FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2009

OAAA Announces 2009 OBIE Award Contenders

Winners Will Be Announced in a Webinar April 20, 2009

(Washington) ­ Forty-five agencies are in the running for one of the biggest prizes in advertising, the OBIE Best of Show, the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) announced Monday.

The OBIE Awards recognize creative excellence in outdoor advertising and are the oldest and among the most prestigious awards in the advertising business.

“The challenges remain the same as we expand to new technology,” said Sean Robertson, vice president and creative director for CBS Outdoor. “It still comes down to making the one-on-one connection with the audience, and that’s the hardest thing to do.”

TBWA\Chait\Day, Leo Burnett, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, The Martin Agency, and BBDO are among the top notch advertising agencies represented in this year’s finalist roster.

Among the advertisers featured in these powerful creative executions are multinational corporations such as Procter & Gamble, Microsoft, and McDonald’s as well as local advertisers, including the Dallas Fire Department, San Francisco Zoo, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas.

"This year’s contenders embody the range of creative potential in the out of home medium,” said Stephen Freitas, OAAA’s chief marketing officer. “When done right, a bulletin campaign in a small town can make as big a splash as a large scale execution in Times Square.”

The 2009 OBIE Awards winners will be announced in a webinar on Monday, April 20. The event will be hosted by Chief Judge Mark Tutssel, global chief creative officer for Leo Burnett Worldwide, who will provide an insider’s look at the judges’ decision making process for this year’s awards. Members of the press interested in attending the event should register online at www.oaaa.org.

The complete list of contenders, alphabetical by agency, follows.

Apollo Interactive ­ Jack in the Box
Arc Worldwide ­ McDonald’s
BBDO New York ­ Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation        
BBDO New York ­ Lowe's
BBDO New York ­ Mountain Dew
BBDO New York ­ The Economist
BBDO West ­ Air New Zealand
BBDO West ­ San Francisco Zoo
BBDO Worldwide ­ Toyota Scion
BooneOakley ­ State Farm
Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners ­ MINI Cooper
Campbell-Ewald ­ Chevrolet Volt
CB&S Advertising ­ Fred Meyer
CBS Entertainment Division ­ 2008 Grammy Awards
Commerce House ­ Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas
Commerce House & The Richards Group ­ Dallas Fire Department
Copacino+Fujikado ­ SeattleArt Museum
Copacino+Fujikado ­ Seattle Mariners
Cramer-Krasselt ­ Corona
Cramer-Krasselt ­ CrystalSprings Bottled Water
Crispin Porter + Bogusky ­ Microsoft Windows
Crispin Porter + Bogusky ­ Nike
DDB Seattle  ­ Amtrak Cascades
Deutsche, Inc.  ­ Saturn
DeVito/Verdi ­ LegalSea Foods
DoeAnderson ­ Maker’s Mark
ESW Partners ­ MotorCity Casino Hotel
Extra Credit Projects ­ CommunityofVeterans.org
Fallon Worldwide ­ Travelers Insurance
Horizon Media ­ Harrah's Resort & Casino
Horizon Media ­ A&E Andromeda Strain
Juniper Park ­ Sun Chips
JWT New York ­ Jet Blue
Lamar Advertising Company ­ SGS
Leo Burnett Brussels ­ Heinz Hot Ketchup
Leo Burnett Chicago ­ McDonald’s
Leo Burnett Frankfurt ­ Tide 
Leo Burnett Mumbai ­ Luxor Highlighters
Leo Burnett Shanghai ­ Coca-Cola
Leo Burnett Toronto ­ James Ready Beer
Magner Sanborn ­ Eastern WashingtonUniversity
McGarrah Jessee ­ Shiner Beers
OgilvyWest ­ BP ampm stores
Razorfish ­ Levi’s 501s
Schupp Company, Inc ­ Grape Nuts Cereal
Serve ­ Pathfinders
Sukle Advertising & Design ­ Denver Water
TAXI Canada Inc ­ Aviva Canada
TAXI Canada Inc ­ BMW MINI
TBWA\Chait\Day ­ Absolut
TBWA\Chait\Day ­ Jameson Whiskey
TBWA\Media Arts Lab ­ iPod nano
TBWA\Media Arts Lab ­ MacBook Air
The MartinAgency ­  FeedMore
The MartinAgency ­ Newseum 
The Richards Group ­ Chick-fil-A
The WOW Factor, Inc. ­ Coca-Cola
Wieden+Kennedy New York ­ ESPN Monday Night Football
Wieden+Kennedy New York ­ 2008 MLB All-Star Game