Air Force snags top national advertising award

  • Published
  • By Chet R. DelSignore
  • Air Force Recruiting Service Public Affairs
DALLAS (AFPN) --  The Air Force earned one of the nation's top advertising honors Feb. 7, taking home a Golden Award at the 2008 ADDY Awards ceremony in Dallas.

The technology section of the AIRFORCE.com Web site won best in class in the micro-site category, according to Air Force Recruiting Command officials. 

The annual ADDY Award competition features 60,000 entries all vying for a handful of coveted advertising awards in various categories.

"It is gratifying to see our cutting-edge advertising paying off," said Col. Tim Hanson, the AFRS strategic communications director. "The public is really sitting up and taking notice and now the advertising industry is recognizing us for those efforts."

The AIRFORCE.com technology site features a factual look at several Air Force tools and weapons systems, including an explosive ordnance device robot that safely disarms live unexploded munitions as well as an unmanned aerial vehicle that surveys hostile environments from the air without a pilot on-board. Also featured are inside looks at the Air Force's next generation F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter, the F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft and the CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft.

"The technology section of AIRFORCE.com has a look and appeal designed to resonate with its young audience," Colonel Hanson said. "It was a total team effort between our marketing staff in Recruiting Service and our contracted Web site advertising partners, GSD&M and Virion, who set the requirements of this creatively interesting microsite."

This Web site contains summaries of each platform's mission, capabilities and specifications, and Air Force wallpapers for downloading. Users can watch videos and see action photographs of the technology in use, while background motion graphics keep visitors actively engaged in the site and wanting to know more.

"This is really significant for us to win what is really the advertising equivalent of an Oscar," said Brig. Gen. Suzanne M. "Zan" Vautrinot, the AFRS commander. "We are doing amazing things with Web-based technology to allow people to discover more about our Air Force."

The ADDY Awards claim to be the world's largest and one of the toughest advertising competitions. The awards represent creative excellence in all forms of advertising and receive entrants at all levels from anywhere in the world. 

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