press

Four agencies dominated the ADDY® Awards, the annual event that highlights the best of local advertising. Cincinnati’s largest agency, Northlich, won Best of Show for a television commercial it created for Western & Southern Financial Group.

When it came to sheer volume of awards, however, it was smaller agencies that took top billing.

A very unofficial count of awards in this year’s ADDY® Showbook puts Barefoot as the repeat winner of most awards at the Feb. 22 event, held at the Twentieth Century Theater in Oakley.

Barefoot took home one judges’ choice and 37 ADDY® and silver awards.

Over-the-Rhine-based Creative Department was second with two judges’ choice and 25 ADDYs and silvers.

HSR Inc. was next with a judges’ choice and 21 ADDYs and silvers.

Northlich came in fourth with the top individual prize, a judges’ choice and 17 other awards.

Everyone is happy to win awards. But what’s got the top officials in all four agencies stoked is a pickup in business during the first quarter of 2003, despite a falling consumer confidence level and war fears that continue to stymie other parts of the economy.

“This first quarter has been so much better than last year,” said Doug Worple, CEO of Barefoot.

Dave Fagin, creative director for the Creative Department, said his agency, like Barefoot, is looking to add several new employees.

“It seems like things have opened up,” he said.

So, too, said Tom Rentschler, executive creative director for HSR, which like Northlich is also hiring again after suffering through tough times and layoffs.

“But I don’t see it as an economic trend,” he said. “We’ve just been doing some things right”

-Richard Curtis