Turner Broadcasting and OMD Honored with Thomas F. Leahy Awards for Media Creativity and Innovation

Published: May 2, 2007 at 08:04 AM GMT
Last Updated: September 20, 2007 at 08:04 AM GMT

By Jack Myers

Turner and OMD Deliver Multiple Outstanding Entries in Myers Annual Awards

Several media agencies and media suppliers submitted multiple entries in the fourth annual Myers Media Creativity and Innovation Awards Program. During the past several weeks, we have presented the winning entries along with details on each individual winner. Both Turner and OMD, along with several other companies, received multiple awards in the honorable mention, bronze, silver and gold categories. The overall quality of their entries has earned them the 2007 Thomas F. Leahy Awards for Media Creativity and Innovation. Thomas F. Leahy was a CBS executive who rose from local sales to president of the CBS Television Network and Broadcast Group in the early 1980s. Many former CBS executives now look back at that era and acknowledge that Leahy's leadership, creativity and innovation was inspired and ground-breaking. Leahy was responsible for establishing the television industry's first integrated marketing unit and he was an active advocate of implementing new techniques and strategies for new business development. Leahy was also an advocate of investment in new media, including cable, although CBS executives at the time were less enthusiastic. He was a great boss and an outstanding and honorable executive. Tom passed away a few years ago; these awards have been established to recognize his early industry leadership and to assure his name and the principles he stood for are remembered and honored.

Following are the multiple award winning entries submitted by Turner and OMD that earned them the 2007 Thomas F. Leahy Awards. Links are provided to read the details of each entry reported previously in Jack Myers Media Business Reports.

Turner Broadcasting

Entry Title: Lovebites
Other Companies Involved: TBS, JWTwo, Sunsilk, MindShare
Individuals Who Deserve Recognition: Linda Yaccarino, Executive VP, Turner Entertainment Ad Sales & Marketing; Laura Del Greco, VP, Sales Programming Strategy for Turner Entertainment Ad Sales & Marketing; Peter Isacksen, Co-President of JWTwo; Tiffany Kurtz, Marketing Brand Manager, Sunsilk; Shari Cohen, Senior Partner and Co-Executive Director, MindShare
Award: Grand Award Media Company

Entry Title: Change of Plans
Other Companies Involved: ZenithOptimedia, Chase
Individuals Who Deserve Recognition: Linda Yaccarino, Executive VP, Turner Entertainment Ad Sales & Marketing; Katherine Johnson, Senior VP of Turner Entertainment Promotions & Marketing; Patty Gillette, Senior Director of Turner Entertainment Promotions & Marketing; Peggy Green, President, Zenith; Cindy Gurmann, SVP Account Director, National Broadcast, Zenith; Manning Field, Senior VP of Brand Management, Chase; Melissa Sofo, Account Executive, Turner Entertainment Ad Sales & Marketing
Award: Silver

Entry Title: You Can Be On Robot Chicken! Playstation Promotional Partnership
Other Companies Involved: Adult Swim, Sony PlayStation, OMD
Individuals Who Deserve Recognition: Phyllis Ehrlich, Senior VP of Cartoon Network Ad Sales Promotions & Marketing; John O'Hara, Senior VP and General Manager, Cartoon Network Ad Sales & Marketing; Aime Duell, Senior Promotions Manager, PlayStation; Josh Feldman, VP of Ad Sales, Adult Swim; Sabina Spigel, Director of Promotions Marketing, Adult Swim; Matt Jarecki, Account Executive, Adult Swim; Seth Green & Matt Senreich, Creators of Robot Chicken; Mike Rose, Client Communications Director, OMD; John Mattimore, Group Director, National Television, OMD
Award: Silver

Entry Title: CNN Inspire Summit
Other Companies Involved: L'Oreal Paris
Individuals Who Deserve Recognition: CNN: Greg D'Alba, COO of CNN Ad Sales & Marketing; Evan Messinger, SVP of CNN Strategic Integration Group; Joy DiBenedetto, VP of Network Booking; Kerry Veale, CNN Marketing & Promotions Manager; Pam Sellers, Editorial Producer, Special Project; Kristina Martin, SVP CNN Integrated Programming & Marketing; Will Gray, Senior Designer, Presentation Design Group; Dave Nuckolls, Senior Executive Producer, Special Projects; Charissa O'Neal, Brand Development Manager; Katrina Cukaj, CNN Sales Manager; Paula Jobson, Account Executive; Zain Verjee, CNN International Correspondent; Paula Zahn, CNN News, host of Paula Zahn Now; Maria Ebrahimji, Associate Director of Network Booking; Kim Bui, Executive Producer, CNN Special Projects L'Oreal: Carol Hamilton, President, L'Oreal Paris; Kristen Comings, Director Strategic Alliances and Events; Kristin Metzger, Director Integrated Marketing Communications; Lisa Capparelli, L'Oreal Paris, Vice President of Integrated Communications; Universal McCann: Donna Wolfe, EVP Chief Negotiation Officer; Annette Cerbone, SVP Director of National Broadcast; Monica Bravo, VP Group Supervisor
Award: Bronze

Entry Title: Cartoon Network - Class of 3000
Other Companies Involved: Cartoon Network, LucasArts, Initiative
Individuals Who Deserve Recognition: Phyllis Ehrlich, Senior VP of Cartoon Network Ad Sales Promotions & Marketing; John O'Hara, Senior VP and General Sales Manager of Cartoon Network Ad Sales & Marketing; Nancy McIntyre, VP of Global Sales & Marketing, Lucas Arts; Sabina Spigel, Director of Cartoon Network Promotions Marketing; Adam Goodman, Cartoon Network Account Executive; Gavin Leung, Product Marketing Manager, LucasArts; Rion Schwartz, Supervisor, National Broadcast, Initiative
Award: Honorable Mention

OMD

Entry Title: General Electric One Second Theater
Other Companies Involved: BBDO, Blitz
Individuals Who Deserve Recognition: Toni Racioppo, Jamie Melecio, Alexis Witt, Jeff Minsky, Kristin Colonna, John Hunt, John Davis, Scott Marsden, Cristina Zahka, Beam Seilaudom and Christine Zahka
Award: Grand Award Agency

Entry Title: Visa CSI 3-Dimensions of Murder
Other Companies Involved: Ubisoft
Individuals Who Deserve Recognition: Dario Paciti and Dino Mytides
Award: Silver

Entry Title: State Farm
Other Companies Involved: State Farm, DDB, TribalDDB, AOL, Point Roll, CBS, Viacom, CSTV, Inside Express
Individuals Who Deserve Recognition: Mark Gibson, Ed Gold, Shari Staiano, Christine Lockwood, Katy Lichtenstein and Kyung Kim
Award: Silver

Entry Title: McDonald's 24 Hour
Other Companies Involved: DDB Seattle
Award: Honorable Mention

Entry Title: GE's Picture a Healthy World
Other Companies Involved: Effective UI, eModeration, Visual Goodness, Interference Inc., Stuart Weissman Productions, Jeremy Thorn Productions, World Health Organization
Award: Honorable Mention

Entry Title: AOL Campaign
Other Companies Involved: AOL, Hill Holliday
Award: Honorable Mention

Turner and OMD as winners of the Thomas F. Leahy Award will each receive a $35,000 consumer and industry trade advertising campaign in Jack Myers Media Business Report and its affiliated consumer website www.MediaVillage.com.

To communicate with or to be contacted by the executives and/or companies mentioned in this column, link to JackMyers Connection Hotline.