Over the course of that relationship, the agency has helped the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities support more than 250,000 members a year—and that number continues to rise. With the launch of a new campaign on December 26, the agency is prepared to once again spur strong results for the community health organization

In 2010, the YMCA of the USA kicked off a rebranding initiative intended to position the Y as a cause-driven organization. With a footprint in more 13 counties in the Twin Cities metro and in western WI, the Y is best positioned to meet unique community needs and respond to chronic and emerging community issues. As one of the largest social service non-profits in the U.S., the Y wanted to increase understanding of its impact in the community so that more people take advantage of its unique capacity to foster lasting personal and social change.

“Creating a movement around the Y’s mission is a monumental job,” said Chuck Kelly, President at Preston Kelly. “But when we’re successful, it will differentiate the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities and make people realize that, by joining the Y, they are actually joining their community more tightly together.”

To align with this shift in the organization’s branding, Preston Kelly’s creative features split images of different individuals engaged in different activities that become one: For example, a runner’s legs merge with a swimmer’s torso to create one, active persona; and a young boy enthralled with his toy trucks blends with an adult’s powerful arm lifting a kettle bell. At the heart of the new campaign is the belief that the Y is the place where people come together to strengthen their communities as they strengthen themselves. In other words, Preston Kelly aims to help the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities start a health movement—not just inspire people to join a gym.

The agency’s breakthrough creative has distinguished the organization from a crowded marketplace of profit-driven gyms and fitness enterprises—and other Y’s across the country have taken note. For the first time in its working relationship with the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, Preston Kelly’s new campaign will travel beyond Minnesota: Y’s located in Milwaukee, WI; the Central FL; Delaware; Cincinnati, OH; Houston, TX; and Dayton, OH will also run the integrated communications, including TV, radio, print, outdoor billboards and a web-based brand ethos video.

”Pulling this campaign together truly took a village,” said Bette Fenton, Vice President, Marketing and Communications at the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities. “Everyone featured in the work is an actual member or Y employee. So many hours were donated to this cause by Preston Kelly, production company Runner Runner, Echo Boys music house and Babble-On recording studio that all of the Minneapolis creative community can take pride in the beautiful and inspiring result.”

Not only has Preston Kelly’s work for the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities spurred impressive membership numbers, but it’s also gained national recognition. Earlier this year, the Y’s “Butter” TV spot won top honors in the “Low Budget” category at The Art and Techniques of the American Commercial Show, sponsored by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers—and landed in the permanent archives at New York’s Museum of Modern Art as a result. And in 2010, the agency’s efforts for the Y’s “Fatpants Drive” won Integrated Campaign of the Year at the Radio Mercury Awards.

About Preston Kelly

Preston Kelly is a full-service, independent agency that creates iconic ideas for its clients, including financial services, healthcare, insurance, restaurant, consumer packaged goods, outdoor recreation, retail and gaming. In addition to being selected as Advertising Age’s Midwest Small Agency of the Year in 2010, Preston Kelly won top honors in the 2011 The Art and Technique of the American Commercial Show, sponsored by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers. The agency also earned recognition for the Integrated Campaign of the Year in the 2010 Radio Mercury Awards. In the last five years, the agency has won several Effies—a top marketing award that champions outstanding results. Preston Kelly is a member of Worldwide Partners, the world’s largest network of independent marketing and communications firms. To learn more about Preston Kelly, visit www.prestonkelly.com, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prestonkellyagency or join the conversation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/prestonkelly. You can also read our musings on the latest trends in advertising at www.prestonkelly.com/blog.

About YMCA

The YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities is a leading non-profit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Established in 1856 in St. Paul and a decade later in Minneapolis, the Y provides life-strengthening services across 13 counties of the greater Twin Cities metro area and western Wisconsin communities. The 27 Y locations and program sites, seven overnight camps, 10 day camps and more than 90 child care sites engage nearly a quarter million men, women and children of all ages, incomes and backgrounds. To learn more about the Y’s mission and work, visit our website at www.ymcatwincities.org.

“Stories are a huge part of Ojibwe culture and have been behind Grand Casino’s marketing for years,” said Chris Preston, EVP/Creative Director at Preston Kelly. “Our job was to modernize the campaign and make it iconic without selling out on the genuine Minnesota casino experience our customers are looking for. We’re not Vegas wannabes like Mystic Lake and Treasure Island. Being Minnesotan is just fine for our customers.”

To showcase Grand Casino as a destination with a variety of amenities such as a full-service resort, golf course, spa, restaurants, live entertainment and an RV park, Preston Kelly looked to the experiences of the casino’s clientele, which was eager to share its stories. Beginning on November 28, two TV spot will begin airing, while radio will follow on December 11. Over the next several months, multiple different brand spots will make their way onto local television sets—and each one depicts a true Grand Casino story.

The first of these features a couple making their way among the casino’s slots with a map that charts the best ones to hit up, according to the narrator’s mother-in-law. When the couple pulls into the parking lot—and the odometer reads 77,777 miles—they sense that good fortune is waiting for them inside. The second spot chronicles one woman’s adventure in winning a BMW coupe while her husband graciously waits in the lobby with a collection of Easter lilies.

“We are very pleased with how the latest round of Grand Casino’s commercials turned out,” said Jim Orr, Director of Advertising and Brand Strategy at Grand Casino. “They combine warm and genuine stories—from our guests’ own perspective—with a bit of light-hearted humor. That has become the signature of our brand.”

Prior to joining forces with Preston Kelly in 2010, Grand Casino wanted to carve out a distinct marketing niche that built on its brand strengths and resonated with its patrons. Both of the agency’s two branding efforts for the gaming organization have sharpened the “stories” focus, encouraging patrons to take advantage of the memorable experiences they can have at an authentic Minnesota casino and resort.

About Preston Kelly

Preston Kelly is a full-service, independent agency that creates iconic ideas for its clients, including financial services, healthcare, insurance, restaurant, consumer packaged goods, outdoor recreation, retail and gaming. In addition to being selected as Advertising Age’s Midwest Small Agency of the Year in 2010, Preston Kelly won top honors in the 2011 The Art and Techniques of the American Commercial Show, sponsored by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers. The agency also earned recognition for the Integrated Campaign of the Year in the 2010 Radio Mercury Awards. In the last five years, the agency has won several Effies—a top marketing award that champions outstanding results. Preston Kelly is a member of Worldwide Partners, the world’s largest network of independent marketing and communications firms. To learn more about Preston Kelly, visit www.prestonkelly.com, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prestonkellyagency or join the conversation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/prestonkelly. You can also read our musings on the latest trends in advertising at www.prestonkelly.com/blog.

About Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley

Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley, which are owned by the Corporate Commission of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians, are two of Minnesota’s premier entertainment facilities, offering gaming, accommodations, dining, conference and banquet facilities, live entertainment and The Grand Harmony Spa at Grand Casino Hinckley.

Minneapolis, MN (July 21, 2011) Meet Minneapolis, the city’s official convention and visitors association, recently announced that Iconic Ideas agency Preston Kelly will serve as its brand positioning partner on a major initiative to develop a new brand strategy to market Minneapolis as the destination of choice for convention and leisure travel. By ramping up the city’s image, the organization is also hoping to increase business at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Each year, 17.9 million convention and leisure visitors venture to the Twin Cities, a boon that results in $6.2 billion in economic impact for the region. Despite the strong numbers, research indicates that roughly one-third of leisure travelers within a 100 to 500 mile radius of Minneapolis are “not at all familiar”’ with the city. If Preston Kelly’s work for Meet Minneapolis can help to influence that group by only 3 percent, the effort will result in more than $125 million in incremental spending in Minneapolis (new dollars coming into the city). So this brand positioning project will play a crucial role in boosting the key audience’s awareness of the city.

“Helping to grow the number of convention and leisure travelers to Minneapolis is a labor of love for us,” said Chuck Kelly, president of Preston Kelly. “Minneapolis is one of the strongest city brands in the country. The upside potential has a far-ranging, positive affect on the city.”

Beginning in December 2010, the Meet Minneapolis Board of Directors, along with city officials and the organization’s partners, gathered for ideation sessions aimed at understanding what makes Minneapolis stand out among the competitive pack. The work led to a request for proposal (RFP) for an agency to assist Meet Minneapolis with creative and strategic development to carry the process forward.

Preston Kelly was selected through a disciplined and inclusive process that involved vetting a list of local agencies that have non-profit, hospitality and destination experience. Preston Kelly offered a variety of potential brand positions that captured the city’s multifaceted personality—a move that made the agency stand out as the best choice for the project.

Named the 2010 Midwest Small Agency of the Year by Advertising Age, Preston Kelly’s work for the YMCA of Greater St. Paul and Metropolitan Minneapolis recently won top honors in the “Low Budget” category of this year’s The Art & Technique of the American Commercial Show, sponsored by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP).

Preston Kelly’s credentials and demonstrated work with non-profits will be beneficial as Meet Minneapolis strives to distinguish itself from the competition and draw in more visitors. The brand strategy will debut in the fourth quarter of this year.

About Preston Kelly

Preston Kelly is a full-service, independent agency that creates iconic ideas for its clients, including financial services, insurance, restaurant, consumer packaged goods, outdoor recreation, retail and gaming. In addition to being selected as Advertising Age’s Midwest Small Agency of the Year in 2010, Preston Kelly earned finalist honors in the MPA Kelly Awards and One Show, and was featured in Communication Arts. The agency also took top honors for Integrated Campaign of the Year in the 2010 Radio Mercury Awards. In the last five years, the agency has won several Effies—a top marketing award that honors outstanding results. Preston Kelly is a member of Worldwide Partners, the world’s largest network of independent marketing and communications firms. To learn more about Preston Kelly, visit www.prestonkelly.com, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prestonkellyagency or join the conversation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/prestonkelly. You can also read our musings on the latest trends in advertising at www.prestonkelly.com/blog.

About Meet Minneapolis

Meet Minneapolis is a private, not-for-profit, member-based association. It actively promotes the Minneapolis area as a venue for conventions and meetings, and markets the city as a desirable tourist destination to bring a positive economic impact to the greater Minneapolis area. Visit us online at www.minneapolis.org.

Minneapolis, MN (June 9, 2011) In December 2010, Preston Kelly launched a “cringe-inducing” TV spot for the YMCA of Greater St. Paul and Metropolitan Minneapolis that just garnered a win in the “Low Budget” category for this year’s The Art & Technique of the American Commercial show, sponsored by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP). Aimed at inspiring people to fight the post-holiday bulge and reengage with their health, the commercial features a woman camped out on her couch, decadently eating a stick of raw butter while Patsy Cline croons “You made me love you” in the background.

“The average person gains four to seven pounds over the holidays,” said Chris Preston, Executive Vice President and Creative Director at Preston Kelly. “With a very small budget, we had to get people to pay attention to the Y’s message and get them to take action. Relevant shock value has its place.”

Each year, the honored work in the AICP Show is collected into the Department of Film’s archive at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, and Preston Kelly’s “Butter” spot will now join the department’s nearly 1,500 pieces of motion image advertising. On the morning of June 8, the Today show also featured the commercial during a segment with AICP President and CEO Matt Miller, who told Matt Lauer, “It takes a lot to gross our industry out, but last night when this screened, there were groans in the audience. This shows what you can do in the low-budget category—it shows a simple idea that can actually be effective.”

Joining the ranks of heavy-hitters such as Proctor & Gamble’s “Old Spice Guy” spots, Nike’s “Write the Future” video and Volkswagen’s Super Bowl wonder “The Force,” the Y’s “Butter” spot will be featured in the AICP Show, a travelling screening of this year’s winners, which will air in Minneapolis on October 10. All of the winners were selected by a panel of more than 300 judges from across the country and a Curatorial Committee comprised of distinguished industry members from advertising agencies, production companies and editorial companies, among a host of others.

To watch the Today show segment, please follow this link: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/#43323558.

About Preston Kelly

Preston Kelly is a full-service, independent agency that creates iconic ideas for its clients, including financial services, insurance, restaurant, consumer packaged goods, outdoor recreation, retail and gaming. In addition to being selected as Advertising Age’s Midwest Small Agency of the Year in 2010, Preston Kelly earned finalist honors in the MPA Kelly Awards and One Show, and was featured in Communication Arts. The agency also took top honors for Integrated Campaign of the Year in the 2010 Radio Mercury Awards. In the last five years, the agency has won several Effies—a top marketing award that honors outstanding results. Preston Kelly is a member of Worldwide Partners, the world’s largest network of independent marketing and communications firms. To learn more about Preston Kelly, visit www.prestonkelly.com, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prestonkellyagency or join the conversation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/prestonkelly. You can also read our musings on the latest trends in advertising at www.prestonkelly.com/blog.

March 1, 2010 (Washington, DC) – The Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) has revealed the 67 contenders for the 2011 OBIE Awards. The OBIE Awards recognize creative excellence in outdoor advertising and are the oldest and among the most prestigious awards in the advertising business.

“Outdoor is the simplest medium, and therefore the most difficult to create for. When you see it, you know if you’ve got a great message or not. You know it instantaneously,” said François de Gaspe Beaubien, Zoom Media & Marketing, and one of this year’s OBIE judges. “You only have a few moments to grab the essence of the message, so it has to be creative that reaches out and grabs you.”

Eighty-five (85) brands are represented among this year’s finalists, including OBIE favorites Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, and MINI Cooper. Others such as eHarmony, PUMA, and Caribou Cof­fee are hoping to bring home the gold for the first time.
“OAAA is delighted to have such a variety of creative agencies and brands in this year’s awards program,” said Stephen Freitas, OAAA’s chief marketing officer. “The scope of the nominated work is a testa­ment to the effectiveness of the out of home medium, whether publicizing a local event or launching a new product on a nationwide scale.”

This year’s winners will be announced at the 2011 Gala Dinner on Wednesday, April 13. The event will be held on the closing night of the OAAA/TAB National Convention & Trade Show at the Fon­tainebleau Miami Beach. The awards presentation will be hosted by Tracy Wong, executive creative director/chair­man and founding partner of WONG­DOODY. Wong served as the 2011 OBIE Chief Judge. 

Members of the press interested in attending the event should contact Nicole Hayes at (202) 833-5566.

A complete alphabetical list of 2011 OBIE contender agencies and campaigns follows.

Adams Outdoor Advertising – Adams Outdoor Advertising

Adams Outdoor Advertising – Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitter

Arnold Worldwide – Carnival Cruise Lines

Badillo Nazco Saatchi & Saatchi – Honey Nut Cheerios

BBDO San Francisco – Penn & Teller at Rio

Bernstein-Rein Advertising –McDonald’s Angus Third Pounder

BLT & Associates – Boardwalk Empire

BLT & Associates – Jackass 3D

the bounce agency – South Carolina Parks, Recreation & Tourism

Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners – MINI Cooper

BVK – Southeast Missouri Hospital

Clear Channel Chicago & OMD – Illinois Lottery Powerball

Colle+McVoy – Caribou Coffee

Copacino+Fujikado – Seattle Mariners

Cowboys Stadium with Top Rank – Pacquiao/Clottey

CP+B – Kraft Macaroni & Cheese

Cramer-Krasselt – Crystal Springs

Cramer-Krasselt – Culligan

David & Sam PR – My Sister’s Attic

DeVito/Verdi – Legal Sea Foods

Doe-Anderson – Maker’s Mark

DonatWald+Haque & Picture Mosaics – eHarmony

Duncan/Channon – Hard Rock Café

Esparza Advertising – New Mexico Department of Transportation

Esparza Advertising – Sandia BMW/MINI

Extra Credit Projects – Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Fire Station – POM Wonderful

Firehouse – Stripes Convenience Stores

Frank Unlimited – Redhook

Freed Advertising – Holmes Smokehouse

Gabriel deGrood Bendt – Black Forest Inn

Gabriel deGrood Bendt – Summit Brewing Company

Garrison Hughes – Heinz History Center

Hoffman Lewis – McDonald’s Filet o’ Fish

Innocean – Hyundai Genesis

Inwindow Outdoor – Avatar Blu-ray/DVD

Juniper Park – Canadian Journalists for Free Expression

Juniper Park – Frito-Lay

Juniper Park – Lay’s Kettle Cooked Chips

Lamar Advertising Company – SGS Industrial Supplies

Leo Burnett Chicago – Allstate

Leo Burnett Chicago – BlackBerry Messenger

Leo Burnett Chicago – McDonald’s

Leo Burnett London – McDonald’s

Leo Burnett Milan – ING Direct

Leo Burnett Toronto – James Ready

LEVEL Brand – Medica

Marcus Thomas LLC – Black Flag

McCann Erickson – MasterCard Marketplace

McGarrah Jessee – Shiner

McKee Wallwork Cleveland – City of Albuquerque

Monster Media, Creature and OAG – Windows Hotmail

Monster Media, Y&R and Kinetic – Xerox

OgilvyWest – Arco

OLSON – Minnesota Wild

OLSON – Target Arts

OLSON – Target Field

Preston Kelly – Health Partners

Preston Kelly – YMCA

Publicis New York – Citi Gold Shanghai

Publicis New York – Pepto Bismol

Red Tettemer – International Spy Museum

Show Media – Furla

Show Media – Ray Ban

Soubriet Byrne & Associates – Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions

T3 Agency & Reagan National Advertising – Mobile Leaves & Fishes

TAXI 2 – MINI Canada

TBWA\Chiat\Day – Apple iPad

TDA_Boulder– FirstBank

TDA_Boulder– Sir Richard’s Condom Company

Team Detroit – Detroit Symphony Orchestra

The Richards Group – Chick-fil-A

Turner Broadcasting CSSU – MLB Postseason

Two Guys – 2010 Kentucky State Fair

Venables Bell & Partners – 76 Gas

Vitro Robertson – Newcastle Brown Ale

Vladimir Jones – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Walton Isaacson – Degree

Wieden+Kennedy New York – ESPN 2010 FIFA World Cup

WONGDOODY – Alaska Airlines

WONGDOODY – Cedars-Sinai Spine Center

Y&R – Sears Craftsman

Zubi Advertising – Ford SYNC

Zulu Alpha Kilo – National Eating Disorder Information Centre

Zulu Alpha Kilo – PUMA Canada

OAAA is the trade association for the more than 800 outdoor advertising companies that make up 90 percent of the industry’s revenue. For 120 years, the association has been dedicated to leading and uniting a responsible outdoor advertising industry that is committed to serving the needs of advertisers, consumers and communities. Outdoor advertising companies generate $6.1 billion annually in ad revenues and donate space to charitable organizations in excess of $400 million each year. For more information, please visit www.oaaa.org.

Minneapolis, MN (January 26, 2011) On the heels of a strong showing in 2010, Preston Kelly is forecasting significant growth in the New Year as a result of new business success in the fourth quarter of 2010. Last year, the agency launched noteworthy campaigns for brands such as Grand Casino, HealthPartners, Physicians Mutual and the YMCA of Greater St. Paul and Metropolitan Minneapolis. The agency also won major kudos such as Advertising Age’s Midwest Small Agency of the Year and “Integrated Campaign of the Year” in the Radio Mercury Awards. But with last month’s addition of new clients OfficeMax and Walker Methodist, 2011 is burning bright with potential.

Looking ahead, Preston Kelly expects double-digit growth in the New Year—and the agency looks forward to collaborating with clients on its proven iconic ideas approach for each brand. In addition to traditional advertising outlets such as television, radio, print and out-of-home, the agency anticipates that growth in 2011 will be driven by an unprecedented number of digital opportunities.

“This growth is the culmination of one of the best years in our agency history, and more than 30 percent of our business will be digital this year,” says agency president Chuck Kelly. “When we moved to Northeast Minneapolis and changed our name two years ago, we made significant changes to our structure, and focused our philosophy and positioning. Clients have noticed the changes in campaign results, and in the attention we’ve received in the media and from our peers. We’re starting to see some exciting new business opportunities as well.” 

The New Year presents Preston Kelly with the opportunity to launch a variety of strategic branding, broadcast advertising and digital efforts for OfficeMax. As one of the nation’s leading office supply retailers with more than 900 locations, the company began working with Preston Kelly for its prior success in building retail brands along with boosting retail traffic. Launched on January 8^th, the first network TV spot and digital campaigns position OfficeMax as having the largest retail ink and toner supply in America.

With a mission to “engage seniors through vibrant living,” Walker Methodist is a non-profit organization that offers a range of senior housing communities, assisted living, skilled nursing, transitional care and adult day programs. In 2011, the nation’s first wave of baby boomers will turn 65, and Walker Methodist aims to capitalize on this historic moment as more Americans take an inventory of their retirement plans. Preston Kelly will guide the brand in its journey to build an iconic presence as a provider of eldercare services through marketing that is anything but old-school.

In addition to working with its new clients, Preston Kelly looks forward to continuing its growth through expanded opportunities for its roster of existing advertising partners.

About Preston Kelly

Preston Kelly is a full-service, independent agency that creates iconic ideas for its clients, including financial services, insurance, restaurant, consumer packaged goods, outdoor recreation, retail and gaming. In addition to being selected as Advertising Age’s Midwest Small Agency of the Year in 2010, Preston Kelly earned finalist honors in the MPA Kelly Awards and One Show, and was featured in Communication Arts. The agency also took top honors for Integrated Campaign of the Year in the 2010 Radio Mercury Awards. In the last five years, the agency has won several Effies—a top marketing award that honors outstanding results. Preston Kelly is a member of Worldwide Partners, the world’s largest network of independent marketing and communications firms. To learn more about Preston Kelly, visit www.prestonkelly.com, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prestonkellyagency or join the conversation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/prestonkelly. You can also read our musings on the latest trends in advertising at www.prestonkelly.com/blog.

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Minneapolis, MN (September 29, 2010) After earning major kudos in a slew of creative advertising competitions in 2010—including recognition as Advertising Age’s Midwest Small Agency of the Year—Preston Kelly has already had a banner year. But on Monday night, the iconic ideas agency added another industry honor to its collection: the 2010 Radio Mercury Award for Integrated Campaign of the Year. As the advertising partner of the YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis and Greater St. Paul, Preston Kelly developed the award-winning campaign for the wellness organization’s “Fatpants Drive,” an initiative that blended radio and out-of-home advertising, as well as a microsite, to encourage members and non-members to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

“This campaign wouldn’t have shot off the ground without a fierce commitment to the YMCA’s grassroots point of view,” said Chris Preston, the agency’s EVP/Creative Director. “We really wanted to give a mock-drama voice to people losing their ‘fatpants’ in the radio spots, but it was also critical to weave them into a larger-than-life campaign that could rock the community.”

While the campaign’s three radio spots—“Dear John,” “Romantic Fatpants” and “Eulogy”—formed the backbone of the drive, the Radio Mercury Award judges recognized the well-rounded nature of Preston Kelly’s work. Paired with the humor-driven radio spots aimed at encouraging listeners to drop a pant size or two, a series of three-dimensional billboards also encouraged people to: “Lose the weight. Donate the pants.” Honing in on the YMCA’s community-driven mission, Preston Kelly’s “Fatpants Drive” asked participants to donate their increasingly oversized pants to charity, and the agency set up donation boxes in all 22 Twin Cities and western Wisconsin branches. To reflect the boon of donations, Preston Kelly added more “fatpants” to the billboards—first along a clothesline and then all over the board. 

To fuel the community-oriented focus of the campaign, Preston Kelly also developed a microsite that served as the social hub of the campaign, allowing visitors to post photos of their “fatpants” via Flickr, read about real-life weight loss stories, learn about the YMCA’s fitness and wellness programs, and monitor the growing number of donated pants. But once YMCA patrons began calling area branches to inquire about where they could hear the radio spots, the creative team capitalized on that interest by giving visitors the option of listening to the spots and sharing them with friends.

As the only major awards competition devoted to radio, the Radio Mercury Awards is devoted to championing the medium and offers generous cash prizes to winners. 

To listen to the three radio spots, please visit our microsite: http://prestonkelly.com/radiomercury/.  

About Preston Kelly

Preston Kelly is a full-service, independent agency that creates iconic ideas for its clients, including financial services, insurance, restaurant, consumer packaged goods, outdoor recreation, retail and gaming. Selected as Advertising Age’s Midwest Small Agency of the Year in 2010, Preston Kelly has also earned several awards in the Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards, and earned finalist honors in the 2010 MPA Kelly Awards and the One Show. The agency also took home top honors for Integrated Campaign of the Year in the 2010 Radio Mercury Awards. In the last five years, the agency has won several Effies—a top marketing award that honors outstanding results. Preston Kelly is a member of Worldwide Partners, the world’s largest network of independent marketing and communications firms. To learn more about Preston Kelly, visit www.prestonkelly.com, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prestonkellyagency or join the conversation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/prestonkelly. You can also read our musings on the latest trends in advertising at www.prestonkelly.com/blog.

In this two-year position, Kelly, succeeds Ian McAteer, managing director of The Union Advertising Agency in Edinburgh, Scotland. Prior to assuming the role of chairman, Kelly served as vice chairman of WPI from July 2008 until June 2010. 

“Throughout his term as chairman, Ian’s done a terrific job during trying economic times,” Kelly said. “Under his leadership, Worldwide Partners has more than weathered the financial storms. He has left the network well-positioned in markets that matter most to clients, while overseeing a broadening of communications disciplines in such areas as digital and pharmaceutical advertising. I look forward to continuing his work in strengthening the network.”

As chairman of the 10-person WPI Board of Directors—which comprises advertising principals from WPI partner agencies around the world—Kelly will guide the strategic and financial direction of the network. With client billings in excess of $3.4 billion under management, WPI’s owner-operated network is made up of 92 advertising agencies that employ 4,500 people in 123 offices in 55 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North America. Over the last three years, WPI partner agencies have won more than $100 million in collective new business.

Kelly’s shop, Preston Kelly, has been a WPI partner agency for 13 years, buying its share in the network in 1997. With an estimated $60 million in billings, Preston Kelly’s clients include Roundy’s Supermarkets, Grand Casino, HealthPartners, Physicians Mutual, National Marrow Donor Program, the Minnesota Zoo and Mall of America. 

In July of this year, the agency won recognition as the Midwest Small Agency of the Year from Advertising Age, a stiff competition that celebrates the achievements of the nation’s smaller advertising shops. After scoring a Gold Effie in 2009 for its work on behalf of HealthPartners, the agency has also earned kudos from Communication Arts and finalist honors in competitions such as the MPA Kelly Awards, the One Show and the O’Toole Awards.  

“I’m looking forward to working with Chuck as we continue to evolve the network to anticipate clients’ needs,” said WPI President and CEO Al Moffatt. “Clients still need ideas and creativity from their agencies, but increasingly we are relied on to be experts in emerging technologies, as well as being a reliable resource in growth markets around the world. 

“Worldwide Partners has been adding great partner agencies around the world to meet those needs under Ian, and, under Chuck’s guidance, I expect that we will continue to do so, he said.” 

Additional contact details:

 Chuck Kelly, Chairman, Worldwide Partners, Inc. and President of Preston Kelly

(612) 843-3999

ckelly@prestonkelly.com

Al Moffatt, President and CEO, Worldwide Partners, Inc.

(303) 577-9765

alm@worldwidepartners.com

About Worldwide Partners, Inc. 

Worldwide Partners, Inc. (WPI) is the world’s largest owner-operated advertising and marketing communications network made up of 92 agencies employing 4,500 people in 123 offices located in 55 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North America. Based in Denver, Colorado USA, WPI is owned by the partner agencies that make up the network. WPI exists to explore and capitalize on global business development opportunities with multinational clients for its partners and to act as a hub that harnesses the creativity, local expertise and resources of the agencies in the partnership and apply them to solve problems for clients on a local, regional and international basis. This allows partners to expand their existing client relationships geographically and to compete effectively for international new business. Clients gain access to best-in-class, entrepreneurially driven agencies steeped in local knowledge in all markets they engage WPI shops. WPI’s partner agencies manage $3.4 billion in worldwide advertising expenditures.  Many prominent advertising agencies are part of Worldwide Partners, including 2009 U.S. Small Agency  of the Decade,  Butler Shine Stern and Partners; 2009 China  Independent Agency of  the Year, WE Marketing Group in Shanghai;  kirshenbaum bond senecal  in New York; two-time Cannes Gold-Lion  winner Wong Doody in Los  Angeles and Seattle, two-time Scottish  Agency of the Year, The  Union, and two-time Agency of the Year in  The Ukraine, Provid.

About Preston Kelly

Preston Kelly is a full-service, independent agency that creates iconic ideas for its clients, including financial services, insurance, restaurant, consumer packaged goods, outdoor recreation, retail and gaming. Selected as Advertising Age’s Midwest Small Agency of the Year in 2010, Preston Kelly has also earned several awards in the Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards, and earned finalist honors in the 2010 MPA Kelly Awards and the One Show. In the last five years, the agency has won several Effies—a top marketing award that honors outstanding results. Preston Kelly is a member of Worldwide Partners, the world’s largest network of independent marketing and communications firms. To learn more about Preston Kelly, visit www.prestonkelly.com, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prestonkellyagency or join the conversation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/prestonkelly. You can also read our musings on the latest trends in advertising at www.prestonkelly.com/blog.

Minneapolis, MN (July 19, 2010) Thanks to its attention-grabbing efforts that have literally given consumers, employers and health practitioners “A New Way to Look at Healthcare,” Preston Kelly’s work claimed victory in the 27^th Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards for Bloomington, MN-based client HealthPartners. In this year’s award show—sponsored by Healthcare Marketing Report—the agency’s work competed against more than 4,000 entries, bringing home one silver and two bronze awards.   

“Healthcare is by nature complex and scary,” said Chris Preston, creative director at Preston Kelly. “We wanted our advertising to be just the opposite, so we created streamlined, iconic ideas with incredibly simple messages.”

A unique healthcare organization, HealthPartners is both an insurance and health services provider with a dynamic network of clinics and hospitals around the state and in western Wisconsin. Tackling HealthPartners’ advertising needs, Preston Kelly develops campaigns and creative work targeted at consumers, employers that provide health insurance and patients who receive care at the organization’s health outlets.

To build consumers’ awareness of HealthPartners’ insurance plans—and demystify the notion that insurance is cumbersome and complicated—Preston Kelly created a series of four television spots under the tagline “A New Way to Look at Healthcare” and brought home a silver award in the 27^th Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards in the process. HealthPartners and Preston Kelly also received a bronze award for a variety of digital banners designed for the organization’s dental clinics. In addition, the partnership claimed a second bronze award for HealthPartners’ Consumer Engagement Toolkit, which helps human resource staff educate employees about the benefits offered through the organization’s health plan products.

“We have a client who intrinsically understands the need to stand out among its competitors by taking some creative risks and a different visual approach,” Preston said. “The entire campaign works together, but in a way that is so atypical for the category that people actually feel engaged by a topic that can be pretty complicated.”

Preston Kelly and HealthPartners have a history of scoring top awards in prestigious advertising competitions, including a 2009 Gold Effie for Advertising Effectiveness for the “A New Way to Look at Healthcare” campaign. 

About Preston Kelly

Preston Kelly is a full-service, independent agency that creates iconic ideas for its clients, including financial services, insurance, restaurant, consumer packaged goods, outdoor recreation, retail and gaming. Selected as Advertising Age’s Midwest Small Agency of the Year in 2010, Preston Kelly has also earned several awards in the Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards, and earned finalist honors in the 2010 MPA Kelly Awards and the One Show. In the last five years, the agency has won several Effies—a top marketing award that honors outstanding results. Preston Kelly is a member of Worldwide Partners, the world’s largest network of independent marketing and communications firms. To learn more about Preston Kelly, visit www.prestonkelly.com, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prestonkellyagency or join the conversation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/prestonkelly. You can also read our musings on the latest trends in advertising at www.prestonkelly.com/blog.

About HealthPartners

Founded in 1957, the $3 billion HealthPartners (www.healthpartners.com) family of health care companies serves 1.25 million members and provides care to over 500,000 patients in our HealthPartners care delivery system, which includes 70 clinics and three hospitals. It is the largest consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization in the nation, providing care, coverage, research and education to improve the health of members, patients and the community. HealthPartners is among the top 25 best private health plans in the nation and the top ranked plan in Minnesota according to U.S. News & World Report/NCQA “America’s Best Health Insurance Plans 2009-10.”

Minneapolis, MN (July 16, 2010) Preston Kelly has been innovating to change the face of Minneapolis marketing—and now the agency has received confirmation of that effort as Advertising Age’s 2010 Midwest Small Agency of the Year.

Judged by the magazine’s team of editors and acclaimed advertising industry leaders, the annual competition celebrates the work of the nation’s smaller shops. A mix of factors determine the regional winners, including the agencies’ thought leadership, business performance, digital and creative work, the impact of its work on clients’ businesses, and its commitment to innovation.    

“By accelerating our clients’ marketplace momentum, we’ve accelerated our own,” said Chuck Kelly, the agency’s president. “We’re a group of very competitive people, but it’s our collaborative belief in one another and the daily trust from a roster of very strong clients that leads to innovations that actually get done and achieve market results.” 

Emphasizing iconic ideas that register through the din of standard marketing messages, Preston Kelly submitted to the contest some of its results-driven, award-winning efforts for a range of clients. More than just a tagline or market differentiator, “iconic ideas” is a philosophy that informs everything the agency does—and one that got the attention of Advertising Age editors, who also noted Preston Kelly’s successes with National Marrow Donor Program’s “Be The Match” campaign.   

“On a website, a print ad, a TV spot or a video game, an iconic idea is a meaningful symbol or concept people can adopt to identify and share our clients’ brands,” said Chris Preston, the agency’s creative director. “An iconic idea not only connects with consumers, it engages, focuses and inspires entire organizations.”

The recognition as the Midwest Small Agency of the Year—doled out at a national Advertising Age-sponsored conference in New Orleans—adds fuel to the agency’s fire in 2010. In addition to earning finalist honors in the Magazine Publishers of America’s Kelly Awards, the O’Toole awards and the international One Show, the agency recently won three awards in the 27^th Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards for its work on behalf of HealthPartners—which also secured a Gold Effie in 2009. Spurred by new business growth, Preston Kelly has added 10 new hires across a range of departments, as well.

Despite a range of honors that champion the agency’s creative and strategic work, the Midwest Small Agency of the Year award marks the first time in Preston Kelly’s history that the entire agency has been recognized.

About Preston Kelly

Preston Kelly is a full-service, independent agency that creates iconic ideas for its clients, including financial services, insurance, restaurant, consumer packaged goods, outdoor recreation, retail and gaming. Selected as Advertising Age’s Midwest Small Agency of the Year in 2010, Preston Kelly has also earned several awards in the Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards, and earned finalist honors in the 2010 MPA Kelly Awards and the One Show. In the last five years, the agency has won several Effies—a top marketing award that honors outstanding results. Preston Kelly is a member of Worldwide Partners, the world’s largest network of independent marketing and communications firms. To learn more about Preston Kelly, visit www.prestonkelly.com, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prestonkellyagency or join the conversation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/prestonkelly. You can also read our musings on the latest trends in advertising at www.prestonkelly.com/blog.