Creative i Racks Up The Honors At Silicon Valley ADDY Awards

Creative i has conquered Silicon Valley.

First it obliterated sales records. Now it’s racking up creative kudos, too.

Creative i’s multimedia campaign for the 40th annual Palo Alto Concours d’Elegance took the Bay Area by storm this last summer – helping to raise record revenues for the annual classic car show, which benefits over 25 local charities.

The ambitious campaign represented the most extensive “multiplatform” marketing initiative ever launched by a Silicon Valley ad agency, spanning print advertising, radio spots, billboards, the web and mobile. The humorous campaign promoted the event with a classic car show trivia contest that could be played online or on mobile phones for the chance to win prizes such as a video iPod with $400 worth of songs.

“It never fails to amaze me how innovative Creative i can be,” says Gil Gilfix, executive director for the Concours d’Elegance. “The campaign wasn’t just hilarious, it dramtically expanded our audience – and blew the lid off our previous ticket sales.”

On March 14, the campaign was recognized with multiple creative awards at the Silicon Valley ADDY Award ceremony, held at Yahoo corporate headquarters in Sunnyvale.

In addition to the work for the Concours, Creatve i was presented with awards for the website it created for FIRST 5 Santa Clara County, an organization that helps enhance the lives of local families with children through age five; and for a self-promotional print campaign.

“The awards this year are icing on the cake,” says Rick Mathieson, vice president and creative director for the Palo Alto-based agency. “There’s the old expression about ‘doing well by doing good’ – and the fact that we’ve seen such creative and business success aiding organizations that help people in our community, it’s a feeling that can’t be beat.”

“It’s also a testament to clients who aren’t afraid to take risks and push the creative envelope,” adds agency founder and president Tom Antal. “To stand out, you’ve got to push the edge – and we’re blessed to work with partners who realize that.”

The national ADDY Awards is the largest advertising competition of its kind, with more than 60,000 entrants participating in 200 local competitions. Winners from those events advance to competition at the national level.