Chairs that came to life sit pretty at ad awards

{ Chairs that came to life sit pretty at ad awards }

March 6, 2009 Article By: Mark Washburn, The Charlotte Observer Photography By: Roger Ball

An ad campaign promoting Sunbrella's upholstery fabrics that featured humanistic chairs and loungers was named Best of Show Thursday night in the annual Addy Awards, which honors the most creative work from Charlotte advertising agencies.

The campaign for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, based near Burlington, was created by Wray Ward. It was the second year in a row that the agency, founded in 1977, won for a Glen Raven campaign. John Roberts was creative and art director for the project.

The Addys are presented by the American Advertising Federation-Charlotte, formerly the Charlotte Ad Club.

Overall, it has been a difficult year in the advertising business with many clients cutting back because of the recession.

“People are covering their heads up and waiting for the problems to go by,” said Richard Halliburton, president of the AAF-Charlotte and senior media buyer at Specialized Media Services. “Agencies are down because their clients are hurting.”

But he said the contest still attracted a high level of entries this year. “The judges were pretty impressed with what was out there. We have good talent in Charlotte.”

Wray Ward won 12 Addys in addition to Best of Show. Other agencies with multiple winners included Studiobanks with 15, Luquire George Andrews with 11, HMH with 8, The Maxim Agency with 7, Limerick Studios with 6, BooneOakley with 5 and Corder Phillips with 5.

2009 ADDY Program PDF