Award: 3rd Place, Special Sections (No Slick Pages) 2017 – Valley Favorites
Competition: Virginia Press Association (VPA) Annual Advertising Contest
Publication: The News Virginian
To conclude my most successful award year, this “Valley Favorites Winners” publication earned 3rd Place in the Special Sections (No Slick Pages) category. This category (A13) recognizes multi-page standalone sections that demonstrate excellence in writing, depth of coverage, and continuity of design.
This project was a massive, multi-phase community competition where I managed everything from the initial “Vote for Me” print and digital campaigns to the final layout of the winners’ book.
Design Strategy:
- Comprehensive Layout Management: Oversaw the entire book layout, strategically placing winner profiles alongside their respective advertisements to maximize visibility and value for sponsors.
- Editorial Integration: Coordinated with news reporters to weave business interviews and stories into a cohesive 44-page narrative that celebrated local commerce.
- Cross-Media Campaign Design: Developed both print and digital “Vote for Me” advertisements, ensuring brand consistency throughout the voting and results phases.
- Collateral Development: Designed all official certificates and banners sold to winners, creating a unified brand identity for the “Valley Favorites” program.
- Information Architecture: Structured a high volume of diverse categories—ranging from professional services to local dining—into a clean, user-friendly directory format.
Celebrating the Best of the Shenandoah Valley Explore the award-winning 2017 “Valley Favorites” winners guide, a comprehensive showcase of the businesses our community loves most. This section was honored with 3rd Place by the Virginia Press Association for its professional design and depth of community coverage.
This digital flipbook highlights:
- The Best of Local Business: 44 pages of winners across dozens of categories, from fine dining to essential services.
- Unified Design Language: A professional layout that seamlessly blends editorial interviews with high-impact winner advertisements.
- Local Success Stories: Profiles of local entrepreneurs and service providers that tell the story of our region’s vibrant business community.