AAF Midlands hosted our annual American Advertising Awards Gala on Saturday, February 22, 2025.
AAF Midlands holds the yearly competition as part of the American Advertising Federation’s American Advertising Awards, the largest advertising competition in the world. The awards represent the true spirit of creative excellence by recognizing all forms of advertising from media of all types, creative by all sizes and entrants of all levels from anywhere in the world. As a chapter of the national organization, AAF Midlands’ award winners will move on to compete at the district level and then, in the national competition.
Advertising professionals from across the Midlands submitted 179 entries into the local competition while students submitted 134 (a new record!). AAF Midlands recognized winners in a myriad of categories:
BEST IN CATEGORY
2025 BEST OF SHOW AWARD
Riggs Partners for “Work Doesn’t Work – Dentist”
STUDENT BEST OF SHOW AWARD
Margo Pershyna for “X-Fest Campaign”
The Best in Animation/VFX
Able VFX for “Players’ Club Rewards – Lizard Man”
The Best in Broadcast
South Carolina Education Lottery for “The Regular”
The Best in Local
Flock and Rally for “SC State Fair 2024 Campaign”
SPECIAL JUDGES’ AWARDS
Professional Special Judges’ Award
Cait Maloney Creative for “Peak Drift/Riverbanks Zoo Collab”
Professional Special Judges’ Award
Soda City Films for “Wild Lights at Riverbanks Zoo 2024”
Student Special Judges’ Award
Chloe Brown for “Bird Dog – Whiskey for Bitches”
Student Special Judges’ Award
Noah Whalen for “Gamecock Baseball Intro 2024”
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Alex Marinelli, Gamecock Football for “The Offseason
MOSAIC AWARD
Riggs Partners for “Work Doesn’t Work Television”
Student Mosaic Award
Kristen Issa for “Include MENA in the Census”
Professional ADDY Awards
ADVERTISING/SELF-PROMOTION
Ad Chapter or Marketing Chapter…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Danielle Salley Creative for “Navigating Change Event Branding”
Collateral, Brand Elements…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Cait Maloney Creative for “Aren’t You a Chicken Restaurant?”
Collateral, Special Event Materials…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Tim Floyd Creative for “Peel-off Cloth Sticker Business Card”
Advertising Industry Self-Promotion Online…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Danielle Salley Creative for “The Haunted Realm of Design”
CROSS PLATFORM
In Integrated Brand Identity Campaign, Local or Regional/National…
A Gold ADDY Award goes to Flock and Rally for “SC State Fair 2024 Campaign”
In Integrated Branded Content Campaign, Local or Regional/National…
A Gold ADDY Award goes to The University of South Carolina for “Gamecock Nation: NYC”
ELEMENTS OF ADVERTISING
In Copywriting…
A Gold ADDY Award goes to dustoftheground for “SCEL – The Regular”
In Cinematography, Single…
A Gold ADDY Award goes to South Carolina Football for “GamecockFB ‘The Offseason’”
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Rhodes Branding for “Florence 3 CTE Series 2024”
A Silver ADDY Award goes to dustoftheground for “SCEL – The Regular”
In Animation, Special Effects or Motion Graphics…
A Gold ADDY Award goes to ABLE vfx for “SCEL ‘”Players’ Club” Campaign”
A Gold ADDY Award goes to ABLE vfx for “All Star Saturday Tease”
A Gold ADDY Award goes to Soda City Films for “Wild Lights at Riverbanks Zoo 2024”
A Silver ADDY Award goes to ABLE vfx for “Premium Checking”
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Chernoff Newman for “SC250 Rebecca Motte TV & VFX”
FILM, VIDEO, AND SOUND
In Radio Advertising, Single Spot…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to South Carolina Education Lottery for “Players’ Club Rewards – Carnival Bear”
In Branded Content & Entertainment For Online Film, Video & Sound, Single…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Rhodes Branding for “Florence 3 CTE Series 2024”
In Branded Content & Entertainment For Online Film, Video & Sound, Campaign…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to The Beach Company for “2024 Kiawah River Video Campaign”
In Television Advertising, Local, Single Spot…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Soda City Films for “Wild Lights at Riverbanks Zoo 2024”
In Television Advertising, Regional/National, Single Spot…
A Gold ADDY Award goes to South Carolina Education Lottery for “Players’ Club Rewards – Lizard Man”
A Gold ADDY Award goes to South Carolina Education Lottery for “Players’ Club Rewards – Carnival Bear”
A Silver ADDY Award goes to South Carolina Education Lottery for “USC/CU Scratch-offs – The Regular”
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Chernoff Newman for “AES/Powerful Paths”
A Silver ADDY Award goes to South Carolina Education Lottery for “Players’ Club Rewards – Tax Dog”
In Television Advertising, Regional/National, Campaign…
A Gold ADDY Award goes to South Carolina Education Lottery for “Players’ Club Rewards TV Campaign”
ONLINE AND INTERACTIVE
In Social Media, Single…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to South Carolina Football for “GamecockFB ‘Battle Armor-TAMU’”
In Social Media, Campaign…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Midlands Technical College for “MTC Summer Transient Campaign”
OUT OF HOME AND AMBIENT MEDIA
In Events, Single…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Chernoff Newman for “Get Revolutionary, Gamecock Village”
In Outdoor Board, Multiple…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Chernoff Newman for “SC250 Stories Gallery”
PUBLIC SERVICE
In Television…
A Gold ADDY Awards goes to Riggs Partners for “Work Doesn’t Work – Dentist”
A Gold ADDY Awards goes to Riggs Partners for “Work Doesn’t Work – Bank”
A Silver ADDY Awards goes to Riggs Partners for “Work Doesn’t Work – Hotel”
In Online Film, Video & Sound…
A Silver ADDY Awards goes to Rhodes Branding for “Florence 3 CTE Series 2024”
In Non-Broadcast Audio/Visiual…
A Gold ADDY Awards goes to Riggs Partners for “Work Doesn’t Work Advocacy Video”
In Campaign…
A Gold ADDY Awards goes to Riggs Partners for “Work Doesn’t Work Television”
In Out-of-Home, Campaign…
A Silver ADDY Awards goes to Riggs Partners for “Don’t Drive Distracted”
SALES AND MARKETING
In Specialty Advertising, Other Merchandise…
A Gold ADDY Awards goes to The Beach Company for “Sprout Pencil Sleeve”
In Packaging, Campaign…
A Gold ADDY Awards goes to Cait Maloney Creative for “Peak Drift/Riverbanks Zoo Collab”
STUDENT ADDY AWARDS
SALES AND MARKETING
In Collateral Material, Special Event Materials…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Chelsea Gourdine for “World Photography Day Poster”
In Collateral Material, Publication Design, Editorial Spread or Feature…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Alexandra Adler for “Editorial Publication Design”
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Joe Churchill for “Editorial Publication Design”
PRINT ADVERTISING
In Magazine Advertising, Campaign…
A Gold ADDY Award goes to Chloe Brown for “Bird Dog – Whiskey for Bitches”
A Gold ADDY Award goes to Jakob Bopp for “Anchor Pet Supply: Lap of Luxury”
OUT OF HOME & AMBIENT MEDIA
In Outdoor & Transit Advertising, Site…
A Gold ADDY Award goes to Constance McCants for “Welcome to SVAD Mural”
A Gold ADDY Award goes to Noah Whalen for “Gamecocks Baseball Intro 2024”
In Outdoor & Transit Advertising, Campaign…
A Gold ADDY Award goes to Noah Whalen for “Football Videoboard Graphics”
A Gold ADDY Award goes to Casey Hall, Emma Madsen, Jake Powlen and Drew Sisto for “NotCo – Not Hangover”
ONLINE AND INTERACTIVE
In Social Media, Single Execution…
A Gold ADDY Award goes to Noah Whalen for “The Advantage”
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Finley Edwards for “South Carolina vs. Texas A&M Recap”
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Noah Whalen for “Senior Day 2024”
In Social Media, Campaign…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Nicholas Lott for “Gamecocks Baseball Social Media”
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Nicholas Lott for “Carolina Gameday Social Graphics”
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Nicholas Lott for “Gamecocks Baseball Social Graphics”
In Advertising & Promotion, Web Banner Ads or Website Takeover…
A Gold ADDY Award goes to Sidra Blackwelder for “Up Motion Poster”
In Advertising & Promotion, Campaign…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Jakob Bopp for “Runts: Reppin’ Runts”
CROSS PLATFORM
In Integrated Campaign, Consumer Campaign…
A Gold ADDY Award goes to Kristen Issa for “Include MENA in the Census”
A Gold ADDY Award goes to Margo Pershyna for “X-Fest Campaign”
A Gold ADDY Award goes to Jakob Bopp for “Runts: Reppin’ Runts”
In Integrated Brand Identity, Campaign…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Carly McCormick for “Noble Horizons Airlines”
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Savannah Mason for “Rion Airlines”
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Chelsea Gourdine for “Black Women Photography Rebrand”
ELEMENTS OF ADVERTISING
In Copywriting…
A Gold ADDY Award goes to Chloe Brown for “Bird Dog – Whiskey for Bitches”
In Illustration, Single…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Sophia Milliner for “Self-Promotion GIF”
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Aidan Wokurka for “Self-Promotion GIF”
In Still Photography, Black & White, Single…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Briellie Turner for “Essence”
In Still Photography, Color, Single…
A Silver ADDY Award goes to Lexi Croft for “Fresh Magazine Cover”
In Animation or Special Effects…
A Gold ADDY Award goes to Kyleigh McComish and Rylee Clifford for “Beard Kiss Explainer Video”