Capstrat Takes Home Two Telly Awards

Two TV advertisements produced by Raleigh-based communications firm Capstrat for the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund (HWTF) won top awards in the 26th Annual Telly Awards which honors outstanding local, regional and cable television commercials. Both ads were part of HWTF's TRU (Tobacco. Reality. Unfiltered.) teen tobacco prevention campaign launched in 2004. In addition to the Telly Award honors, Capstrat recently won a Silver Addy for its work on the TRU campaign.

Capstrat won the Silver Telly Award, the top prize in the Telly Awards competition, for its work on TRU's "Anna" ad and a Bronze Telly for its work on the campaign's"Jacobi" ad. Both 30-second spots feature emotional testimony from North Carolina young people on the grave dangers of tobacco use. To view the award winning ads, please visit www.capstrat.com/go/tellys.

The 2005 Telly Awards competition received more than 10,000 entries from all 50 states and several foreign countries. Entries are judged by a prestigious judging panel of more than 20 accomplished advertising industry professionals, each a past winner of a Silver Telly.

"The primary objective of our tobacco campaign is to educate young people in North Carolina about the dangers of tobacco use. It's not an easy mission but recognition by the Telly Awards indicates that we're on the right track with our message," said Alison McLaurin, HWTF's director of marketing and public affairs.

"Our task was to create an ad campaign that would speak to teens - what better way to do that than to put teens in the spotlight and let them have their say?" explained Capstrat Creative Director Todd Coats.

"The recognition is great because it really affirms the entire campaign, not just the TV spots," said Capstrat Account Director Billy Warden. "TRU is based on peer-to-peer interaction, giving young people the opportunity to talk to other young people through paid media but also through events, the Web and other platforms. The awards suggest the strategy is a success."

About Capstrat:
Capstrat is a strategic communications firm based in Raleigh. The company's services include marketing communications, public relations, public affairs, marketing communications and design. Capstrat was recognized in 2003 by PRWeek, the public relations industry's leading trade publication, as one of the nation's best Mid-Sized Agencies. For more information about Capstrat, visit www.capstrat.com.

About the NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund:
The NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund makes North Carolina stronger, both physically and economically, by funding programs that promote preventive health. Created by the General Assembly in 2000 to allocate a portion of North Carolina's share of the national tobacco settlement, HWTF has invested $127 million to support preventive health initiatives and $78 million to fund a prescription drug assistance program. For more information, please visit www.hwtfc.org.

About TRU:
Tobacco. Reality. Unfiltered., commonly known as TRU, is North Carolina's first-ever statewide youth tobacco prevention multi-media campaign that uses testimonials of real North Carolina teens as well as hard-hitting facts to dissuade young people from using tobacco. This campaign is part of the NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund's (HWTF) teen tobacco use prevention initiative. Funded at $28 million from HWTF, this grassroots initiative includes the TRU media campaign, as well as a grant program including 70 grants (50 community-based grants, 4 statewide grants and 16 tobacco free school mini-grants) to a total of 55 organizations. To find out more about TRU, please visit www.realityunfiltered.com.

Please visit our client page for the Health and Wellness Trust Fund for more examples of the work we completed for the Health and Wellness Trust Fund.