Vermont Business Magazine Burlington radio station WIZN-FM and Colchester advertising agency Mt Mansfield Media won Best in Show awards May 25 at the Commercial of the Year Awards luncheon at the Capitol Plaza Hotel. The competition is organized by the Vermont Association of Broadcasters and the awards were announced during the organization’s 61st annual convention in Montpelier. Featured speaker at this year’s convention was Former U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, President and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters.
Kate Lanza Devon McGarry and Mitch Terricciano of WIZN accept Radio Best in Show Award
WIZN won the radio Best in Show award for “Jimmy Ex-Girlfriend Files,” a Valentine’s Day promotional spot.
Mt Mansfield Media won the television Best in Show prize for “Oxen Exhaust,” a promotional spot for the Tunbridge World’s Fair, sponsored by White River Toyota.
Nearly 200 entries were received from Vermont radio stations, television stations and advertising agencies. The three groups compete amongst themselves in the categories of commercials, promotional spots and public service announcements.
Mt Mansfield Media also won first place awards for agency radio and agency television commercials. Their radio winner was “Plants Noir Radio,” a spot for Guy’s Farm and Yard. Their agency television award was for “The Job Hunt,” an ad for Westaff.
Besides the radio Best in Show award, WIZN also won a first place prize in the promo category for “Kickoffs and Kash Finale,” a spot for City Sports Grille.
WJOY-AM in Burlington won the first place award for radio commercials for “Things that Suck,” a spot for Vacuum City.
Rutland radio station WSYB-AM won a first place award for “High School Wasn’t for Me,” a public service announcement on behalf of Vermont Adult Learning.
TV Station WFFF won a first place award in the public service category for “Spectrum’s Student Sleep Out,” and another first place prize in the promotional spot category for “Non-Stop Comedy Block.”
Top prize in the television station commercial category went to WPTZ for “Celebrate the Lake,” a spot for the ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain.
Burlington advertising agency Urban Rhino won a first place award in the public service category for “Let’s Grow Kids – Tough Choices #1.”
The VAB’s annual competition is the only such broadcast advertising contest in Vermont. The VAB is a non-profit trade association founded in 1955 to assist Vermont’s radio and television stations.
Ben Chiappinelli of Mt Mansfield Media accepts TV Best in Show award
The complete list of winners:
Radio PSA First Place
WSYB-AM: “Vermont Adult Learning- High School Wasn’t for Me”
Runner-up
WJJZ-FM: “Newport Dessert Challenge”
Agency PSA First Place
Urban Rhino: “Let’s Grow Kids: Tough Choices #1”
Television Station PSA First Place
WFFF-TV: “Spectrum’s Student Sleep Out”
Runner-up
WCAX-TV: “Every Week is Drinking Water Week!”
Radio Promo First Place
WIZN-FM: “Kickoffs and Kash Finale”
Runner-up
WZRT-FM: “Frosty the Doughman”
Television Station Promo First Place
WFFF-TV: “Non-Stop Comedy Block”
Runner-up
The Valley CW - WPTZ 5.2: “WPTZ/The Valley CW Street Team Comic Con”
Agency Radio Commercial First Place
Mt. Mansfield Media: “Plants Noir Radio,” Guy's Farm and Yard
Runner-up
Shadow Productions: “College Tour,” Jamieson Insurance
Radio Station Commercial First Place
WJOY-AM: “Things That Suck,” Vacuum City
Runner-up
WGMT-FM: “School Lunches,” White Market
Agency TV Commercial First Place
Mt. Mansfield Media: “The Job Hunt,” Westaff
Runner-up
Mt. Mansfield Media: “Lenny’s VTeezy,” Lenny’s Shoe and Apparel
Television Station Commercial First Place
WPTZ-TV: “Celebrate the Lake,” ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain
Runner-up
WCAX: “Dirtman,” Green Mountain Carpet Cleaning
Radio Best in Show
WIZN-FM: “Jimmy Ex-Girlfriend Files”
Television Best in Show
Mt. Mansfield Media: “Oxen Exhaust”