ruser from SKAR Advertising.

Notable agencies participating at this year’s AAF-Black Hills ADDYs included TDG Communications, Robert Sharp & Associates, Bernard Marketing,
Ross Johnson Design and Aurora Creative.

Here’s a link to the 2011 AAF-Black Hills ADDY Awards Video Entries- Featured is our work for Black Hills Ammunition, Big Brothers Big Sisters
of the Black Hills and Special Olympics Black Hills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twP01lymLhg

Message was pleased to work with Black Hills Ammunition on a video showcasing the grit, zeal and quirkiness of their employees. Because of these people and their connection to the ammo – Black Hills is counted among the finest in the world.