Caples Awards puts on courageous show in New York

Wunderman Award winner Rob Rasmussen

Legendary CBS news anchor Dan Rather used to conclude his broadcasts with one word: Courage. Rather is long-retired, but his encouragement for people to confront challenging world events lives on. Now, however, it is the challenge issued by the Caples Awards committee to direct marketers facing an ultra-competitive marketplace and an all-powerful customer.

Last night in New York City, Direct Marketing News presented Caples Awards to  the most courageous direct marketing campaigns in 25 categories, including digital, direct mail & print, and others including mobile and social media. Some 50 judges from around the world had convened earlier in the week to judge more than 700 entries and conferred Gold, Silver, and Bronze  honors upon clients and agencies from countries that included Spain, Australia, Switzerland, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United States.

At a gala event attended by agency personnel, brand marketers, and educators, the Best in Show Caples award went to Red Tomato Pizza of the United Arab Emirates and its agency TBWA/RAAD for its VIP Fridge Magnet. Red Tomato delivery people leave top customers the magnets, which can be programmed via Bluetooth. When customers want their favorite pie, they press a button on the front of the magnet and the order is sent and delivered.

Australian 7-Eleven stores slurped up the Courageous Client award for Bring Your Own Cup Day, which invited customers to bring their own containers to fill with Slurpee beverages. Aussies proved creative, filling soccer balls, half watermelons, buckets, and prosthetic legs. Leo Burnett created the campaign for 7-Eleven.

Liberty University students Shannon Craig and Chelsea Francis won the Student Campaign of the Year award for their rebranding of fictitious retailer Campus Mart into Lounge, complete with a plan for back-end analytics.

The Andi Emerson Lifetime Achievement Award, named for the founder of the Caples, went to Don Schultz, the former agency executive and Northwestern University professor known worldwide as the “Father of Integrated Marketing Communications.”

Prolific creative director Rob Rasmussen was prized with the Irving Wunderman Award, recognizing his groundbreaking work at Wieden + Kennedy, BBH, and Tribal DDB. Wunderman is credited as the founder of direct marketing.

View all the winners at Caples.org.