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This story has been corrected. See below.
Hawaii’s advertising and design professionals celebrated the industry that feeds them Saturday night at the annual Pele Awards gala staged by the American Advertising Federation-Hawaii chapter.
Some 600 entries of advertising created in calendar year 2014 were submitted, and judges imported from the mainland were much more generous for 2014 than in the previous year. Judges granted nearly five dozen top Pele Awards compared with fewer than three dozen in 2013, as well as silver- and bronze-level awards. Gold-level Pele Awards automatically are entered into the national competition, with awards to be presented in June.
Local advertising agency MVNP dominated the night at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. MVNP won 13 Pele Awards, plus Best of Show in Advertising and a special judge’s award, largely for its "In Paradise, Bad Still Happens" campaign prepared for First Insurance Co. of Hawaii, but also for work done for other clients.
Stacey Leong Designs’ packaging work for Choco le‘a Truffles won Best of Show in Design.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s parent company, Oahu Publications Inc., won two Pele Awards.
Poignantly, four Pele Awards and an unprecedented Judge’s Brand Identity & Applications Excellence Award were presented to Clarence Lee Designs, whose namesake died in January. However, organizers said the award presentation had nothing to do with Lee’s death.
This year AAF-Hawaii also opened a People’s Choice category inviting the public to vote online for its favorite television commercial. And the winner was "Faux Pas," the HEMIC commercial in which a company executive sends a salary sheet not to "Allan," but to "All Staff," causing officewide commotion. The spot produced by Anthology Marketing Group won a silver-level award in the Pele competition.
The organization also honored individuals for contributions to the industry.
The 2015 Ad Woman of the Year is Jenni Katinszky, director of broadcast production at MVNP. Of her 30 years in the advertising industry starting in Australia, the last 27 have been with the company in Hawaii. She has been presented numerous awards in her career, which continued in 2014 overseeing multiple Pele Award winners, notably for the First Insurance Co. of Hawaii campaign "In Paradise, Bad Still Happens."
Jason Suapaia was named 2015 Ad Man of the Year. The president and executive producer at 1013 Integrated, a branding and production company, is being honored for two decades of creative leadership, team-building and serving clientele from the Arizona Memorial Museum Association to the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau and the state of Hawaii Department of Transportation.
The 2015 Young Advertising Person of the Year, an award for a member of Ad 2 Honolulu, is Nez Calaro. The email marketing specialist for Hawaiian Airlines has served as the Ad 2 president and as an adviser to the organization’s national-award-winning Public Service Committee for three years running.
The 2015 Silver Medal Recipient for AAF District 13 is Matthew Heim, president of Electric Pencil. The lifetime achievement award winner has been a recipient of numerous accolades for contributions to the industry and community. He has twice served as president of AAF-Hawaii and is a member of the advisory board of AIGA Honolulu, an industry group of graphic design professionals.
Jenni Katinszky, director of broadcast production at MVNP, has been with the company for some 27 of her 30 years in the advertising industry, spanning a career that began in Australia.
Numerous awards mark that career which continued in 2014 Katinszky also is known for lending her talents toward public service announcements.
2015 Ad Man of the Year
Jason Suapaia, president and executive producer at 1013 Integrated, a branding and production company formerly known as Pacific Focus Inc. He is being honored for two decades of creative leadership, team-building and serving clientele from the Arizona Memorial Museum Association to the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau and the state of Hawaii Department of Transportation. Active in the community, Suapaia is an alumnus of the Pacific Century Fellows program.
2015 Young Advertising Person of the Year
An award for a member of Ad 2 Honolulu, this year’s winner is Nez Calaro, email marketing specialist for Hawaiian Airlines. Calaro has served as the Ad 2 president and as an advisor to the organization’s national-award-winning Public Service Committee for three years running. She serves on the boards of directors for AAF-Hawaii, and for the Hawaii Cord Blood Bank, which was a recipient of the Ad 2 Pro Bono campaign.
2015 Silver Medal Recipient for AAF District 13
Matthew Heim, president of Electric Pencil, is a recipient of numerous accolades for contributions to the industry and community. Heim also serves as the so-called Chief Operating Brother of the Honblue group of companies, the family business he joined in 1987. He has twice served as president of AAF-Hawaii and is a member of the advisory board of AIGA Honolulu, an industry group of graphic design professionals. The silver medal represents a lifetime achievement award.
2015 EXTRA MILE AWARDS
Anna Fishburn
Casting Director
Anna Fishburn Casting
Sue Larkin
Casting Director
Reel Services Hawaii
BEST OF SHOW — ADVERTISING
“In Paradise, Bad Still Happens”
Integrated Campaign – Consumer, Regional/National
Client: First Insurance Company of Hawaii
MVNP
BEST OF SHOW — DESIGN
“Choco le‘a Truffle Packaging”
Sales Promotion – Packaging – Campaign/Series
Client: Choco le‘a
Stacy Leong Design
PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNER
“Faux Pas”
(Salary sheet sent to "All Staff" rather than to "Allan.")
Television Advertising :30
–
Budget $25,000 to $50,000
Client: HEMIC
Anthology Marketing Group
JUDGE’S AWARDS
David Povill Judge’s Award
“In Paradise, Bad Still Happens: Personal/House Fire”
Consumer/Trade Publication Advertising – Full Page
Client: First Insurance Company of Hawaii
MVNP
Max Stinson Judge’s Award
“Dollar Shirt”
Non-Traditional Advertising – Single
Client: High Technology Development Corp.
Element 8
Chris Do Judge’s Award
“2015 Year of the Ram”
Elements of Advertising – Illustration Campaign
Mozaic Paper
JUDGE’S BRAND IDENTITY & APPLICATIONS EXCELLENCE AWARD
Advertising for the Arts & Sciences – Non-Traditional Media
Client: Kamehameha Schools
Stacey Leong Design
“Medicated Driving May Cause D.U.I.”
Public Service – Television
Client: Department of Transportation
1013 INTEGRATED
“Bleeped Out”
Public Service – Radio
Client: CrimeStoppers Honolulu
Element 8
“Pu‘uhonua”
Public Service – Interactive Media
Client: Pūʻā Foundation
Mix Plate Media
“Anonymous Letter”
Public Service – Out of Home
Client: CrimeStoppers Honolulu
Element 8
“Ulupono Holiday Card”
Public Service – Direct Marketing/Specialty Items
Client: Ulupono Initiative
Wall-to-Wall Studios
“Star-Advertiser Wall-E Christmas Ornament”
Advertising Industry Self Promotion – Non-Traditional Media
Oahu Publications Inc.
“SLD Holiday Chocolate Gift Boxes – Personalized”
Advertising Industry Self-Promotion – Direct Marketing/Specialty Items
Stacey Leong Design
“2014 Occasional Cards”
Advertising Industry Self Promotion – Cards, Invitations or Announcements
Wall-to-Wall Studios
“Go Law Office – Corporate Identity”
Elements of Advertising – Visual – Logo Design
Client: Go Law Office, LLLC
Designer: Kuni Yamamoto
Clarence Lee Design
“Ashford + Wriston Logo”
Elements of Advertising – Visual – Logo Design
Client: Ashford + Wriston
Art Director: Scott Kaneshiro
iQ 360
“Elementalist – Total Visual Branding”
Elements of Advertising – Visual – Logo Design
Client: Elementalist USA LLC
Designer: Kuni Yamamoto
Clarence Lee Design
“2015 Year of the Ram Collateral”
Elements of Advertising – Visual – Illustration Campaign
Designer: Lori Nuha
Mozaic Paper
“A Hawaiian In Paris”
Elements of Advertising – Visual – Photography – Color
Photographer: Kevin German
Hana Hou! The Magazine of Hawaiian Airlines
“Rhythm of the Islands”
Elements of Advertising – Visual – Photography Campaign
Client: Trump Ho‘okipa
Photographer: Kyle Rothenborg
Oahu Publications Inc.
“2014 Ward Centers TV Campaign”
Elements of Advertising – Visual – Animation or Special Effects
Client: Ward Center
Animator: Scott Daimaru
Wall-to-Wall Studios
“First Insurance – Kimie In Paradise. Bad Still Happens. New Day”
Elements of Advertising – Visual – Cinematography
Client: First Insurance Company of Hawaii
Video Producer/Director/Editor: Luke Aguinaldo
MVNP
“First Insurance – In Paradise, Bad Still Happens.”
Elements of Advertising – Visual – Cinematography
Client: First Insurance Company of Hawaii
Director of Photography: Paul Atkins
Moana Productions for MVNP
“Kamehameha Schools – Our Kaka‘ako Wifi Wall”
Retail Advertising – Non-Traditional Advertising
Client: Kamehameha Schools – Our Kaka‘ako
MVNP
“McDonald’s Hawaii – Dipped Cone Online Banners”
Retail Advertising – Interactive Media
Client: McDonald’s of Hawaii
MVNP
“Lei Magazine”
Travel & Tourism – Entire Magazine Design
Nella Media Group
“Fly With Friends Campaign”
Travel & Tourism – Broadcast Campaign
Client: Hawaiian Airlines
Anthology Marketing Group
CORRECTION
The special judge’s award presented to “Dollar Shirt,” in the Pele Awards Nontraditional Advertising category for the High Technology Development Corp. by Element 8, bore the name of competition judge Max Stinson. Online coverage on Sunday, April 26, gave an incorrect name.