Ad Club Announces New Creative Awards Show on May 7

HOLYOKE — On May 7, the Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts will unveil its new Creative Awards show, formerly known as the ADDYs, recognizing the creative work of advertising agencies and marketing departments throughout the region.

The club recently ended its affiliation with the American Advertising Federation (AAF) in favor of a show focused on the work of the local creative economy. The revamped Creative Awards show will be held at Open Square in Holyoke, a nod to the city’s recent commitment to a creative economy. Entries for the inaugural Creative Awards show comprised a variety of media, including photography, print work, video production, and more. The creative industry in Western Mass. and Northern Conn. responded positively to this year’s overhaul with more than 100 submitted entries.

“Seeing the entries submitted for this year’s show was a reminder of how deep the pool of talent is in our region,” said David Cecchi, club president and historian. “The Creative Awards will be a great opportunity for the local creative and business communities to celebrate the excellent work being done locally in advertising, design, and communications.”

Cecchi also noted the commitment of the club to serve as a connector between the business community and the marketing and communications communities in Western Mass. “The show will be a great opportunity for local business to get exposed to the creative resources available to them in the area — and meet the people doing great work.”

This year’s Creative Awards judges are Jeff Patch, partner and executive director of RDW Group; Maureen Gawron, creative services manager and associate creative director at the TJX Companies Inc.; and Amy Graver, principal and creative director at Elements, a creative-communications agency. “Really nice pieces in this year’s show,” noted Graver. “There is also a lot of diversity in the type of work being submitted.”

With a view to breathing new life into the awards show and re-engage the local creative community, Creative Awards co-chairs Lynn Saunders and Scott Whitney, both of Six-Point Creative Works, have rebuilt the program from the ground up. “We really started from scratch in terms of determining categories, submission process, and the format of the show,” said Whitney. “It’s certainly been a daunting task, but we’ve already had a lot of support from our colleagues in the industry who appreciate that the Ad Club is focusing on the work of local creatives.”