Function: Work Recognized “Best in Class” in 2010 Excellence in Advertising Competition

Function:, an integrated marketing agency that specializes in connecting building product manufacturers (BPMs) to architects, contractors and facility managers, recently produced an advertisement for Kawneer Company, Inc.’s ongoing sustainability campaign that was recognized as “Best in Class” in this year’s Architectural Record Excellence in Advertising Award competition. The awards are given jointly by McGraw Hill Construction and Architectural Record and recognize the most effective ads in the building and design marketplace and the companies and agencies that produce them.

The winning advertisement features clean lines and a minimalist design with the image of a red apple “built” from language and information about environmentally friendly building products. The ad, developed to augment Kawneer’s “Every Day You Make a Choice. Make a Choice that Counts” message, demonstrates the company’s commitment to sustainable design and construction and to creating solutions that address the growing needs of the institutional market. Kawneer Company, Inc. is the leading manufacturer of architectural aluminum products and systems for commercial construction. 

Angela Mitchell, art director at Function: and creator of the winning ad, wanted both the concept and the copy to be a literal representation of green building. “The ad is about building a healthy environment with knowledge,” she said. “The simple treatment was an effective way to be informative about the green benefits of Kawneer without overloading the ad with text or images.” 

Promotion for the competition stressed that information overload often decreases an advertisement’s effectiveness, so the graphic simplicity and diversely applicable message portrayed in Kawneer’s winning ad were both factors in it being chosen. 

Judges commented that, “The ad was really ‘outside the box’. The red used was an appealing color and the graphical nature of the ad is very compelling to architects.” 

Added another judge, “I have it high marks for aesthetics; it stopped me in my tracks and compelled me to read more. I read every word of it, yet it never even showed you the product.” 

“This recognition really speaks to the great work of our designers at Function:,” said Michele DeHaven, Principal and Creative Director for Function:. “The ad itself is a testament to our experience with sustainable messages and our ability to merge our client’s visions with content that speaks to a wide audience.”

Full page or larger ads published in Architectural Record in the first four months of 2010 were considered for the awards. Judged for their content and graphic presentation, winners were selected by a jury of eight architects and designers. Architectural Record recognized this year’s winners at the Excellence in Advertising Awards breakfast and panel discussion held Friday, June 11. Winners were selected from a nomination pool of over 150 advertisements and chosen based on content and graphic presentation as well insight into the architecture community.

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