FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2008

OAAA Honors 2008 OBIE Winners

Boca Raton, FL ­ BBDO New York led an all-star list of agencies as the big winner in the 66th Annual OBIE Awards. The Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) announced the winners yesterday at a gala dinner on the closing night of the Traffic Audit Bureau Out of Home Media Conference and Marketing Expo. The OBIE Awards are the oldest and among the most prestigious awards in the advertising world.

In a rare turn of events, OAAA awarded two Best of Show OBIEs, both to BBDO New York. The agency’s BBC World Campaign won Best of Show, featuring a series of wall images constructed from wire painted to mimic television cable. The campaign drew attention to BBC World’s renowned news coverage and its availability to cable subscribers.

Judges also chose to award BBDO’s HBO Voyeur Project with a Special Best of Show for Breakthrough Innovation. The Voyeur Project used projection media to create the illusion of an inside look at the lives of residents in a SoHo high-rise. The series of vignettes mirrored the provocative storylines of HBO’s trademark programming.

In addition to Best of Show, an additional 17 OBIEs were awarded in individual categories, recognizing outstanding creative across a variety of platforms and formats. Crispin Porter + Bogusky, TAXI Canada, and BBDO were among the agencies winning multiple category OBIEs.

“Clearly, this year’s winners show how strong and vibrant the creative community is within out of home advertising,” said Nancy Fletcher, OAAA president and CEO. “All the OBIE winners show what’s possible. Now is a very, very exciting time for out of home advertising.”

The 2008 OBIE Hall of Fame Award was bestowed on Altoids in recognition of long-standing creative excellence in the out of home medium. “Dramatic taglines coupled with humorous visuals have become a hallmark of the ongoing Altoids campaign,” said Stephen Freitas, OAAA chief marketing officer. “Altoids is well deserving of the honor.”

32 Merit Prizes and 50 Finalist certificates were also awarded. The complete list of OBIE Winners, Merits, and Finalists can be found at www.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 more than $7.2 billion annually in ad revenues, representing more than 90% of industry income, and donate space to charitable organizations in excess of $390 million each year.

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