Award: 3rd Place, Multiple advertisers and themed pages 2015
Competition: Virginia Press Association (VPA) Annual Advertising Contest
Publication: The News Virginian
During my time at The News Virginian, I continued to represent our publication in the Virginia Press Association (VPA) annual awards. The VPA is a statewide organization that recognizes excellence across Virginia’s media landscape, with entries evaluated by objective, out-of-state judges to ensure high standards of creative strategy and technical skill.
This advertisement for the SPCA pet sponsorship page earned 3rd Place in the Multiple advertisers and themed pages category for 2015. Because these were monthly pages, the challenge was to develop a unique theme each month that would distinguish the current adoptable pets from previous editions.
Design Strategy:
- Thematic Innovation: Created an “April Showers” theme, utilizing custom-designed colorful umbrellas for each pet profile and a consistent raindrop background to create a cohesive, eye-catching visual narrative.
- Complex Grid Management: Balanced twelve individual pet photos and detailed biographies with their respective local business sponsors, maintaining a clean and professional hierarchy.
- Success Story Integration: Included a dedicated “Success Section” at the bottom to highlight pets adopted from the previous month, reinforcing the page’s effectiveness to both readers and sponsors.
Judge’s Comments:
“Great combinations of newspaper ‘mission’ and advertising sponsorship. Graphically appealing.”