PR News’ Platinum PR Awards celebrate the most outstanding communications initiatives, and it never fails to amaze us how insufficient the word “outstanding” can be. The Southwest Porch at Bryant Park, GolinHarris’ opening day for the Sands Bethlehem, The Marcus Group’s efforts to restore the Gilda’s Club in New Jersey—these are just some of the brick-and-mortar initiatives we honor here. And, of course, there is the ingenious use of social media by many of the finalists. We saluted the Platinum PR Award winners and honorable mentions at an Oct. 5 luncheon in New York; also celebrated were this year’s PR News Top Places to Work in PR. Congratulations to all, and special thanks to our luncheon sponsors D S Simon Productions and PRWeb.
Download pdf of the Platinum PR Awards issue
View the Photos from the Event
Hall of Fame
Southwest Airlines: Nuts About Southwest Blog
Weber Shandwick/Honeywell: Honeywell Hometown Solutions
American Heart Association/Edelman: Go Red for Women 2009: Our Hearts. Our Choice.
Anniversary Campaign
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Sesame Workshop: Sesame Street’s 40th Anniversary |
Honorable Mentions:
- Andrea Clark & Associates - Academy of the Sacred Heart: A Golden Celebration
- Cone Inc. - Jockey International Inc. Celebrates 75th Anniversary of the Brief
- Flowers Communications Group - MillerCoors Urban Entrepreneurs Series 10th Anniversary
- Hasbro/Coyne Public Relations - Candy Land’s Sweet 60th Birthday Celebration
- IFC - Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut)
- Sealed Air Corp./Coyne Public Relations - The Pop Heard Round the World: Bubblewrap’s 50th Birthday
Annual Report
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Aetna: Aetna Annual Report ‘Creating Value, Shaping the Future’ |
Honorable Mentions:
- Mount Sinai Department of Medicine/Think So Creative - The People Behind the Medicine
- PepsiCo - Performance with Purpose: The Promise of PepsiCo
- Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited - Temasek Review 2009 - “Shaping our Journey’”
Blog
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US Army with Weber Shandwick: Army Strong Stories Soldier Blog |
Honorable Mentions:
- Berman and Company - Humanewatch.org
- The Coca-Cola Company - Coca-Cola Conversations Blog
- Lion Brand Yarn - Lion Brand Notebook
- Scholastic Corp. - On Our Minds @ Scholastic
- Turkey Hill Dairy/Pavone - Ice Cream
- USANA Health Sciences – What’s Up USANA
Branding
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• Hormel Foods/Burson-Marsteller: Hormel Foods Corporate Reputation Program |
Honorable Mentions:
- Cardinal Health - Launching the “New” Cardinal Health
- The Fore Good Group - Duracell South Africa, the Power to Break World Records
- Medco Health Solutions/Coyne Public Relations – A Prescription for Change: Communicating the Safety Platform
- The National Shooting Sports Foundation
- Siemens Corp./Weber Shandwick - Siemens: Answering the World’s Toughest Questions
- Weber Shandwick India - Shave India Movement 2009 (SIM)
Cause-Related Marketing
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Paine PR: Iams Home 4 the Holidays Continues Its Mission to Save the Lives of Homeless Pets |
Honorable Mentions:
- American Urological Association Foundation/Zeno Group - Know Your Stats About Prostate Cancer
- Dialogue - Buchanan Forever
- Hill & Knowlton - Text4baby Launch
- Macy’s/Make a Wish Foundation - 2009 “Believe” Campaign
- Pollo Tropical - Pollo Tropical Helping Handhelds Campaign
Community Relations
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Cone Inc. with Time Warner Cable: Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds |
Honorable Mentions:
- American Airlines/Weber Shandwick - Answering the Call: American Airlines Provides Relief in Haiti
- Bayer CropScience - BackPack Program
- Davies - How the Santa Barbara Garden Grows
- Entergy Corp. - We’ve Got the Power
- Granite Construction Company/Missouri Department of Transportation - The New I-64 Reconstruction
- Be The Match® with Padilla Speer Beardsley - Capturing Public Attention for a Critical Cause
- RF |Binder - Banking on the Arts: Bank of America’s Museums on Us
- Sears Holdings Corp. - Sears Blue Appliance Crew: Cash for Appliances
Crisis Management
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Royal Caribbean/Weber Shandwick: Royal Caribbean’s Return to Haiti |
Honorable Mentions:
- Davies - Neverland On-Sight Media Blitz and Branding Control
- Neiman Group - The Deli Wars: Dietz & Watson Takes a Stand for Consumer Choice
- Fleishman-Hillard - Protecting a Trusted Brand During Labor Negotiations with Real-Time Conversation
- General Motors and Weber Shandwick - GM Reinvention
- Levick Strategic Communications - Heartland Payment Systems Inc.
- Weber Shandwick/Powell Tate & The National Pork Board – Protecting Pork Sales During H1N1
Editorial/Op-Ed
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Kaiser Permanente Northern California: Talking Health Care and the Bottom Line With Business Decision Makers |
Honorable Mention:
- Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island - Aquidneck PCMH Op-Ed 2010
Employee Relations
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ITT Corp.: ITT’s Employee-Based Approach to Lean Six Sigma |
Honorable Mentions:
- American Express - Communication Is the New Community for American Express Human Resources
- Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. - 2010-2015 IM/IT Strategic Plan and Campaign
- IHG Friends and Family Americas video launch
- Latham & Watkins - “Employee Engagement: Audio/Visual Blast!”
- Lockheed Martin - Cheers to Peers: The Power of Recognition
- Portugal Telecom S.A. – eConsigo
External Publication
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General Electric Co. - Resetting Responsibilities |
Honorable Mentions:
- American Institute of CPAs - CPA Letter Daily
- Central Piedmont Community College - Viewbook
- Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. - Official Philadelphia Brag Book
- Mount Sinai Department of Medicine/Think So
- Creative - The People Behind the Medicine
- NYU Langone Medical Center - NYU Physician
- Office of the Comptroller of the Currency – OCC and OTS Mortgage Metrics
- Thomson Reuters - 2009 Annual Report – Knowledge to Act
Internal Publication
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ITT Corp. - SystemsNews: Internal Communications for the Home Front and the Battlefield |
Honorable Mentions:
- Amerigroup Corporation - Amerigroup’s Real Solutions Report Companywide Newsletter
- Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. - Monthly OCIO Report - Electronic (MORE)
- Diageo - Our Passion
- Oriental Trading - “The Flock Squawk” Employee Newsletter
- Smithsonian Institution - e-Torch Conversion
- Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. - Connections Employee Newsletter
Financial/Investor Relations
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Novartis AG/Ruder Finn - Restoring Confidence and Driving Reputation in an Economic Crisis |
Honorable Mentions:
- American Airlines/Weber Shandwick - Clearing the Skies
- CCG Investor Relations Strategic Communications -Yongye International - A Formula for Growth
- The Coca-Cola Company/Methodologie Inc. - The Coca-Cola Company Annual Report
- Emerisque/MWW Group - The War of Whisper Campaign
- FD - No Brakes for Monro Muffler!
- Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited - Temasek engages with its diverse global stakeholders during the global financial crisis
Global PR
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The Coca-Cola Co. - Expedition 206: 365 Days, 206 Countries, 1 Mission |
Honorable Mentions:
- APRA Porter Novelli - 100 Years Independence of Bulgaria
- Intercontinental Hotels Group/Weber Shandwick - Holiday Inn: Changing the Overnight World
- Weber Shandwick /Honeywell Aerospace - The Innovative Catalyst: Honeywell Globally Advances the Next Generation of Aerospace
- Norton from Symantec/Edelman - Black Market: Cybercrime Exposed
- Rotary International - End Polio Now
- Saab Automobile AB - Securing an Independent Future for Saab Automobile
Green PR
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Sprint with Stanton Communications Inc. and Samsung Telecommunications America with MWW Group - Sprint and Samsung Make It Easy to Be Green |
Honorable Mentions:
- GolinHarris - The Launch of UL Environment Inc.
- Kaiser Permanente Eating Well in Season - Elevating Kaiser Permanente’s Leadership in Sustainable Food
- Loyola University Chicago - Loyola Creates Sustainability, Campus and Community
- MWW Group Green: Making It Easy to Be Green
- Office Depot - Grow Greener PR Campaign
- Pulse Communications - Taking a Sip Towards a More Sustainable Tea Industry - Launching Lipton Tea from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms
- Qorvis Communications - Sustainability in Communications
- U.S. Postal Service Blue to Green PR
- World Wildlife Fund/Creaxion - WWF’s Earth Hour 2010: Uniting the Country Around a Symbol
Event Marketing
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First Degree, on behalf of WomenHeart - Cheerios Circle of Helping Hearts Tour |
Honorable Mentions:
- Consumer Electronics Association - 2010 CES PR Campaign
- Communications Strategies Inc. - Plan B(R) One-Step Spring Break Guerrilla Marketing Campaign
- Phoenix -Mesa Gateway Airport Authority - Fergie and Feller Field Dedication
- SPT Networks Central Europe - Lost: The Exhibition
- US Army/Weber Shandwick - US Army All American Bowl
- World Wildlife Fund/Creaxion - WWF’s Earth Hour 2010: Uniting the Country Around a Symbol
Marketing Communications
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Roll International - From FDA Recall to Unprecedented Sales in Eight Months |
Honorable Mentions:
- Brushfire Inc. - The Jersey Shore Store
- Hilton Hotels and Resorts with Covalent Logic- Hilton Brand Takes Off With “Up in the Air” Film Partnership
Media Event
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GolinHarris - Bringing New Life to an Old Steel Town: Launching Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem |
Honorable Mentions:
- CNN - The Unveiling: A press introduction to the new CNN.com
- GolinHarris - Wii Sports Resort Takes Over Times Square
- Horn Group Inc. - RightNow Challenges an Industry
- O’Malley Hansen Communications - Sara Lee Captures the Hearts and Minds of America’s Moms
- Shell Lubricants/Coyne Public Relations - Hitting the Jackpot with New Pennzoil Ultra Launch
- Tucker & Associates – The Implosion of Texas Stadium
- UPS - Decision Green Tech Forum
Multicultural Campaign
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Weber Shandwick/Honeywell International - Honeywell-Nobel Laureate Lecture Series - Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists Today |
Honorable Mentions:
- Bristol-Myers Squibb/Ruder Finn Inc. - Raising Awareness of Chronic Hepatitis B Among Asian-Americans
- Pacific Gas And Electric Co. - 2009 PG&E Care Program
- Sears Holdings Corp./Flowers Communications Group - Kmart National Layaway Week
- Time Warner Cable, Univision, Edelman and Castells & Asociados - Lo Mejor On Demand
- Transitions Optical Inc./Euro RSCG Worldwide PR - Maintaining Leadership in Meeting the Eye Health Needs of Culturally Diverse Groups
- Western Union/Bromley Communications - iSi! Western Union Helps Make Dreams Come True
On a Shoestring Campaign
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Marketing 24/7 Inc. - ‘Business Makeover Birmingham’ |
Honorable Mentions:
- Adfero Group - SNM Annual Meeting Press Conference
- American Airlines - “Black History in Aviation”
- GolinHarris - McDonald’s Richmond Commuter Program - McCafé Frappé Launch
- Jumpstart - “Jumpstart’s Read for the Record 2009”
- Molina Healthcare Inc. - Yo-Yo Break the Record. Break the Cycle
- Southwest Airlines - WOW! Sale
Online Communications
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1-800-Flowers.com/MWW Group - Turning 1-800-Flowers.com’s ‘Spot a Mom’ Into a Social Media Movement |
Honorable Mentions:
- Covalent Logic - Hilton Global Media Center
- Forth Worth Opera Online
- Maxwell PR - Yogi Well-Wishes
- National Geographic Channel - Expedition Week
- PepsiCo/Weber Shandwick - PepsiCo SXSW Site
- Royal Caribbean/Weber Shandwick - Online Oasis
Podcast/Videocast
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Allrecipes.com 2009 Thanksgiving Webcast |
Honorable Mentions:
- Areva/RF|Binder Partners - Recycle It: A Discussion on Nuclear Fuel Recycling
- Lion Brand Yarn - YarnCraft
- Smithsonian Institution - Smithsonian Behind the Scenes: First Ladies Collection
- Wines of Chile USA/RF|Binder Partners - Chilean Wine Goes Virtual: Connecting Bloggers Through Innovative Online Tasting
Press Release
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Berman & Company - MADD about the Beer Summit |
Honorable Mentions:
- Graham & Associates - Centor Architectural: S1E Eco-Screen
- Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. -It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Itinerary
- Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications- Citizens’ Greensense Earth Day Release
- UPS - Circle of Honor
Pro Bono Campaign
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The Marcus Group Inc. - Restoring Gilda’s Club NNJ Campaign |
Honorable Mentions:
- Arizona State University/ KAAJE Communications - Phoenix Zoo’s Komodo Dragon Exhibit
- Blaze Public Relations – Walk with Sally Rocks Annual Fundraiser
- Cramer-Krasselt - Running Digital Race with ACS
- Peppercom - Bringing Awareness to Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America
Product Launch
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Xplor Riviera Maya - PR Launch Campaign for New Park Xplor |
Honorable Mentions:
- APRA Porter Novelli - Nescafé Dolce Gusto Launch in Bulgaria
- Howorth, an Ogilvy PR Company- Microsoft Australia - Windows 7 Launch: “Windows 7 Was My Idea”
- Intel Corp. Global Communications Group and Ogilvy Public Relations - Intel Unveils Faster, Smarter Processors
- Red PR - CND Shellac Attack
- Royal Caribbean/ Weber Shandwick - Launching a Product, Validating a Category
- Time Warner Cable, Univision, Edelman and Castells & Asociados - Lo Mejor On Demand Launch
- Unilever/Breyers/GolinHarris - Breyers Smooth & Dreamy Webisodes
PSA
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Legacy/Ad Council/YouCast - Become an EX: National Quit Smoking Campaign |
Honorable Mentions:
- Centers for Disease Control & Prevention/Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide - Screen for Life: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling
- One - “Coming Together as ONE”
- Paine PR - Iams Home 4 the Holidays Continues Its Mission to Save the Lives of Homeless Pets
- Strauss Radio Strategies Inc. - Purdue Pharma & USCM “Prescription Drug Abuse” Radio PSA
- Susan Davis International - Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve
Public Affairs
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DePaul University - DePaul University’s Campaign to Restore Funding for the State of Illinois’ Monetary Award Program |
Honorable Mentions:
- Adfero Group - Too Big to Fail/Single Bank Regulator
- AFSCME - Make America Happen Campaign for Health Care Reform
- Berman and Company - Defeat the Debt
- Partner of Promotion - “E-business? Poland Can Do It!”
- TSG Consulting - “Mental Health Crisis Campaign”
Rebranding/ Repositioning
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Kimberly Clark/Marina Maher Communications Inc. - Poise and Whoopi Goldberg Destigmatize Taboo Health Condition |
Honorable Mentions:
- American Society of Nephrology - Rebranding ASN
- Bhava Communications - Extreme Makeover: Overland Storage Edition
- Henson Consulting Inc. - The Green Nut: Rebranding of Pistachios, The Only Green Nut
- Makovksy + Co. - New Life for an Aging Brand: Relaunch of W. P. Stewart & Company
- Palisades Insurance/MWW - “Drive with a Smile” Palisades Highway Art Gallery
- Shell Lubricants/Coyne Public Relations - The Revitalization of Quaker State
- WXXI Public Broadcasting - Go Public
Research and Measurement
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Association of American Railroads/Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide - Freight Rail Works |
Honorable Mentions:
- American Lung Association and Porter Novelli - Quitter in You Campaign
- America’s Natural Gas Alliance/Hill & Knowlton - Growing Demand for Natural Gas Through Strategic Research
- The Coca-Cola Company/FD - A Growing Curve of Refreshment: The Coca-Cola Company’s Roadmap for Winning
- General Electric - PR Insight for Marketing Innovation Through Research, Data Visualization and Impact Analysis
- Kaiser Permanente - Message Pull-Through
- Northwestern Mutual/Gagen MacDonald - Making the Case: Measuring the Value of Employee Engagement at Northwestern Mutual
Satellite Media Tours
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The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company/Coyne Public Relations -Goodyear ‘Get There’ Awards |
Honorable Mentions:
- Burson-Marsteller - The New $100 Note: Global Public -Education Program
- Synaptic Digital & the FDA - Peanut Butter Recall
- The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants -AICPA: April 2010 Financial Literacy Month
Social Media Campaign
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Miller Meiers H&R Block Get It Right Social Community |
Honorable Mentions:
- BSM Media - Zhu Zhu Pets/BSM Media Launch Campaign
- Chamberlain Healthcare Public Relations - Making Sense of Diabetes
- GolinHarris - Butterfinger FUNterns : Ultimate Summer Gig!
- O’Malley Hansen Communications - Sharing the Mama Sagas
- Volkswagen of America/MWW Group - VW GTI Becomes the World’s First Car Launched Exclusively on a Mobile Device
- Weight Watchers/MS&L Worldwide - Lose-A-Palooza Social Media Action Day for Weight Watchers
Speeches
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General Electric - Jeff Immelt’s Renewing American Leadership Speech at West Point |
Honorable Mentions:
- National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications ELDP - Graduation Speech
- Hormel Foods/Burson-Marsteller - Hormel Foods Speech: “Driving Innovation That Deliver Today and Tomorrow”
Video Program
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O’Malley Hansen Communications - Sharing the Sara Lee Deli Mama Sagas |
Honorable Mentions:
- Continuum Health Partners - “In My Back Yard: Dispelling Myths About Methadone Treatment”
- Conva Tec Inc. - Great Comebacks Celebrating 25 Years
- Discovery Channel - LIFE Video Press Kit
- Intel Corp. Global Communications Group and Burson-Marsteller Public Relations - Get Smarter with Intel
- The National Shooting Sports Foundation – State of the Industry
Website Marketing
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Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield - What’sTheRealCost.org |
Honorable Mentions:
- Cargill and Carmichael Lynch Spong - “Salt 101” Spices Up
- Diamond Crystal Salt
- Cognito - Raising Awareness on Derivatives Regulation - Microsite
- Miller Meiers - H&R Block Get It Right Social Community
- Porter Novelli New York - Time to Talk CARDIO
- Virilion - Every Mother Counts
- Weber Shandwick - CKE: Kim Kardashian Behind the Scenes Video
WOW
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Southwest Airlines Company - The Southwest Porch at Bryant Park |
Honorable Mentions:
- The Coca-Cola Company - Coca-Cola's Expedition 206: 365 Days, 206 Countries, 1 Mission
- Virginia Tech - Song Pitch for David Pogue
- Volkswagen of America/MWW Group - VW GTI Becomes the World's First Car Lauched Exclusively on a Mobile Device
- Weber Shandwick - Liberating Entertainment into a New Dimension: Introducing Samsung 3D LED TV
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Ketchum |
Honorable Mentions:
- Edelman
- GolinHarris
- Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
- Ruder Finn
Firm of the Year (Midsize)
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Carmichael Lynch Spong |
Honorable Mentions:
- Makovsky + Company
- MWW Group
- Peppercom
- Qorvis Communications, LLC
Firms of the Year (Small)
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• Lambert, Edwards & Associates |
Honorable Mentions:
- Adfero Group
- Alpaytac Inc.
- The Conroy Martinez Group
- Henson Consulting Inc.
- Linhart Public Relations
- Merritt Group
- Schnake Turnbo Frank | PR
Top Places to Work in PR
- Adfero Group
- BAE Systems
- Dixon Schwabl
- Erwin-Penland Public Relations
- Georgia Tech Research Institute
- Hunter Public Relations
- Kaiser Permanente
- Ketchum
- The Morris+King Company
- MWW Group
- Ogilvy PR Worldwide
- Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI)
- R&J Public Relations
- Southwest Airlines
- Vail Resorts Inc.
- The Walt Disney Company
- Wells Fargo