Kerker struck gold at this year’s The Show Awards walking away with a hat trick of top honors and medals for more than half of the thirteen Kerker finalists in The Show. The agency received three gold, one silver, three bronze and six merit awards.

“We’re unbelievably proud of all of the work this agency creates and puts out every day for all of our clients,” says Chuck Kelly, president Kerker. “Awards are not a big motivator for how we work and we’re far more interested in growing our clients’ businesses and brands, but it is still nice to receive recognition from our peers in such a highly competitive and talented marketplace.”

The agency’s expertise in arresting, alternative media was rewarded twice out of the three gold winners. Winning programs included “Lumberjack Days” where “severed” fingers bearing Lumberjack Day 07 and the annual event’s website URL were created and strategically placed for public discovery; and “Ice Block” for Art Shanties, the annual art exhibition in ice fishing houses on Medicine Lake, MN. To promote the bizarrely popular winter event, Kerker created and placed real ice blocks around the Twin Cities metro in high traffic locations, bearing the headline “See Them Before They’re Gone.” The third gold, “Homemade” for California-based Mary’s Pizza Shack won in the out of home category and showed Mary herself painting the sign on the billboard.

“It’s particularly gratifying to see our work in alternative media honored,” says Chris Preston, creative director and executive vice president, Kerker. “It’s a fast growing, fast moving category with a lot intense competition and some stringent rules about what can and can’t be done on the streets and some of those less traditional media venues. That can make life – and the work – extremely interesting.”

Kerker’s consumer magazine print advertising for client Johnsonville picked up a silver award, while three bronzes included another alternative media execution, “Wolves” involving the creation and placement of “Missing” and “Wanted” posters promoting the return of wolves to the Minnesota Zoo this season; consumer magazine print “Thanks for not Fishing today” for Berkley fishing tackle and STAGG Chili’s “Copier” in the TV category. Copier, now famously passed around online, shows a disgruntled office worker getting “fired up” by his lunchtime STAGG Chili and railroading a copier through his employer’s high-rise office window.

For more information on any of these award entries visit www.adfed.org.

KERKER AWARD RESULTS IN FULL: The Show, 2007

GOLD

• Alternative Media: “Finger” for Lumberjack Days – James Lotter, Zach Ogaard, Ryan Burk, Chris Preston
• Alternative Media: “Ice Block” for Art Shanties – Anne Taylor, Ryan Burk, Chris Preston, Dominic Simonetti
• Out of Home: “Homemade” for Mary’s Pizza Shack – Peter Locke, Jason Siciliano, Chris Preston

SILVER

• Consumer Magazine: “Yummy” for Johnsonville Sausage – Anne Taylor, Jason Siciliano, Chris Preston, John Mowers, A.J. Garcos, Mike Fritz, Beth Elmore

BRONZE

• Alternative Media: “Wolves” for Minnesota Zoo – Karl Madcharo, Beth Kinney, Chris Preston
• Consumer Magazine :”Not Fishing” for Berkley – Karl Madcharo, Terry Thomas, Chris Preston, Janna Lundquist, Mike Fritz, Beth Elmore
• TV: “Copier” for STAGG Chili – Karl Madcharo, Jason Siciliano, Chris Preston, Anne Swarts, Greg Martinez, Dave Laden, Lou Weinert, Teak Motion Visuals, Steve Shepherd, Spotnik, In the Groove Music

MERIT

• Alternative Media: “Handwarmers” for Art Shanties – Anne Taylor, Chris Preston, Mike Fritz
• Alternative Media: “Jumping Fish” for Berkley PowerBait  – Peter Tressel, Terry Thomas, Chris Preston
• Consumer Magazine: “Ike” for Berkley PowerBait – Peter Tressel, Terry Thomas, Chris Preston, James Lotter, Mike Fritz
• Consumer Magazine: “Measure You” for Berkley – Karl Madcharo, Terry Thomas, Chris Preston, Green Agency Photography, Mike Fritz, Beth Elmore
• Consumer Magazine: “Measure You”, “This Cast”, “Not Fishing” Print Campaign for Berkley – Karl Madcharo, Terry Thomas, Chris Preston, Janna Lundquist, Green Agency Photography, Mike Fritz, Beth Elmore
• Radio :”Tough Love” for Roundy’s/Rainbow – Terry Thomas, Chris Preston, Katie Lynch, John Lukas, Babble-On