Staff of the advertising department of the Sun-Gazette recently attended an advertising workshop at the Atherton Hotel in State College, April 27 29th, where they took home nine awards. The workshop was presented by The Interstate Advertising Managers' Association (IAMA), a multi-state organization that was founded in 1928 to inform and educate newspaper advertising professionals. The IAMA is open to any newspaper advertising professional from Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland or West Virginia.
Each year the IAMA has sponsored a contest honoring the best creative work and ideas from the advertising staff's of member newspapers. This year hundreds of entries were received from across the state. Judging was done by Metro Creative Graphics in New York City.
Ten categories were judged and the Sun-Gazette took home honors in seven of the ten categories in the under 30,000 daily circulation division. First place winners were in the categories of Best Black & White, Single Ad, Quarter Page and Under; Best Color Single Ad, Quarter Page and Under; Best Black & White, Single Ad, Over a Quarter Page; Best Color Single Ad, over a Quarter Page; and Ad Campaign Using Multiple Newspaper Products. Other prizes were won in the categories of Most Innovative Idea; ROP Ad Series; and Best Color Single Ad, over a Quarter Page.
A special first place award was also won by the The Williamsport Sun-Gazette. The award is, "Newspapers Fighting Cancer," an award jointly sponsored by the Andrew E. Shapiro Cancer Foundation and the IAMA. It was for the "Relay for Life" special edition published by the Sun-Gazette to spread awareness of the many Relay for Life events that take place in our community.
