2009 Radio Mercury Awards Finalists Named

2009 Radio Mercury Awards Finalists Named

Winners to be Announced Live on Wednesday, June 17th at The Lighthouse, Pier 61 in New York City

NEW YORK, May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The finalists for the 2009 Radio Mercury Awards, which recognize and reward bold and effective commercials and campaigns exemplifying good Radio creative were announced today. The winners in the competition awarding a total of $125,000 in prizes will be announced at the annual gala on June 17th in New York City. The winner of this year's Grand Prize will receive a $100,000 award. In addition, two new awards were introduced this year; a $10,000 Integrated Radio Campaign Prize honoring the best use of Radio in an integrated multimedia plan, and the Marketer of the Year Award. The Marketer of the Year finalists, selected by a committee of industry-insiders, are: The Coca-Cola Company, GEICO, The Hershey's Company, McDonald's(R), Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and the Barack Obama 2008 Presidential Campaign, chosen for their commitment to Radio as a creative medium.

Rick Boyko, director of the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Brandcenter and former co-president and chief creative officer of Ogilvy & Mather, served as Chief Judge, and helped the Mercury Awards assemble its most distinguished panel of final round judges ever: Bill Bruce, chairman, chief creative officer, BBDO New York; Pete Favat, chief creative officer, Arnold Worldwide; David Fowler, senior partner, worldwide creative director, Ogilvy & Mather; Mark Gross, senior vice president, group creative director, DDB Chicago; Mike Hughes, president and creative director, The Martin Agency; Lance Jensen, chief creative officer and founder, Modernista!; Jose Molla, founder, creative director, la comunidad; Mark Nardi, creative director, Hill | Holliday; Ronny Northrup, creative director, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners; Bob Scarpelli, chairman and chief creative officer, DDB Worldwide; Mike Shine, executive creative director, Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners; Joyce King Thomas, executive vice president/chief creative officer, McCann Erickson, and Bill Wright, creative director, Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

Entries were judged based on their creativity, originality and effective communication of a brand's message.

"The long-term goal of the Mercury Awards is to reposition Radio advertising as a showcase medium for the creative community," said Rick Boyko. "The winning spots will be smart and entertaining but, most importantly, they will forge an emotional connection with consumers."

"Our outstanding judges have worked hard to identify and recognize the most innovative Radio spots this year, and they have come up with an impressive list of finalists," said Jeff Haley, president and chief executive officer, Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB). "We are pleased to honor the work of these brands that continue to demonstrate how Radio is an effective and compelling advertising experience, especially when creativity is made a top priority."

The 2009 Radio Mercury Awards will be held on June 17th in New York City at The Lighthouse, Pier 61. For information about the event please call 212-681-7207 or email mercury@rab.com.

The finalists are:

BBDO New York
Big Production
FedEx

BBDO New York
Physical
AT&T

BBDO New York
Walk of No Shame
Pepsi/AMP Energy Drink

BBDO New York
Zip Codes
FedEx

Campbell-Ewald
Money Can Buy Happiness
U.S. Mint

Crispin Porter + Bogusky
Car of Tomorrow
Coke Zero

Crowell Advertising
Do It
The Canyons Resort

DDB Chicago
Mr. Championship Ring Designer
Anheuser-Busch

DeVito/Verdi
Comedy Club
National Thoroughbred Racing Association

DeVito/Verdi
Mama Calamari's
Legal Sea Food

Dieste
Years
7-Eleven

Draftfcb
This Monday Night (NFL Songs)
MillerCoors, Coors Light

Eleven, Inc.
Integrated campaign
Virgin America Airlines

Goodby, Silverstein &Partners
Comcast Town: High Speed Internet
Comcast

Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
Comcast Town: Multi Product
Comcast

Grupo Gallegos
Epic
Comcast

GSD&M
Trigger Songs - Rock
American Legacy Foundation

JWT NY
Integrated campaign
JetBlue

LatinWorks
Y Ahora Que
ESPN Deportes

Leo Burnett Chicago
Integrated campaign
Greater Chicago Food Depository

Publicis in the West
Jake's Karmic Purge
Washington State Lottery

Siddall
Yesterday
State Fair of Virginia

The Martin Agency
Magic Trick
GEICO

The Richards Group
DVD
Motel 6

Y&R Chicago
Sister Song
Miller Genuine Draft

Y&R New York
Henry
Office Depot

About the Radio Mercury Awards:

The Radio Mercury Awards, the only competition exclusively devoted to Radio, was established in 1992 to encourage and reward the development of effective and creative Radio commercials. The annual Radio Mercury Awards competition draws entries from advertising agencies, production houses, Radio stations, and educational institutions across the country. Approximately 16,000 commercials have competed for over $2.8 million in prizes. The Radio Creative Fund (RCF), a non-profit corporation funded by the Radio industry, governs the Radio Mercury Awards. Last year, the $100,000 Grand Prize was awarded to TBWA\Chiat\Day NY.

Source: The Radio Mercury Awards

CONTACT: Tai Foster, MWW Group, +1-201-460-2839, tfoster@mww.com; or Pam
Tolton, Radio Advertising Bureau, +1-212-681-7211, ptolton@rab.com

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