New England Public Radio wins an ADDY Award for Mixed Media

[Tuesday, April 3, 2012 -- Amherst, MA] New England Public Radio is pleased to announce it is the recipient of the 2012 ADDY Award for its brand refresh and new logo campaign. The ADDY Awards competition is a three-tier national competition conducted annually by the American Advertising Federation and the Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts, honoring creative excellence in advertising. WFCR was honored during the 2012 ADDY Awards Gala on Thursday, March 29 at the Community Music School of Springfield's Robyn Newhouse Hall.

"Rebranding WFCR and WNNZ under the umbrella of New England Public Radio reflects our dynamic growth as the region's leading public radio and media organization," says Marc Berman, Chairman of the WFCR Foundation. "The geography that we serve covers over 1.3 million people in western, southern, and central New England including three major metropolitan areas. Our name simply reflects our mandate, responsibility, and opportunity to provide the public with the news, information, and entertainment that we depend on to enhance our daily lives."     

As WFCR and WNNZ celebrated its 50^th anniversary year in 2011, an effort was mounted to work with John Bidwell of Bidwell ID to develop a brand that would reflect the scope of the services it provides to the listening public. The logo's five bars harken back to our Five College roots while capturing the momentum we still feel after all these years.           

"WFCR has been through a great deal of growth - especially in the last 15 years," says Martin Miller, CEO and General Manager of New England Public Radio. "The media landscape and technology have changed dramatically in that time as well. We decided that we had a unique opportunity at 50, to reflect all of these changes, and to position ourselves for future growth and greater service to our communities."      

The annual ADDY competition recognizes advertising excellence in all media including print, broadcast, interactive, mixed/multiple media and outdoor advertising. One-hundred eighty-five entries were judged this year from students, agencies, companies, or individuals in western Massachusetts and the New England region. Selection of the most creative entry in each category is made using a scoring process in which a panel of judges evaluates all creative dimensions of every entry. The Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts offers its members the ability to advance and enrich the advertising community, by acting as a catalyst for idea exchange, professional development, and creative energy.