PR News celebrated the winners and honorable mentions of its 2014 Platinum PR Awards at the Grand Hyatt in New York City on Sept. 16, 2014. The Platinum PR Awards recognize the year’s most outstanding communicators, initiatives and organizations in the competitive PR arena. These coveted awards set a benchmark for excellence in communications. View Press Release.
2014 Platinum PR Awards –
Winners and Honorable Mentions
2014 Platinum PR Hall of Fame Inductees
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AT&T – It Can Wait
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PEOPLE Magazine – PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive
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Smithsonian National Zoo – Panda PR
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Subway – Jared’s Subway Diet
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Tourism Queensland – Best Job in the World
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United States Marine Corps Reserve – Toys for Tots
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USANA Health Sciences – What’s Up, USANA?
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WWF – Earth Hour
Anniversary Campaign
Winner: ICF International - 50th Anniversary Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health
Honorable Mentions:
- American Heart Association - Southern New England Go Red For Women Luncheon: Birthday Bash 2014
- DeVries Global - Vidal Sassoon Pro Series “Show Your Genius” Program
- GE Lighting - Nela Park’s Centennial
- Goodman Media International, Inc. - Grand Central Terminal's 100th Anniversary
- NYU Langone Medical Center/Office of Communication – Hurricane Sandy
- Salesforce.com says thank you for 15 awesome years
Annual Report
Winner: Cardinal Health
Honorable Mentions:
- 2012 Hormel Foods Corporate Responsibility Report
- ASCD
- Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA
- Dresser-Rand
- Henry Schein, Inc.
- Methodologie - The Coca-Cola Company 2012 Annual Review
Blog
Winner: The Coca-Cola Company - Coca-Cola Journey
Honorable Mentions:
- Cardinal Health - Essential Insights: Showcasing a Deep Bench of Healthcare Expertise
- Kimco Realty Proves Retail Industry Leadership through Corporate Blog
- LEWIS 360 - An Inside Look at PR, Digital Marketing and the Communications Industry
- Liberty Mutual Insurance - Safe and Smart Living Blog
Branding
Winner: Weber Shandwick on behalf of Mattel - Barbie #Unapologetic
Honorable Mentions:
- Cohn & Wolfe – Hennessy: Never stop. Never settle.
- Hunter Public Relations - A Case of ALLERGY FACE: ZYRTEC Helps Beauty Bloom for Allergy Sufferers
- MMK - P&G Thank You Mom Campaign
- MSLGROUP - Ken Delmar: Paper Towel Picasso
- Paragraphs LLC - Quantum Rebrand and Repositioning Campaign
- PPR Worldwide - Dell Taps Serial Entrepreneur to Bridge the Outside In
Cause-Related Marketing
Winner: Chipotle and Edelman - "The Scarecrow"
Honorable Mentions:
- AARP TEK
- Citizen Relations for P&G - NYAD Swim For Hurricane Sandy Relief
- DoSomething.org & AARP Foundation's Love Letters campaign
- Marina Maher Communications - U by Kotex and Generation Know: Creating a Movement of Young Women to Spread the Word About Vaginal Health
- Nebo Garners Support from Design Enthusiasts to Save the Eames House
- Weber Shandwick for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay - Chicks Dig Bigs: A Call for 800 Men
Community Relations
Co - Winner: MSLGROUP - Wine to Water: Miracle Machine
Co - Winner: Ogilvy Public Relations - Earthquake Brace + Bolt Pilot Program: Funds to Strengthen Your Foundation
Honorable Mentions:
- Bellmont Partners - 50 Days of Uptown
- Clapp Communications - FOP & IAFF Community Outreach Initiatives
- Kroger - The Kroger Difference: Redesigning the Community Rewards Program
- Lambert, Edwards & Associates - Movers for Moms
- Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company - FutureSmart Challenge
- Molina Healthcare, Inc. - Back to School Bonanza
- MWW - Making “Stronger Than the Storm” A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy for NJ Shore Businesses and Communities
- Raytheon Company - Mathletes Set GUINNESS World Record Title at the 2013 MATHCOUNTS National Competition
Crisis Management
Winner: Kristen Daly - Boston Marathon Bombings
Honorable Mentions:
- Airlines for America - Don't Ground America
- MWW - Brigadier General Jeffrey Sinclair Court Martial
- Weber Shandwick and Chobani - #FreeChobani: Greek Yogurt "Hostage" Crisis
Employee Relations
Winner: JLL - Social Seller Program
Honorable Mentions:
- Anadolu Group - #anadolugrubundamutluluk
- Bayer HealthCare - East Coast Site Consolidation
- Entergy Corporation - Power to Care Heartlight Campaign
- Hewlett Packard - Transforming employee communications to power Hewlett-Packard’s turnaround
- Marina Maher Communications - MMC Mobilizes the Agency to Help She's the First Change the World...One Girl at a Time
- Molina Healthcare, Inc. - Founders' Day 2013
- Novartis and Ruder Finn, Inc. - Long Live Life: Starting a movement through emotional engagement
- Philips North America - Brand Launch
- Texas Instruments - My Infolink My Way
- Waggener Edstrom Communications - Ignites Employee Engagement and Connection
Event Marketing
Winner: Jack Morton Worldwide - Lego Secrets to Reveal
Honorable Mentions:
- Airbnb - Global Activation
- Citizen Relations - Duracell Power A Smile with Toys for Tots
- Citizen Relations for P&G - The #EVERYDAYEFFECT: Live From New York
- Marina Maher Communications - Gillette Venus Steps Out and Steps Up During Women’s Annual Leg-a-Morphosis to Convert Skeptics into Fans
- Mashable House at South By Southwest 2014
- PadillaCRT - Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma Takes Back its Crown
- Shanghai @PR Consulting/Anomaly (Shanghai) Advertising - Budweiser 2014 CNY Campaign: Bringing a global icon of celebration to China
- United States Olympic Committee - Team USA Road to Sochi Tour
External Publication (print or online)
Winner: U.S. Postal Service - Postal Facts 2014
Honorable Mentions:
- Accenture - Outlook
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants - Pull It Together: The Art of the Actionable Career Plan
- Christiana Care Health System - 2013 Year in Review
- The Coca-Cola Company - Coca-Cola Journey
- Consumer Electronics Association – It is Innovation
- Davies Public Affairs – Dominion: Exporting Clean Energy, Importing Future Prosperity
- Racepoint Global - Going Greener: Thermo Fisher Scientific's Energy Efficient Laboratory Products
- Stein IAS - Fastest path from click to sale
Facebook Campaign
Winner: Marina Maher Communications - No Woman Should Die Giving Life: Merck for Mothers Builds and Engages a Facebook Community to Get Informed About Maternal Mortality
Honorable Mentions:
- The Axis Agency - Kaiser Permanente Viva Bien
- DeVries Global - Vidal Sassoon Pro Series “Show Your Genius” Program
- Hallmark Channel - Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove
Financial/Investor Relations
Winner: APCO Worldwide - Missouri Credit Union Association Bank on MOre
Honorable Mentions:
- Fannie Mae - Historic Turnaround Delivers Progress
- Highwire PR - Highwire Help Sets Fire to FireEye IPO
- Lambert, Edwards & Associates - Inventure Foods, Inc. "SNAK Attack"
- Merritt Group - RingCentral Dials Up Hot IPO
- Ogilvy Public Relations - BTS GIF Infrastructure Fund IPO: Ride the Future
- United Technologies Corporation - Telling the UTC Portfolio Transformation Story
Global PR Campaign
Winner: MMK - P&G Thank You Mom Campaign
Honorable Mentions:
- AMD - GPU14: The Launch of Next Generation AMD Radeon Graphics Cards
- APCO Worldwide - Cruise Lines International Association Cruise Forward Campaign
- Financial Times' 125th Anniversary
- Luxottica Group – Vogue Eyewear
- RF Binder - edX Seeks to Educate the World (for Free)
Green PR
Winner: MSLGROUP - Recycle RenCen: How GM Eliminated an Entire Zip Code's Daily Waste
Honorable Mentions:
- Full Picture - Cotton Incorporated's Blue Jeans Go Green
- Honda North America, Inc. - Honda Smart Home US
- Ogilvy Public Relations - Launching Ford’s C-MAX Solar Energi Concept
- Ogilvy Public Relations - MyEnergi Lifestyle: Connecting the Car and Home to Save Money and Reduce Environmental Footprint
- Sprint - Good Works
Influencer Communications
Winner: The Brand Amp - The END IT Movement 2014
Honorable Mentions:
- Airbnb - Global Activation
- AMD - GPU14: The Launch of Next Generation AMD Radeon Graphics Cards
- AT&T - Social Circle Employee Advocacy Program
- FleishmanHillard - SYKES Home and the Military Pledge
- Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility and SOMA Strategies - #TalkEarly
- IHG - Holiday Inn Change Your View Open House Events
- Marina Maher Communications - U by Kotex and Generation Know: Creating a Movement of Young Women to Spread the Word About Vaginal Health
- Toyota Motor Sales USA and Golin - Sienna Diaries: Elevating the Minivan to a New AdVANture
- Weber Shandwick - Right to Play: Level the Field
Internal Publication (print or online)
Winner: Hewlett-Packard - HP News: Now a Powerful, Engaging, and On-Demand Global News Hub for Employees in The Midst of a Corporate Turnaround
Honorable Mentions:
- Baptist Health South Florida - "The Art of Nursing"
- BMW North America with MSLGROUP - Making Dealer Communications a Two-Way Street: BMW Dealer Direct
- MAXIMUS Connections Employee Newsletter
- Time Warner Cable - Employee Green Team Playbook
Marketing Communications
Co - Winner: Airbnb - Creative Hospitality
Co - Winner: PPR Worldwide - Dell Taps Serial Entrepreneur to Bridge the Outside In
Honorable Mentions:
- 451 Marketing – The Yankee Candle Company
- Baptist Health South Florida - Doctors Hospital "Misses You" Campaign
- DISH and Southwest Airlines - "TV Flies Free"
- Edelman - Butterball Embraces the New Thanksgiving Table by Adding Men to the Turkey Talk-Line for the First Time
- Edelman - Hilton HHonors Travel is Calling You: Spontaneity Challenge
- Ogilvy Public Relations - Obamacare: Succeeding Enrollment Goals in California
- PadillaCRT - Prosciutto di Parma Takes Back its Crown
Media Event - Brand
Winner: Coyne Public Relations - Historic Groundbreaking Event Lays Foundation For Daytona International Speedway’s Redevelopment Project
Honorable Mentions:
- Bayer CropScience - 2014 Ag Issues Forum
- Cohn & Wolfe - Smarter Football: A Look Inside the Film Room with Riddell
- eBay Shoppers Buy in bliss on Black Friday with eBay Mobile
- Intel, North of Nine Communications and Burson-Marsteller - Intel Inside the Huddle Campaign
- National Hockey League - 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series Los Angeles Media Skate
- Shanghai @PR Consulting/Anomaly (Shanghai) Advertising - Budweiser 2014 CNY Campaign: Bringing a global icon of celebration to China
- SHIFT Communications for Toyota - Playing to Win at the New York Auto Show
- Solar Impulse with Weber Shandwick - The Spirit of Possibility: Voyaging into the Next Era of Aviation History with Solar Energy
Media Event - Public Affairs
Winner: AAA - Think You Know All About Distracted Driving? Think Again.
Honorable Mentions:
- Alembic Health Communications for the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases - Keeping the Nation Flu-Focused: A Media-Driven Public Health Initiative
- The Climate Group with Weber Shandwick - Climate-proofing: Climate Week NYC Communicates a Way Toward a Low-Carbon Economy
- Ogilvy Public Relations – Launching the Catlin Global Reef Record: A Dynamic Visual Archive for Climate Science and Public Engagement
- United States Olympic Committee - 2013 Team USA Media Summit
Media Relations
Winner: O'Reilly DePalma - Flush for Good with American Standard
Honorable Mentions:
- Citizen Relations with Old Spice - Old Spice Cleans Up with Manly Scented Bar Soap
- Fifteen Minutes - Michael Sam Enters NFL Draft as First Openly Gay Player
- Global Strategy Group on behalf of Scouts for Equality - "The Campaign to End Discrimination Against Gay Scouts"
- Henson Consulting - The TODAY Show Blitz
- Hunter Public Relations - Jell-O Makes the Taste of Football Defeat Sweet
- Hunter Public Relations - MONOPOLY Save Your Token Campaign
- LAK Public Relations, Inc - Hostess Brands, LLC "Sweetest Comeback in the History of Ever"
- Time Warner Cable presents Time Warner Cable Studios
Multicultural Campaign
Winner: Flowers Communications Group - Coors Light Search for the Coldest
Honorable Mentions:
- Camino Public Relations - Raising Latina Voices
- Citizen Relations for P&G - P&G Orgullosa "Skirts Only" Fashion Show
- Be The Match with PadillaCRT - It's On You: Inspiring the African American Community to Step Up and Save Lives
- Wells Fargo & Company Honors the 150th Anniversary of The Emancipation Proclamation with The Kinsey Collection
On a Shoestring Campaign
Winner: Weber Shandwick - Taking a Tech Detox: Nat’l Day of Unplugging
Honorable Mentions:
- AARP Tek
- Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard
- Camino Public Relations - Raising Latina Voices
- Eastwick - Women's Startup Lab
- Erwin Penland - Eggs and a Side of “I Do” at Denny’s First Wedding
- IHG - Candlewood Suites Lending Locker Consumer Launch
- Makovsky - JedCampus: Encouraging Safer Campuses and Creating a National Authority
- RF Binder - edX Seeks to Educate the World (for Free)
Online Communication
Winner: Chipotle and Edelman - "The Scarecrow"
Honorable Mentions:
- Chrysler Group - ChryslerOnDemand.com
- Ragusa Consulting with CBS Sports Network - Krewe of CBS Sports Network
- Rockfish - External Marketing and Communications
- Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau - Virginia Beach Meetings & Conventions/Sports Marketing: Website Evolution
Online Press Room/Media Center
Winner: Kaiser Permanente - share.kaiserpermanente.org
Honorable Mentions:
- Cisco Systems - The Network
- Johnson Controls - Building Efficiency Media Center
- Oncor - TheWire.Oncor.com
- Southern California Edison - Launching an Online Newsroom
- Wieck - NissanNews.com Goes Mobile
PR Firm of the Year (billings above $10m)
Co-Winner: MWW - Making MWW Matter More
Co-Winner: Weber Shandwick
Honorable Mentions:
- Coyne Public Relations
- Finn Partners
- LEWIS PR
- Makovsky - An Integrated Communications Power Player
- Matter Communications - The Aura of Inevitability
- Waggener Edstrom Communications
PR Firm of the Year Small (billings below $10m)
Winner: Henson Consulting - Rises to Top Chicago Boutique Agency
Honorable Mentions:
- Affect
- InkHouse
- North Strategic
- RockOrange
Press Release
Winner: USANA Health Sciences - The Best Kept Secret of Elite Athletes
Honorable Mentions:
- Crenshaw Communications Helps Sleepy's "Soften the Shock and Awaken a National Movement"
- Trend Micro / HCK2 Partners - #Socialmediaruinedmylife
Pro Bono Campaign
Winner: Nicolas' Garden and Drisha Leggitt & Company Communications - Nicolas' Garden Mobile App & Digital Platform
Honorable Mentions:
- Makovsky - JedCampus: Encouraging Safer Campuses and Creating a National Authority
- MSLGROUP - Wine to Water: Miracle Machine
- Nebo Launches Choose ATL Campaign and Inspires 45 Million
Product Launch
Winner: Flashpoint PR - Inspiring the Makers of Today and Tomorrow: LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Platform Launch
Honorable Mentions:
- Cohn & Wolfe - Bringing Luster to the Lumia
- The Narrative Group – McDonald’s Premium McWrap
- NBC Entertainment - Late Night with Seth Meyers Launch Campaign
- NBC Entertainment - The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Launch Campaign
- NEST Fragrances - PASSION Candle for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation Launch
- Nokia - X Marks the Spot
- RockOrange - Chupie: The Binky that Returned Home by Thalia
- Skyya Communications - Rebirth of an Iconic 112-year old American Brand: Indian Motorcycle
- Tanis Communications - Launching an Innovative and Exciting Company to Shake Up a Market
PSA
Winner: NYC Department of Transportation and Proof Integrated Communications - NYC DOT Anti-DWI Choices Campaign
Honorable Mentions:
- Cone Communications - ReThink: Why Housing Matters - Challenging Misperceptions of Public Housing
- DaVita Healthcare Partners & Schmidt Public Affairs - George Lopez and Alonzo Mourning Team Up for Kidney Disease Awareness
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners - Life's a Journey: NAIC Radio PSA with Amy Grant
- National Geographic Channel – Sacks for Cats
- Ogilvy Public Relations - OK2TALK: Giving Youth a Voice to Discuss Mental Health
- Southern California Edison - Prepare SoCal: Anaheim Angels & American Red Cross
Public Affairs
Winner: Cone Communications - ReThink: Why Housing Matters - Challenging Misperceptions of Public Housing
Honorable Mentions:
- Entergy Corporation - Earned Income Tax Credit Initiative
- Havas PR Global Collective - Creating a Global Media Team to Move Action on Climate to the Forefront
- The National Audubon Society/Audubon California - Banning Lead Ammunition: Passing Bill AB 711
- PCI - #BeCovered Natural Catastrophe Preparedness Campaign
- Powell Tate - Working Group on Pharmaceutical Safety: Securing a Deadlocked Congress’ Support for Patient Safety
Rebranding and Repositioning
Winner: Weber Shandwick on behalf of MilkPEP - Chocolate Milk: From the Grid Iron to IRONMAN
Honorable Mentions:
- Accenture - Client Success Stories: High performance. Delivered.
- Burson-Marsteller and Behr Paint - Brand Awareness Campaign
- Grey Activation & PR - Marriott Hotels’ “Travel Brilliantly”
- Ketchum on behalf of The Clorox Company - Don’t Cry Over Ick…Laugh It Up With Clorox Bleach
- O'Malley Hansen Communications - Playtex: Be Uniquely You
- T-Mobile - The Year of the Un-carrier
- Weber Shandwick on behalf of iStock by Getty Images - Free the Creative
Research & Measurement
Winner: MSLGROUP - Netflix: Taking the Bite out of the Binge
Honorable Mentions:
- Aflac with Big Fuel, First Born and Hill+Knowlton Strategies - Educating American Employers and Workers about Consumer-Driven Health Care
- Airfoil - M*Modal: Data that Drives Engagement and Results
- Bentley University/Weber Shandwick - The PreparedU Project
- Breakaway Communications - Defining the “Grey Charges” Problem for the Media; Positioning BillGuard as the Solution
- Coyne Public Relations - Banfield Pet Hospital Helps “Fido” Fight Obesity
- March Communications - Using Proprietary Research to Drive Thought Leadership
- Waggener Edstrom Communications - Bottom Line Business Impact of Communications
Satellite Media Tours
Co - Winner: IHG - Holiday Inn Resort Kid Classified Campaign
Co - Winner:MerchantCantos LLP - Philips Lighting North America New Year's Eve 2014
Honorable Mentions:
- Bank of America - The 1-2-3s to Throwing the Ultimate Tailgate
- RCI - 40th Anniversary Campaign
SEM/SEO Initiatives or Campaign
Winner: Lucas Group - SEO that Drives Real Results
Honorable Mentions:
- O'Reilly DePalma - Steaming Up Organic SEO for Mr. Steam
Social Media Campaign
Winner: Havas PR North America - #GivingTuesday
Honorable Mentions:
- Coty - Daisy Marc Jacobs Tweet Shop
- IHG - Holiday Inn Express Stay Smart Campaign
- Marina Maher Communications - Head & Shoulders "Season of the #Whiff"
- Mullen - Century 21 Drives Industry-Leading Site Traffic with Highly Creative Social Content
- MWW/New Jersey Economic Development Authority - Stronger than the Storm: Social and digital help in shifting perception on NJ after Superstorm Sandy
- Quicken Loans - Billion Dollar Bracket Challenge
- Walt Disney Parks and Resorts - Disney Side of Social Media
- Weber Shandwick and Suave Professionals - Moroccan Infusion Launch
Speeches
Winner: USANA Health Sciences - Compensation Transformation You Can't Top This
Honorable Mentions:
- The Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America - Pharma: John Castellani's Collaboration Speech at the 2014 Annual Meeting
- Sierra Club - WE ARE ALL IN
- TTNET - Internet 4all
- U.S. Postal Service - Ray Charles Forever Stamp
- Water Environment Federation - WEFTEC 2013 Opening General Session Speech
Trade Show/Event PR
Winner: Havas PR North America - Taste of France
Honorable Mentions:
- Bombardier Aerospace - CSeries First Flight Event
- Finn Partners on behalf of BSH Home Appliances - Cooking Up Coverage for New BSH Products at Design & Construction Week
- Kwittken/Sharp Electronics - CES Presence
- MWW/New Jersey Economic Development Authority - The Jersey Shore's Grand Re-Opening: 130 Mile Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
- Ragusa Consulting - His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Visits New Orleans
Twitter Campaign
Winner: Marina Maher Communications - Secret and Diana Nyad Blow Social Engagement Out of the Water
Honorable Mentions:
- APCO Worldwide - IKEA Brighter Lives for Refugees: the One Night Without Lights Social Media Challenge
- Blue Flame Agency – #CIROCTheNewYear
- Coty - Daisy Marc Jacobs Tweet Shop
- Esurance - #EsuranceSave30: A Giveaway That Made History
Video Program
Winner: Citizen Relations - Duracell Quantum
Honorable Mentions:
- Chipotle and Edelman - "The Scarecrow"
- Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility - Shaq Teaches Bella Thorne About Driving
- MSLGROUP - Ken Delmar: Paper Towel Picasso
- SolarWinds and Text100 - "Email in Real Life"
- Trend Micro/HCK2 Partners - 2020: The Series
- Weber Shandwick - The Search for the One
Website Marketing
Winner: Waggener Edstrom Communications - Holidays Made Possible by Microsoft
Honorable Mentions:
- Current Lifestyle Marketing - Liquid-Plumr Clog Culprits
- Leidos - A New Perspective on Impossible
- Rite Aid & MARC USA - Rite Aid Nail Extravaganza
Word of Mouth/Viral Campaign
Winner: Chipotle and Edelman - "The Scarecrow"
Honorable Mentions:
- American Greetings - World's Toughest Job
- H+M Communications - DESPICABLE ME 2: From Runaway Success to Blockbuster Franchise
- Weber Shandwick on behalf of Mattel - Barbie #Unapologetic
Wow! Award
Co - Winner: American Greetings - World's Toughest Job
Co - Winner: Nicolas' Garden and Drisha Leggitt & Company Communications - Nicolas' Garden Mobile App & Digital Platform
Honorable Mentions:
- Airbnb - Global Activation
- Allen & Gerritsen - Brand Newsroom
- Diamond Public Relations - Blogging Florida
- Halo, Purely for Pets - Helps Homeless Pets Win in Oscars Gift Bags
- Honeywell Hometown Solutions - FMA Live! Forces In Motion
- Kanyon - 'We Bubble'
- Liberty Mutual Insurance - The Ad Inspired by a Tweet
- MWW - Making “Stronger Than the Storm” a Self Fulfilling Prophecy for NJ Shore Businesses and Communities
- NBC Entertainment – The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
- NVIDIA - Tegra K1 Impossibly Advanced