Category: News

Central Minnesota is home to a cast of amazingly talented marketers. And you don’t just have to take our word for it. I’m sure you can think of those people in your professional life who radiate excellence in our industry. Submissions are due Friday, January 31^st, 2025.

Silver Medal Award

This is precisely why the American Advertising Federation presents the Silver Medal Award and Emerging Leader Award each year. Those who have gone above and beyond deserve to be recognized by their industry peers.

The AAF Silver Medal Award Program was established in 1959 to recognize men and women who have made outstanding contributions to advertising and who have been active in furthering the industry’s standards, creative excellence, and responsibility in areas of social concern. Each year, AAFCM bestows this honor upon an outstanding central Minnesota advertising community member.

Our panel of judges comprises past club presidents and Silver Medal Award winners. The award recipient will be announced at the 2025 American Advertising Awards.

Emerging Leader Award

The AAFCM Emerging Leader Award was established in 2017. This award was created to recognize young professionals who are making outstanding contributions to marketing, advertising, design, and/or communications.

Emerging Leaders, while young in their careers, have already shown themselves to make an impact. They are individuals who have begun to further industry standards, creative excellence, and responsibility in areas of social concern.

Emerging Leader nominees must be under age 35 (as of the end of this year) and contribute to the industry in the Central MN community. Sound like someone you know? You can submit your Emerging Leader application here. One will be announced at the 2025 American Advertising Awards.

It’s that time of e of year again…AAA Season! The American Advertising Awards (AAA) is one of our staple events – a national competition available to all creatives locally.

A few steps are involved in submitting your work, and we’re here to help you navigate the process seamlessly. Whether you’re new to the AAA submission process or just need a refresher, we want to help answer any questions you might have.

If you have any additional questions that we don’t address below, please check our social channels for more information or reach out to us! We’re happy to help and want to make this a successful and fun event for everyone.

Q: How are virtual submissions different?

A: The submission process will be the same as previous years, with the only difference being that all of your work will be submitted digitally. There will be no physical files given to us. Details on submitting your work can be found at the 2024 American Advertising Awards website.

Q: Do I still need to print and mount my work?

A: Yes and no! Printing your work for judging is not needed as our judges will not be coming in-person. When you submit your work, you will have the opportunity to attach up to 5 files and an optional video upload.

Mounting for display at our in-person event in February is required. Please mount your work to a 16″ x 16″ black mounting board and glue/tape one of the manifest numbers to the back. If you don’t have your own boards they can be purchased for $5/piece and picked up at WhiteBox Marketing.

Q: Who can I reach out to if I need help with the submission process?

A: Please reach out to Amanda Hackett at ahackett001@csbsju.edu for any questions. She will be happy to help!

Q: Do I have to be a marketing agency to submit?

A: Absolutely not! The American Advertising Awards highlights the work of all creatives, no matter how big or small. Whether you’re a student, freelancer, or work in-house or at an agency, your work is welcome! We are so lucky to live in a community with strong talent and we want to see it all.

Q: Where do I find a list of categories to submit?

A: You can find Professional categories here and Student categories here.

Q: What if I feel like my work is best seen tangibly/in-person?

A: We get it! Often, the best part of a project is seeing it all come together off-screen. Being able to touch it, feel it, and show it off to all your friends. Our recommendation is to take the time to get quality proofs of your work and present it as best you can on-screen. This might mean mocking up a scene in which your work might appear. Think about how you might present a concept to your clients/boss before it’s actually been created. Anything you can do to help someone visualize the work will help.

Q: How do I buy a ticket for the show?

A: You can buy tickets for The Show on our event page. Early bird tickets are available to purchase until January 26th, 2024.

Q: Are there any AAA entry/show ticket discounts?

A: Yes! If you are an AdFed member, either student or professional, you will receive a discount on your submissions and ticket prices for the show. Discounts are as follows:

Single Entry: Professionals $60 (Non-Member $100) – Students $40 (Non-Member $55)

Campaign Entry: Professionals $100 (Non-Member $160) – Students $50 (Non- Member $70)

Ticket Pricing: A Discount on your show ticket.

If these price breaks aren’t enough to convince you to become a member, check out all of our member benefits.

The time is near for our favorite event of the year – the American Advertising Awards! We are ecstatic for this year’s live show in February. 

The American Advertising Awards, or the AAAs, as we like to call them, are the pinnacle event of the year to celebrate creatives in every capacity on both a local and national level. We have so much amazing talent in our own community of Central Minnesota, and now is the time to show it off.

Conducted annually by the American Advertising Federation (AAF), our local competition is the first of a three-tier, national competition. Entering the competition supports our entire industry, because the AAF and its local and district affiliates use the proceeds to enhance advertising through programs such as public service, internships, advocacy groups, advertising education, and consumer awareness.

Whether you are a student, freelancer or a creative working in-house or in an agency, we want to see your work! Submissions can be entered into Student or Professional categories to be judged.

A few important dates to know:

• Entries are due Tuesday, January 16, 2024.
• Early bird tickets are available until January 26, 2024.
• $25 Pro Member / $45 Pro / $16 Student Member / $30 Student (Parent/Sibling of Student)
• Regular Ticket Price: (January 27, 2023 – Day of the Show):
• $35 Pro Member / $55 Pro / $21 Student Member / $35 Student (Parent/Sibling of Student)
• Join us for the show on February 24, 2023!

All of the details for submitting your work, FAQ’s and more can be found here.

We’re still reeling from such a wonderful 2023 CMYK Poster Show! We want to give a huge thank you to everyone who made this a smashing event – all of our design professionals, students, and freelancers who submitted posters, the Iron Street Distillery staff, and those of you who came out to support the show. 

We hope this year’s theme of music inspired you. One of our favorite aspects of the show each year is to see how people interpret the theme and make it come to life in their own unique way. 

We had a total of 30 entries this year. A warm congratulations to Jeramee Hoberg for winning the Judge’s Choice Award and to Samantha Bragg for winning the People’s Choice Award. These two remarkable students from Alexandria Technical & Community College truly wowed us with their creative brilliance. Your dedication and hard work have paid off, and we couldn’t be prouder.

Want more information on cool events like this in Central Minnesota? Sign up for our eNewsletter to stay in the loop at www.adfedcentral.com.

Hello Central Minnesota creatives and friends! 

As this year’s president of the American Advertising Federation of Central Minnesota (AAFCM), I’m excited to welcome you to the 2023–24 season! We have some great events in store and invite you to join in on the fun.

We’re kicking off the year by bringing back a fan favorite: the CMYK Poster Show! Save some space on your calendar for the end of October – we’ll share more details very soon as we get them lined up. We can’t wait to see what you’ve got! We’ve also got a couple of our other fan favorites on the programming lineup: The American Advertising Awards (AAAs) and Beauty + the Bias.

Our goals for this season include running some killer events (both old + new), encouraging more student engagement, and reviving local interest in this organization. Speaking of engagement – we always welcome interested creatives to serve on our board or committees. You don’t have to be an advertiser – you just need to love creativity and have a heart to serve! 

Currently, we are looking to fill a few vital positions on our board:

• AAA Chair: If you’re interested in helping run the biggest advertising awards show in Central Minnesota and celebrating the INCREDIBLE work that happens in our own community, join our board as the AAA Chair.

• Campus Relations Chair: Students are a vital part of our organization, and we want to provide events, resources, and opportunities for the next generation of advertisers, marketers, and creatives. Help us connect with local colleges and universities to provide these opportunities.

If neither of these roles speak to you, we also welcome your involvement in whatever way interests you. If you want to help map out a marketing plan, execute some amazing events, or connect our club with the greater community, we want you! If you have any questions about getting involved with AAFCM, reach out to me at ahackett001@csbsju.edu or (651) 334-2279.

I’d like to finish out this letter by expressing my gratefulness to my fellow board members:

• Alison Fischer, Whitebox Marketing
• Bryce Jacobson, Whitebox Marketing
• Burke Tagney, Midwest Financial Partners, Inc.
• Camille Lehmann Rosa, A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation
• Rich Thul, DeZurik

Another special thank you is due to Bridget Deutz, founder of Greenline Marketing, for serving our board in an advisory role. Her historical knowledge, years of involvement, and commitment to AAFCM are incredibly beneficial to our board.

We look forward to staying connected with you. Stay creative!

Amanda Hackett

AAFCM President

ST. CLOUD, MN — Vye is pleased to announce the promotion of Jennifer Lawrence to Chief Operating Officer. Lawrence has been with the agency since 2012, serving in various capacities including Account Manager, Director of Client Services, and most recently as Vice President.

“Jen has played a significant role in Vye’s recent growth, including a 90% increase in team members and 144% increase in revenue while serving as VP for the agency,” says Dan Soldner, President & CEO. “I recall when she joined our small, seven-person team back in 2012, we were still trying to figure out where we wanted the agency to go. It’s amazing to be here 10 years later to promote her into this new role.”

With more than 20 years of industry experience, Lawrence has learned
what creative professionals seek to thrive in their career, and what clients need to achieve their goals. Her leadership at Vye has been instrumental in creating a People First culture and uncommon results for clients. “I’m really looking forward to what the agency will accomplish over the next decade under Jen’s continued leadership,” says Soldner.

“When I joined Vye ten years ago, I was drawn toward the vision of redefining marketing as a measurable growth investment,” says Lawrence. “Now, partnering with clients across 18 states, it’s pretty amazing to see the impact we have made.”

Lawrence also serves on the United Way of Central Minnesota Board, volunteers her time periodically at St. Cloud Technical College, and has previously served in leadership roles with the American Advertising Awards (AAF) of Central Minnesota. She was also the recipient of a 2020 AAF Silver Medal Award, which is awarded to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to advertising and within their community.

About Vye

Vye is a full-service, digital marketing agency that drives growth through empathy-based marketing to help businesses crush their goals. Our team of 40+ creative professionals based throughout the U.S. tackle difficult problems — and partner with clients who have lofty ambitions. As a HubSpot Partner specializing in inbound marketing, we’re committed to our work, long-term client relationships, our talented team, and our creative process. We’ll never settle because we’re always vying for something more. Learn more at vye.agency.

Media Contact

Dan Soldner, Vye President & CEO
dan@vye.agency