For Immediate Release 03.15.07
For more information, contact:
Matt Hutton : 217.351.6700
Champaign, Illinois, March 15, 2007—It's been another phenomenal year for Spinlight Studio, taking home 34 awards for advertising and design excellence in three major competitions. Which isn't half bad, considering the fact that the entire company consists of six employees. "That's roughly 5.6 awards per person," says company co-founder Matt Hutton. "With those kind of numbers, I think we'll keep them around."
For Spinlight, a full-service advertising agency and design studio located on the southwest edge of Champaign, the phenomenal run of awards began in 2005 when they took home 12 American Graphic Design awards—more than any other firm competing in the prestigious national competition. This year they nearly matched their record, taking home eight additional honors. But that was only the start of an exceptional award season.
Other accomplishments include two awards for outstanding Web design from the W3 Awards—judged by the International Academy of Visual Arts—and 24 ADDY Awards for a broad selection of entries. Sponsored by the American Advertising Federation, the ADDYs are the world's largest advertising competition, drawing nearly 60,000 entries every year. Spinlight garnered 10 Gold and 13 Silver ADDYs, along with the 2007 ADDY Judges Award in the local tier of the show. All 24 entries have been forwarded to a district showing where they'll compete to advance to the national show.
"I think the notable thing about this year's awards is the breadth of the projects that were recognized," says Hutton. "It's print. It's Web design. It's packaging and TV. It really reflects the span of the work we do here, and the quality that's available outside of the major metropolitan markets."
Highlights for this year include the re-branding of Simply Amish furniture, a national furniture distributor located in Arcola, Illinois. "They've always had an exceptional product," says Chris Phillips, Senior Designer. "Now they have an exceptional brand." From the logo, to the website, to the tags that go on the furniture, Spinlight worked closely with Kevin Kauffman, Simply Amish co-founder and partner, to completely revitalize the brand, adding something that some may not acquaint with the Amish—a healthy sense of humor.
The first print ad in the new campaign featured a dining table with a headline that read, "Envy, Pride and Gluttony. Leave it to the Amish to inspire three deadly sins with one piece of furniture." It was a radical departure from anything that had come before it. And it set the tone for a major re-branding that garnered considerable attention for Simply Amish at a national furniture show later in Las Vegas. "That's the fun part of what we do," explains Spinlight co-founder Debby Winter. "We take a great product and we get them noticed, using great design and sometimes a little humor. When that happens, it's a win for them and a win for us." And this year at Spinlight, there was plenty of "winning" to go around.
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About Spinlight Studio
Since its founding in 2000, Spinlight Studio has won over 150 local, regional and national awards, including 46 American Graphic Design Awards and 48 ADDYs. Located on South Staley Road in Champaign, the company offers a full range of print, broadcast and digital marketing services for a range of local and regional clients.