FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2009

2009 OBIE Award Winners Announced by OAAA

(Washington) ­ Leo Burnett Toronto and BBDO New York claimed top honors at the 67th Annual OBIE Awards Monday. The Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) announced the winners during a live webinar hosted by Chief Judge Mark Tutssel, chief creative officer for Leo Burnett Worldwide. The OBIE Awards are the oldest and among the most prestigious awards in the advertising business.

Two Best of Show OBIE Awards were presented, one to Leo Burnett Toronto and one, for the third year in a row, to BBDO New York. Leo Burnett Toronto’s innovative campaign for James Ready Beer won Best of Show, Traditional Billboard. BBDO New York took home Best of Show, Multi-Format, for its quirky The Economist campaign.

In addition to the two Best of Show prizes, an additional 9 OBIEs were awarded in individual categories, recognizing outstanding creative across a variety of platforms and formats. Leo Burnett and BBDO were the only agencies to win OBIEs in multiple categories in 2009.

“The 2009 OBIE Awards winners illustrate the essence of outdoor: simple creative which surprises and delights the audience,” said Nancy Fletcher, OAAA president and CEO. “Every year I am amazed at the creativity in our medium. This year, I am truly inspired.”

TBWA\Chiat\Day’s Absolut campaign won the 2009 OBIE Hall of Fame Award for its out of home body of work. “Sometimes a campaign crosses over from being simple advertising to being a cultural phenomenon,” said Stephen Freitas, OAAA chief marketing officer. “Absolut’s out of home executions made it clear we are all living in an Absolut World.”

Twenty-one Merit Prizes and 43 Finalist certificates were also awarded. The complete list of OBIE Winners, Merits, and Finalists can be found at www.obieawards.org.

High resolution digital files are available for all OBIE winners by contacting Jeff Golimowski at (202) 833-5566 or jgolimowski@oaaa.org.

OAAA is the trade association representing the outdoor advertising industry. It is dedicated to leading and uniting a responsible outdoor advertising industry that is committed to serving the needs of consumers, advertisers, and the public. The nearly 1,000 OAAA member companies generate $7.0 billion annually in ad revenues, representing more than 90% of industry income, and donate space to charitable organizations in excess of $400 million each year.

Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA)
1850 M Street NW Suite 1040
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-833-5566
E-Mail: jgolimowski@oaaa.org
Website URL: www.oaaa.org