Thursday, March 4, 2021
In the world of advertising, only the strongest — and the strangest — survive. AAF Baltimore says it’s time to celebrate the evolution of the industry (virtually, of course) with Maryland’s community of marketers, advertisers and creatives. The American Advertising Federation of Baltimore has announced that tickets are now on sale for the 47th Annual American Advertising Awards Show (the ADDYs), which will be streamed live on Thursday, March 4.
This year’s live virtual event, “The Evolution of Industry” is being produced for the 3rd year in a row by Jeremy Martin, creative director of Novak Birch. The event will feature a live piano bar emcee, Greg Offner, as well as special guests, including master mixologist Rachael Greene, who will kick off the evening with a lesson in making the perfect drink. VIP ticket holders will receive a branded takeout swag box (in 
photo) with cocktail utensils, cocktail ingredients and snacks. Local restaurants Blue Pit BBQ (Hampden), Limoncello Baltimore (Federal Hill), Baby’s on Fire (Mt. Vernon), and El Bufalo (Canton), have also partnered with the AAFB to offer special discounts.
“These are strange times, indeed. Some have flourished, while others have failed; but we have all been forced to evolve. And that is the inspiration for our theme,” said Jeremy Martin, creative director at Novak Birch.
Top honors to be announced at the ADDY awards include Best in Show and Special Judges’ Awards, in addition to prestigious individual achievement awards. More than 240 entries were submitted this year for Gold and Silver ADDY awards, which will be presented to local agencies, production houses and in-house marketing teams. Sponsorship opportunities, including the title sponsorship, are still available.
“While we will miss seeing everyone in person, we have tried to infuse unexpected elements, entertaining speakers and ways to give back to our local restaurants and our scholarship fund, into this year’s American Advertising Awards,” said Courtney Black, AAFB president and senior account executive at GKV. “ We hope you will join us in celebrating some of the best and brightest creative ideas to come out of 2020.”
General Admission ticket ($10 for members; $15 for non-members) includes:
Admission to the virtual event and mixology class hosted by Rachael Greene
Discount code to local, sponsoring restaurants to help set the evening
VIP Admission ticket ($50 for members; $60 for non-members, while supplies last) includes:
Admission to the virtual event and mixology class hosted by Rachael Greene
Discount code to local, sponsoring restaurants to help set the evening
Premium Swag Box including an assortment of professional cocktail utensils, makings for five cocktails, and snacks.
A portion of the proceeds from this event will benefit the AAF Baltimore Foundation Student Scholarship Fund.
The American Advertising Awards competition is the industry’s largest and most representative competition — attracting more than 35,000 entries every year in local competitions. Gold winners at the local level move on to the regional competition, competing with agencies from Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, Virginia and Washington, D.C. A win at the district level earns a spot in the National American Advertising Awards Competition. National winners will be announced at the AAF’s national conference, Admerica, taking place June 7-11, 2021.
Founded in 1920, the American Advertising Federation of Baltimore (AAFB) connects, educates, and advocates for thousands of communications professionals in advertising, marketing, business, tech, education, and law. It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and a chapter of the American Advertising Federation which includes 200 local clubs across the U.S. representing nearly 40,000 advertising professionals. Visit Baltimoreadvertising.com to learn more.