It was a magical evening of awards and recognition this past weekend at The 2011 ADDY Awards – “TheMagic of V.I. Advertising,” presented by the American Advertising Federation of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and sponsored by The V.I. Lottery, The Virgin Islands Daily News and Ackley Media Group. The award show recognizing the best in local advertising took place on Saturday at Prior-Jolleck Hall. Reminiscent of Hollywood, attendees entered the walkway to the theatre, which was adorned with gold ADDY statuettes, and enhanced by piped musical classics from Frank Sinatra. Attendees then made their way to the red carpet leading to a large outdoor cocktail area complete with an ADDY backdrop, where AAF paparazzi snapped photos of the night’s glamorous guests. The rhythmic sounds of world renowned jazz musicians, Louis Taylor and his band, were the main attraction in this area, under several large elegantly lit tents, which housed an impressive lounge area with plush seating and carpeting, along with the food and beverage area with hors d’oeuvres and champagne.
The four major awards of the night were awarded to the following: The Donald Plantz Award Print – Malinda Media for St. John Magazine Issue Number Five; Best of Television – MLB Creative for The Virgin Islands Lottery “Thousands of Dollars are On The Line;” Radio – Austin Advertising for Guardian Insurance “Even If”jingle; The Peter DeBlanc Award – MLB Creative for Choice Wireless, Choice-Wireless.com. The big award of the show – The Overall Best of Show for 2011 – went to MLB Creative for The Virgin Islands Lottery, “Thousands of Dollars Are On the Line”Local TV. “This TV spot represents the tradition of the Lottery” said Terri Brown of MLB Creative. “We thank the Lottery for imagining thepossibilities of what this spot could be and trusting us to create it.”
A major feature of the evening was the presentation of the AAF USVI Lifetime Achievement Award to Athniel “Addie” Ottley of Ottley Communications and WSTA Radio (1340 a.m.) and The AAF USVIEmerging Leader In Media Award presented to Rashidi Clenance of Sunstroke Promotions and 105 Jamz Radio/Ackley Media Group (105.3 F.M.). Both men were hailed as pioneers and visionaries for their contributions within advertising and beyond by ADDY Master of Ceremonies and AAF USVI President Kevin Hughes. Ottley, expanded on the need for setting the tone for the next generation and the importance of giving back to the community, which is key in his work and life. Clenance spoke to his contributions and work specifically targeting the young people of the Virgin Islands, through his popular community shows, events and programs. Both men received standing ovations and were well received by the audience.
“I am definitely pleased with this year’s show, as we have taken this event to another level,” said Kevin Hughes, president of the A.A.F-USVI. “We delivered a high quality, polished show, with lots of deserving winners. However, more importantly, we recognized advertising and media greats Athniel “Addie” Ottley and Rashidi Clenance, which demonstrates our organization’s continuing commitment to recognizing local trailblazers who through their diverse efforts contribute to advertising, media and our community.”
The theme of the show the “Magic of Advertising” was cleverly captured throughout the night by visual and audio representations from the popular Harry Potter films interwoven throughout the show. The show’s theme song “Magic” by B.O.B. opened and closed the show and got the audience in a magicalparty mood.
The night came alive with the presentation of the Student Award Gold ADDY Award, which went to UVI Student Ad Club President Recaldo Richardson, who invited the entire Student Ad Club on to the stage, where they were recognized and also received a standing ovation as representatives of the next generation of V.I. advertising leaders.
“The UVI ad club, the students and the younger generation in general are very important to us as a club,” said Lisa Jamil, vice president of AAF USVI. “In fact, a portion of the proceeds from the ADDY’s will go towards our support of our internship program, where the organization assists students with finding meaningful internships and ultimately jobs within their chosen fields of interest. It was a great evening, and I want to thank everyone for attending, everyone had a great time”, said Lisa Jamil, V.P. of the AAF U.S.V.I.
Nationally, the American Advertising Federation has 200 member clubs in 15 districts within the U.S. and the Caribbean. The A.A.F. U.S. Virgin Islands is a part of the 4th District, which also includes Florida. For more information on the AAF U.S.V.I., visit their Web site at www.adclubvi.org.
