Award: 1st Place, Food & Drug 2017 – Ming Garden
Competition: Virginia Press Association (VPA) Annual Advertising Contest
Publication: The News Virginian
Continuing the success of my strongest award year, this advertisement for Ming Garden’s “Valentine’s Day Special” earned 1st Place in the Food & Drug category. The VPA competition evaluates entries based on their ability to effectively communicate an advertiser’s message while maintaining high standards of design and reproduction quality.
The Food & Drug category (A07) includes restaurants, lounges, bars, and coffee shops. Winning entries in this category must demonstrate an ability to stop the reader and establish an immediate “why-this-is-important-to-you” connection.
Design Strategy:
- Emotional Connection: Leveraged a Valentine’s Day theme with heart-shaped graphic elements and warm colors to create an immediate emotional appeal for couples looking for holiday dining.
- Clear Value Proposition: Prominently featured the “Valentine’s Day Special” pricing and menu highlights to ensure the core offer was the focal point of the design.
- Effective Call-to-Action: Included clear contact information and hours of operation, making it easy for readers to make reservations or plan their visit.
- Professional Execution: Balanced text-heavy menu details with clean spacing and high-quality graphics to meet the judges’ criteria for design and execution quality.