Recognized by the International Academy of Visual Arts
Howard, Merrell & Partners, a strategic branding and advertising firm, received two 2008 W3 Awards from the International Academy of Visual Arts. The accolade recognizes more than 3,000 entries from top companies and advertising agencies worldwide. The agency was honored with two silver awards for the William Marsh website as well as INVISTA’s CORDURA® brand Baselayer fabrics Web site development.
“Our agency places an important emphasis on connecting brands with consumers by expressing the brands’ spirit and identity,” said Jim Cobb president and CEO, Howard, Merrell & Partners. “Through Web site development for William Marsh and the Baselayer campaign, our creative and interactive gurus have successfully positioned the value of these brands with their customers in an entertaining yet informative way. ”
A multifaceted consulting, trading, logistics and manufacturing company, William Marsh works with corporations conducting business between China and the U.S. The William Marsh corporate Web site needed to explain the company’s complex offering while conveying its corporate philosophy and values.
“Our strategy for the William Marsh Web site turned out to be quite simple,” said Scott Piggott, senior VP, technology & interactive services with Howard, Merrell & Partners. “On the opening page of the Web site we used a choreographed Tai Chi demonstration to represent the flow of business and how all their subsidiaries work in harmony – through this illustration we connected the heart of their business to the seamlessness they want to offer to their clients.”
The other Web site that earned an accolade was the ‘Defend Your Base’ microsite, which supported the campaign launch of the CORDURA® brand Baselayer line of undergarments. Designed to facilitate communication with military and tactical consumers, the www.defendyourbase.com microsite enables users to explore the features and benefits of the new fabric, plus get information on where to purchase No Melt No Drip next-to-skin garments. The microsite links to www.CORDURA.com, where consumers can locate other products made with CORDURA® fabrics – fabrics that are all about durability.
“The protective qualities of the CORDURA® brand’s Baselayer fabric were brought to life with miniature defenders, such as tanks, helicopters and snipers, that guarded a life-sized soldier wearing the t-shirt,” said Steve Olshansky, senior copywriter for Howard, Merrell & Partners. “Essentially, the soldier’s body became the battlefield.”
In determining winners, entries are judged based on a standard of excellence, as determined by the International Academy of Visual Arts (IAVA), according to the category entered. To uphold a high standard of excellence, a category may have multiple winners, or may have no winners at all. Web site entries were judged on creativity, usability, navigation, functionality, visual design and ease of use.
The W³ Awards honor creative excellence on the Web and recognize the creative and marketing professionals behind innovative developments in videos and marketing programs. Sanctioned and judged by the IAVA, the W³ Awards is the first major Web competition to be accessible to everyone from the biggest agencies to the smallest firms, and no preference given to the size or prestige of the agency, firm or company.
