News

We’re an active group, at least two club events in any typical month and lots of networking and online activities in between. Bookmark this page and you’ll have a central location for everything that’s AAF-Knoxville news.

 

News

May Non-Profit:

Our May non-profit organization to recognize is FISH, which actually is a series of groups focused on ending hunger.

In fact, the organization is so efficient that a simple $5 donation can feed a family of four for three days.

The FISH organization is divided into several segments. Simply stated, there's the "delivery" part (FISH) and the "come get it" part (FISH Hospitality Pantries).

In addition, there is a group for young people to learn and assist in any way they see fit (Schools of FISH). And there is the Friends of FISH, made of people who conduct fundraising and special events.

FISH is a 100% volunteer organization. There are no paid employees. Every cent donated goes directly to purchase food or pay for the transportation to get food to Knoxville.

To learn more, visit these websites:

www.schoolsoffish.org

www.fishpantry.org/index.php

www.discoveret.org/fishkc/websites.htm

We're Not Asking You To Be Part of the Revolution. You Already Are.

Our topic for the AAF-Knoxville luncheon this Thursday is "Media Revolution." Guy Jacobssen, VP of Media Services at The Tombras Group will lead a discussion of change in the media marketplace, and cover issues that anyone involved with media--sales reps, media buyers and planners, business owners--need to understand to adapt to changes.

New media is the buzz, but the 800 pound gorilla is still TV. Radio has lots of new perks. Outdoor isn't static. And print reaches people who still have money to spend.

The dynamics continue to change, and knowing what's truly going on can mean the difference between the right--or wrong--choices.

You can participate in the conversation, too. If you have questions that you'd like to ask, use the form on our website to let us know. We've been gathering questions from media professionals around the area, so this promises to be a very powerful gathering.

District 7 ADDY® Awards Results: AAF-Knoxville Receives Most “Gold”

Congratulations to Hornsby Brand Design, Pellissippi State student Cordelia Norris and The Tombras Group for winning 2010 American Advertising Federation District 7 ADDY® Awards. AAF-Knoxville received the most District Gold ADDY® Awards of any chapter in our five-state region, which includes Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee! All of the Gold winners will now move up to the final national tier of the competition – winners will be announced on June 12. With more than 60,000 entries from 200 chapters, the ADDY® Awards are the nation's largest recognition of creative excellence.

District Gold ADDY® Awards:
  • Hornsby Brand Design: “Mercy Hill” Website for Mercy Hill Church
  • Pellissippi State Student Cordelia Norris for “Upside Studio”
  • The Tombras Group: “Buzzed Creeps” Online Spot Animation for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  • The Tombras Group: “Big Monster Attacks” Online Spot for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  • The Tombras Group: “Big Monster Strikes Back” Website for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  • The Tombras Group: “Big Monster Strikes Back” Online Spot for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  • The Tombras Group: “Creeps Website Animation” for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  • The Tombras Group: “Hell On Water” Website Homepage Image for Zodiac Boats
  • The Tombras Group: “Helping Hand” Print Ad for the Smoky Mountain Convention & Visitors Bureau (3 Awards Received)
  • The Tombras Group: “Low Impact Vacation-Tent” Print Ad for the Smoky Mountain Convention & Visitors Bureau (3 Awards Received)
  • The Tombras Group: “Low Impact Vacation-Horses” Print Ad for the Smoky Mountain Convention & Visitors Bureau
  • The Tombras Group: “Low Impact Vacation Print Campaign” for the Smoky Mountain Convention & Visitors Bureau
  • The Tombras Group: “Nailed TV Spot” for the Tennessee Department of Transportation (3 Awards Received)
  • The Tombras Group: “Nailed Non-Traditional Campaign” for the Tennessee Department of Transportation
  • The Tombras Group: “Shoe Multimedia Campaign” for Bank of Tennessee


District Silver ADDY® Awards:
  • The Tombras Group: “Busted” Online Spot for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  • The Tombras Group: “Online Creeps Spot Animation” for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  • The Tombras Group: “Hope Gala Invitation” for the American Cancer Society
  • The Tombras Group: “Love Your Money Multimedia Campaign” for the University of Tennessee
  • The Tombras Group: “Pig Maze” Print Ad for the Smoky Mountain Convention & Visitors Bureau
  • The Tombras Group: “Save More Souls” Website Homepage for Zodiac Boats
  • The Tombras Group: “Skating Rocks” TV Spot for Bristol Motor Speedway

April Featured Non-Profit: Friends of Literacy

Each month, AAF-Knoxville features a local non-profit organization as part of its lunch meetings. For April, we're delighted to welcome Melissa Nance, Executive Director for Friends of Literacy.

Since 1991 Friends of Literacy has been the voice of the illiterate.

Friends of Literacy is:

  • Private (not government operated)
  • Independent (not part of a school system)
  • Not-for-Profit
  • Local (Serving only Knox County)
  • Governed by a volunteer board of local corporate and community leaders
  • Is supported by members (individual and corporate donations)
  • Supported by local, regional, state, and national foundations and granting agencies

We support programs that offer year-round daytime and evening adult education classes.

Our Goal: To provide funding and volunteers that support basic education and life-skill training to adult students, helping them to become better workers, parents, and citizens.

What is Literacy? "Literacy means an individual's ability to read, write, and speak English, and to compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society, to achieve one's goals and develop one's knowledge and potential." - National Literacy Act 1991

Benefits of Literacy:

  • Better job opportunities, increased earnings
  • Educational advancement
  • Decreases intergenerational cycle of poverty
  • Raises workforce effectiveness
  • Increases civic participation
To learn more, visit www.friendsofliteracy.org.

March Featured Non-Profit: Laurel High School

AAF-Knoxville has begun a program whereby we invited area non-profit organizations to our lunch meetings for a brief presentation on their services and efforts. For March, we're featuring Laurel High School.

Since 1971, Laurel High School has offered an option for students with curiosity, energy, and independence of spirit. Students are prepared to make sound decisions after graduation because they have had ample opportunity to make decisions while at Laurel. They help shape school policies, pursue their individual interests, and help determine their own class schedules.

Students come to Laurel for a variety of reasons:

  • what they want is not available in other schools.
  • they desire more stimulating classes.
  • they want more input in determining their own classes .
  • they appreciate the increased opportunities and attention that are made possible by small classes in a small school.
  • their experience includes life lessons as well as academic studies.
  • a student can make mistakes in a supportive environment.
  • individuals are valued even when painful mistakes are made.
  • the consequences of their actions at Laurel are natural rather than arbitrary.
  • rules are limited to only those necessary for a framework within which the school must operate or to those basic to the school’s fundamental philosophy.
  • the faculty, staff and Board of Directors share Laurel’s philosophy and are committed to the school and its students.
To learn more, visit www.laurelhighschool.org.

Knoxville ADDY® Awards Article

Congrats again to all of the 45th Annual Knoxville ADDY® Awards winners. We got some nice ink (and pixels) today in the Knoxville News Sentinel. Click here to view it.

ADDY® Awards Recap

Follow this link to check out a nice recap of the past weekend's AAF-Knoxville ADDY® Awards: http://aafknoxville.com/addys.

You'll also find downloads that display all winners and "Best of Shows", including this year's President's Award, Silver Medal recipient and our Hall of Fame inductees.

What's Everyone Wearing to the ADDYs?

The ADDYs are a celebration in creativity--both in communications work and costume. And the ADDYs gala this Saturday night will feature the best of both.

NOTE: A few tickets are still available. Get details at www.aafknoxville.com/addys.

What will people be wearing? Here are a few rumors so far:

  • One major agency promises a "white-out," and even suggests that they might have a sponsor in Chlorox bleach.

  • Another innovative individual says her dress has "pockets." To hold all her awards? Or to steal food? Time will tell.

  • Someone else says that patent leather ties are not dead.

  • Another thinks that Don Draper will seem a little shabby in comparison.

  • And still someone else predicts that at least one person there will be wearing bowling shoes.

It's all less that 48 hours away now.

ADDYs Reservations Due Today


If you haven't already made your reservations for this Saturday's ADDYs gala (the biggest celebration of creative work in East Tennessee, and arguably its best party), you need to do so today.

Just follow this link to the ADDYs page, and join the fun. You really don't want to miss this year's event.

ADDYs Highlight: Robert McCabe Silver Medal

The ADDYs recognize excellence in many ways. One highlight each year is the naming of the winner of the Robert MeCabe Silver Medal.

The Robert McCabe Silver Medal is a national AAF honor given to the person who has shown
excellence and creativity in advertising for his or her company, community, and the industry as a
whole. The winner is selected from a group of nominees that has been reviewed and evaluated by past presidents of AAF-Knoxville. Over the years, the winners have represented many of the most respected people ever to serve in the communications profession in East Tennessee.

Who will 2010's winner be? Come to the ADDYs on February 20 and see. (INSIDER's NOTE: You'll definitely agree with the selection.)

Make your reservation for the ADDYs here.

Past Winners of the Robert McCabe Silver Medal:

1965: Charlie Haun, Cummings Outdoor
1966: Charlie Davis, Davis Newman Payne
1967: Roger Daley, Knoxville News Sentinel
1972: Neal Branch, WBIR-TV10
1974: Sam Newman, Davis Newman Payne
1976: Janet Dawson, WATE-TV6
1977: Gil Champagne, Knoxville News Sentinel
1978: Kenneth Hodge, Hodge Printing
1979: Richard Joel, University of Tennessee
1980: Liz Tombras, WBIR-TV10
1981: John Payne, Davis Newman Payne
1982: Bobby Denton, WIVK
1983: Bud Brooks, Ford Brooks Agency
1984: Jim Dick, Dick Broadcasting
1985: Charles Tombras Sr., The Tombras Group
1986: Jim Hart, WBIR-TV10
1987: Don McNeil, Tennessee Press Assoc.
1988: Lynn Leopper, WBIR-TV10
1989: Marvin Jack Kress, Kress Agency
1990: Ty McCloud, WATE-TV6
1991: Dick Meshendorf, Home Federal Bank
1992: Pat Wilson, WATE-TV6
1993: Ross Bagwell, Sr., Bagwell Productions
1994: Steve Dean, WBIR-TV10
1995: Dorothy Smith, Smith Marketing
1996: Jim Earley, Earley & Assoc.
1997: Shelba Murphy, Knoxville News Sentinel
1998: Charles Tombras Jr., The Tombras Group
1999: Tom Rowland, Rowland Productions
2000: Ann Staup, Direct Mail Services
2001: Chris Wise, Lancaster Consulting Group
2002: Ann Proud, Media Directions
2003: Ed Brantley, Citadel Broadcasting
2004: Curtis Parham, CP Productions
2005: Sam Littleton, WBIR-TV
2006: Terry Gillingham, South Central Communications
2007: Buddy McLean, Davis Newman Payne
2008: Carolyn Morton, Lamar Advertising
2009: Lisa Duncan, Dogwood Arts Festival

Congrats!

Congrats to the following Greater Knoxville companies who entered the nation's largest creative competition and are ADDY® winners. We hope to see you at the celebration on Saturday, February 20, where we honor the creative produced in East Tennessee during 2009 - we're also going to honor four local industry icons. Did we mention it's the biggest party of the year? Click here for event details.


It's Only The Biggest Party of the Year

Please join the American Advertising Federation of Knoxville as we honor and celebrate the creative produced in East Tennessee during 2009.

This event will be the year’s largest gathering of advertising, marketing, creative, media, and production professionals.

Also, we will induct three local advertising icons into the AAF-Knoxville Hall of Fame and award one individual the National Robert McCabe Silver Medal.

Saturday, February 20, 2010
Crowne Plaza Hotel
401 West Summit Hill Drive
Knoxville, TN 37902

6pm: Reception & The Gallery of Work
7pm: Dinner & ADDY® Show
Attire: Black Tie

THE GALLERY: Network and peruse the displays of all submitted print work

THREE-COURSE PLATED DINNER

ENTERTAINMENT: Tracey Ozier

RSVP by Tuesday, February 16, 2010, to Karen Taylor:
edirector@aafknoxville.com or 865.742.4838

SEATS / TABLES
  • $65 per ticket or $600 for a table of 10
  • Payment must be received by Thursday, February 18, 2010
  • Make checks payable to:
    American Advertising Federation of Knoxville
    P.O. Box 50842, Knoxville, TN 37950
  • Table assignments from the front of the ballroom to the back are made on a first-paid- first-reserved basis
RAFFLE
Purchase $2 raffle ticket and bid on great gifts to help support student ADDY® entries in 2010

September Non-Profit: The United Way

AAF-Knoxville has begun a program whereby we invited area non-profit organizations to our lunch meetings for a brief presentation on their services and efforts. For September, we're featuring The United Way of Greater Knoxville.

United Way of Greater Knoxville advances the common good by focusing on education, income, health and basic needs. Its goal is to create lasting change while working to prevent problems from happening in the first place. The emphasis is on helping individuals become self-sufficient, and have the skills and resources needed for personal success.

The United Way supports 45 agencies in East Tennessee, including groups as diverse as The Salvation Army, the Girl and Boy Scouts, Child and Family Services, Second Harvest Food Bank, and the Knoxville Volunteer Emergency Rescue Squad.

This year's United Way Campaign has just kicked off, with a goal of raising $11.8 million between now and November. John Lansing, President of Scripps Networks, is the Chairman of this year's campaign, and events slated to help with the fundraising include a telethon on Monday, September 21, featuring the Food Network's Guy Fieri. There is also an online auction planned with some surprising (and very exclusive) items to be offered, and hundreds of meetings, presentations, spare change drives, and other efforts that support the biggest and one of the most important community service events in East Tennessee.

Representatives from the United Way will tell us more at our luncheon on Thursday. We're delighted to welcome them.

Fall TV Premier Coming Up Fast

This year, we're making our Fall TV Premier an evening event. Be sure to mark your calendar for Wednesday, August 26 and be at the coolest place in town--The Square Room, beginning around 4:30 pm. We'll have food, networking fun, and probably other kinds of fun.

Then at 6pm, the local TV networks will give us an exclusive sneak preview of all the new Fall shows. It's the only event in town where you can see all the networks in one place, and if TV is part of your media mix (or if you just want to see what's new), this is the place to be.

Visit www.aafknoxville.com for more details.

Bowled Over!

We knew Ad Fed In The Gutter Would Be Fun. But Nothing Like This.

What a great turnout on Thursday! The first Ad Fed In The Gutter Bowling Tournament was a rousing success. Thank you to everyone who came and played a hard game of trash talking and ball throwing. Here are the final stats: We had almost 120 bowlers on 18 teams. When the pins had settled, here are the final scores:

1. Tombras - Lane 28 - 265.8 - GOLD Trophy
2. BlueGill Creative - Lane 26 - 236.5 - SILVER Trophy
3. Tombras - Lane 27 - 227.6 - BRONZE Trophy
4. KNS - Lane 23 - 226.5
5. DesignSensory - Lane 15 - 220.4 - Most Creative Award
6. KNS - Lane 22 - 218.8
7. DoubleJay Creative - Lane 24 - 203.6 - Most Rowdy Award
8. Nihilists - Lane 20 - 203 (Didn't really matter to them, though. They belief en notzing.)
9. Tombras - Lane 29 - 198.1
10. TradeMark - Lane 19 - 191.5
11. KNS - Lane 21 - 189.6
12. Pellissippi - Lane 30 - 186
13. WVIK - Lane 16 - 182
14. DoubleJay Creative - Lane 25 - 181.8
15. DNP - Lane 31 - 176
16. DNP - Lane 32 - 166 - Worst Losers Award (you put up a fight but it was a small one)
17. WBIR - DNF*
18. WBIR - DNF*


*WBIR gets the coveted post tournament "Dude" award. They took a break between games, and ran out of time before finishing their second game. We take comfort in that--Channel 10, out there takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. We know it came straight from the heart. (PLEASE NOTE: There would have been a trophy, but in the spirit of the award, we never got around to finishing it.)

By all accounts, it was fun for everyone.

And a note from AAF-Knoxville President, Brian Potter, who owns his own bowling shoes: "I want to send out a special thanks to Sarah Mills of Trademark and her team of Gutter Balls: Wayne Bowman (BrainPosse), Andrew Dill (Orange Apple), Josh Loebner (Trademark) and Courtney Hendricks (Conway Marketing). And a special thanks to Susie Norris of Orange Apple for all the design work and to Michael Torano of N8 Promotions for donating the great T-shirts."

This Bowling Thing Is Really Taking Off


Our "Ad Fed In The Gutter" bowling event for July 23 is sparking a lot of interest. So far, more than a dozen teams are indicating they'll play, and we expect more to sign on in the next few days.

You can learn more about the event, the trash talking behind it, and the sport of bowling in general by visiting www.adfedinthegutter.com.

And watch for some interesting videos coming in the next couple of days to support this remarkable event.

A Flash Mob. Southern Style.


You know what a flash mob is, right? A group of people get notified to show up at a certain place, and have an almost-impromptu pillow fight, or dance, or poetry reading, or whatever, then disperse in a matter of minutes.

That's the old-school flash mob. Then there's the AAF-Knoxville Southern style flash mob.

With our flash mobs, things are a bit more civil. People tend to linger, visit with each other, get to know one another. Instead of performance art, they exchange stories, ideas, and--often--business cards. People come and go as they please, and thanks to a few libations and snacks, people tend to mark the date for the next flash mob on their calendars (Hint: it's every second Tuesday of the month.)

If you haven't been to an AAF-Knoxville flash mob, drop by for a few minutes. It's an experience you'll want to have. Typically every time it rolls around.

See ya Thursday at Aubrey's at Northshore. 'Round 5:30, let's say. Look for us out on the patio.
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Web - Facebook - Twitter - District - National

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OK, What’s KO?
Knoxville Overground has an ambitious mission to foster entrepreneurship in Knoxville. See what this means to you on June 25.

Alex Lavidge of Knoxville Overground will show us how his unique organization is designed to help new businesses prosper - and how this integrates with the East Tennessee Marketing and Advertising Community. Join us for this fascinating look at how to help ideas grow.
Thursday, June 25th
Peerless Steak House
 11:30 Networking
12:00 Installation of 2009-2010 AAF-Knoxville Board of Directors
12:15 Lunch and Presentation

$20 AAF Members with RSVP
$25 Non-member with RSVP
$30 At the door with no RSVP
(Visa & MasterCard accepted with $1.25 fee)

 RSVP by June 22nd to Karen Taylor: email or 742-4838.
If you do not RSVP, you'll be forced to pay more moola.
_______________________________________________________________________

Web - Facebook - Twitter - District - National

National ADDY® Awards

Congratulations to Knoxville's Tombras Group for winning two National ADDY® Awards! A Gold ADDY® Award was given to Tombras for the Festival Events Microsite produced for the Smoky Mountain Convention & Visitors Bureau. A Silver ADDY® Award was given to Tombras for its own Portfolio Website. The event took place this past weekend in Washington DC.

District ADDY® Awards

Congratulations to these Knoxville-area business who received District 7 ADDY® Awards! Our market was one of the most winning of all 25 AAF chapters located in our five-state region of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Results from the National ADDY® Awards will be posted soon.


Gold ADDY® Awards

Silver ADDY® Awards

Traditional Media Conquer a Non-Traditional World

Join AAF-Knoxville for a panel discussion on how traditional media are adapting to new competition from non-traditional sources, and how they're finding new revenue streams, new ways of communicating - and new audiences. Panelists include:


Ed Brantley

Citadel Broadcasting


Bruce Hartmann

KNS Media Group


David Jernigan

Lamar Advertising


Jeff Lee

WBIR


Moderator Katie Granju

Knoxville Social Media Association


Thursday, May 28

Peerless Steak House

11:30-12:00 Networking - 12:00-1:00 Panel Discussion


$20 for AAF members - $25 for non-members

RSVP by May 25 to Karen Taylor: email or 742-4838

Flash Mobs

We can't promise a pillow fight or a night in jail, but the AAF-Knoxville Flash Mobs offer some great networking for those of us in the marketing-communications-advertising-interactive-media-production-type worlds. We usually gather on a Thursday night at the Aubrey's at the Landmark Center. We've found it to be a pretty good central location for folks to pop in on their way home. Our next one is slated for Thursday, May 14. Unless the weather's crappy, you'll find us on the patio from 4:30 until 7:30 or 8. Not sure how to find us? Just gravitate toward the noisiest, most obnoxious crowd - it's just what happens when you combine extroverts with alcohol.

AdFed To Stage Media Auction

Gala Will Include Roast of WBIR’s Biven

The American Advertising Federation of Knoxville (AAF-Knoxville) is hosting a media auction on April 9 as a fundraiser and an opportunity for small business and non-profits to snag great deals on television, radio, outdoor, and print media.

The event will raise money for AAF-Knoxville and Saving Little Hearts, a foundation dedicated to helping children with congenital heart defects. It will be held on the patio of the Crown and Goose gastropub in The Old City, beginning at 6:30 pm.

A bonus to the evening is a celebrity roast of WBIR’s Russell Biven.

“We thought this would be a good time to create an event that could benefit a number of organizations throughout East Tennessee,” said David Jacobs, AAF-Knoxville President. “The media auction can help people expand their promotion at reduced costs. And we’re honored to be associated with Saving Little Hearts and look forward to being able to contribute to their remarkable efforts.’

Jacobs noted that the event will also be a chance for networking with some of the most creative minds in East Tennessee, and that in addition to media, several businesses and individuals are expected to donate weekend trips, dining packages, and other items to be auctioned.

“If you are familiar with our group, you know people have a good time at our events,” he said.
Jacobs said people can learn more by visiting a website created for the event: www.aafmediaauction.com.

Congratulations to Doublejay Productions

AAF-Knoxville Member Doublejay Productions recently took home major honors at the prestigeous South By Southwest Festival in Austin for its work on "That Evening Sun," a drama starring Hal Holbrook. The movie won the Audience Choice Award for Narrative Feature and Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast.

Congratulations to everyone at Doublejay for this remarkable work, and watch for "That Evening Sun" opening soon. You can read more at http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/telebuddy/archives/2009/03/locally_made_su.shtml

See what happens when the best marketing minds meet at once.

Join us March 11th for the first-ever joint meeting of the American Advertising Federation of Knoxville and the Knoxville American Marketing Association.


Our meeting will feature a panel discussion on marketing in this tough economy. Guest speakers include:

  • Matt Fischer: Chief Creative Officer/Chief Operating Officer at WonderGroup
    (the advertising and branding guru)

  • Mike Such: Owner of Junk Bee Gone
    (the entrepreneur and small business owner)

  • Marshall Wilkins: Director of Marketing at Chick-fil-A
    (the in-house marketing and customer service expert)

  • Mark Moon: Professor of Marketing at UT
    (the moderator)

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 - Peerless Steak House

11:30-12:00 Networking - 12:00-1:00 Panel Discussion

$25 per person


Submit questions for the panel at edirector@aafknoxville.com or 865-742-4838.

RSVP by March 9th on the KAMA website or call 865-539-1300 and choose option #2.