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Sells Agency, Ghidotti, Peacock Honored at Virtual PRSA Prism Awards

6 min read

Mike Sells was giddy, Natalie Ghidotti was delighted, and the Arkansas chapter of the Public Relations Society of America was all virtual as it celebrated its annual Prism Awards on Thursday.

For the second straight year, Sells’ firm took the best of show award named for his father, Arkansas PR icon Bob Sells, who died in 2017. The prize, given in a web-based presentation of the ARCom Arkansas Marketing and Communications Event, is presented to the multi-element public relations campaign scored highest by contest judges.

“I’m tickled, and I’ve got a PR team ready to go nuts,” Sells told Arkansas Business after the accolades for The Sells Agency’s “Our Texarkana Homegrown Video Series” campaign.

The night’s other special honor went to Denver Peacock, recipient of the 2020 Crystal Award.

That internal prize, given to a chapter member for long and continuous contributions to the Arkansas PR community, honored Peacock for nearly 25 years of dedicated work, the chapter’s Past President’s Council said. He’s also the Arkansas PRSA’s assembly delegate and APR chair.

“The past list of recipients of Arkansas PRSA’s Crystal Award is extensive and impressive and includes some of the giants of our industry,” Peacock said in the virtual presentation. “And I’m thrilled to join their ranks.” He recalled his days in the Clinton White House, and the role Shelby Woods and Stacy Sells (Mike Sells’ sister) played in bringing him home from Washington to the CJRW firm in Little Rock.

“The list of public relations directors in CJRW’s first half century was fairly short — Ron Robinson, the firm’s first after Wayne Cranford informally held the title; Brenda Scisson; Stacy Sells; and me,” Peacock said. “So, it was quite an honor to serve in that capacity, striving to live up to their legacy and accomplishments.”

The chapter’s annual awards recognize the skills and work of Arkansas PR practitioners, companies and organizations. “In a year marked by challenges, it’s clear to see that communicators across Arkansas lead the charge to plan and implement effective and creative communications,” said Jason Brown, Arkansas PRSA president. Members of the Public Relations Association of Philadelphia judged more than 100 entries in 47 categories, including subcategories.

The Ghidotti Agency, led by Natalie Ghidotti, was one of the night’s other big winners, along with MHP/Team SI, and Garver of North Little Rock. Ghidotti took prizes for content marketing, crisis communications and community relations, among others.

“We were thrilled with last night’s Prism Awards,” Ghidotti said Friday. “We have been privileged to work on some amazing campaigns… Not only did we win in a number of categories, but we took home awards for six clients of varying size and budgets: Mitchell Williams Law, CHI St. Vincent, McDonald’s, Thanks A Billion Project, Hot Springs Village and Catholic High School for Boys.”

Full winners were:

Community Relations – Business

Winner: Ghidotti Communications – Mitchell Williams Take Time to Give

Finalist: MHP/Team SI – 2019 Arkansas Urology Kick Off to Men’s Health 

Community Relations – Nonprofit

Winner: Sells Agency – Arkansas Better Dads Governor’s Summit on Fatherhood 

Finalist: MHP/Team SI – Fully Optimized COVID-19 Resource Center

Content Marketing – Associations/Nonprofit/Government

Winner: Ghidotti Communications – Thanks A Billion Project

Finalist: Arkansas PBS – Arkansas AMI Campaign

Content Marketing – Business

Winner: Ghidotti Communications – Ghidotti Legal Marketing Campaign

Finalist: Ghidotti Communications – Mitchell Williams Law

Crisis Communications

Winner: Ghidotti Communications – McDonald’s COVID-19 Response

Finalist: MHP/Team SI – COVID-19 Crisis Comms for Arkansas Long-Term Care Facilities

Media Relations

Winner: Ghidotti Communications – McDonald’s Archway to Opportunity Program

Finalist: Garver USA – Garver Centennial Chain Reaction Challenge Campaign

Institutional Programs – Business

Winner: MHP/Team SI for its National Disaster Preparedness Month

Finalist: The Bridgeway – Arkansans at Risk 

Institutional Programs – Nonprofit

Winner: MHP/Team SI – Don’t Run Call 911 Opioid Education Campaign

Internal Communications

Winner: Garver USA – Garver Centennial Summit

Finalist: MHP/Team SI – Retrenchment to Transformation: UA Little Rock 

Marketing Communications – Nonprofit

Winner: Ghidotti Communications – Hot Springs Village Discovery Packages

Finalist: MHP/Team SI for its Fully Optimized COVID-19 Resource Guide

Multicultural PR

Category Winner: MHP/Team SI for its Arkansas Urology Kickoff to Men’s Health 

Public Affairs Winner: SixtyOne Celsius – Home Run for Hot Springs: 2019 Special Election Campaign

PR on a Shoestring Budget – Business

MHP/Team SI – Greenway Fundraiser with Jason Aldean 

PR on a Shoestring Budget – Nonprofit

Winner: Ghidotti Communications – Catholic High School for Boys 2019-2020 School Year Finalist: MHP/Team SI – Natural State Tree Climbing Championship

Public Service

Winner: Ghidotti Communications – Thanks A Billion Project

Finalist: MHP/Team SI – You “Otto” Not Litter Campaign 

Reputation/Brand Management – Nonprofit

Winner: MHP/Team SI – Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities Reintroducing the Council

Finalist: Arkansas PBS – Brand Refresh Campaign 

Reputation/Brand Management – Business

Winner: Ghidotti Communications – Mitchell Williams Law 65th Anniversary 

Special Events Less Than 7 Days – Business

Winner: Ghidotti Communications – CHI St. Vincent Arkansas Neuroscience Institute Grand Opening

Finalist: Ghidotti Communications – Mitchell Williams Law Take Time To Give Volunteer Week

Special Events More Than 7 Days – Business

Winner: Garver USA – Garner Centennial: A Chain Reaction a Century in the Making

Finalist: Ghidotti Communications – Mitchell Williams Law Corporate Art Collection

Special Events Less Than 7 Days – Nonprofit

Winner: MHP/Team SI – Le Bonheur Pumpkin Run

Finalist: MHP/Team SI – AEDC Paris Air Show 

Special Events More Than 7 Days – Nonprofit

Winner: Arkansas Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries – ‘Build, Strengthen, Restore’ for 125 Years

Finalist: MHP/Team SI – Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital Enchanted Forest 

Advertising Support – Online 

Winner: MHP/Team SI – Targeting the Aerospace & Defense Industry

Finalist: Arkansas Department of Health and Cranford Co. – Arkansas Department of Health: COVID-19 Prevention Campaign 

Advertising Support – Radio

Winner: MHP/Team SI – Don’t Run. Call 911. Radio 

Advertising Support – TV

Winner: Arkansas Department of Health and Cranford Co. – COVID-19 Prevention Campaign

Brochures

Winner: Ghidotti Communications – Hot Springs Village Brochure with Golf Insert

Direct Mail – Nonprofit

Winner: MHP/Team SI – Arkansas Food Hall of Fame Direct Mail for the Division of Arkansas Heritage

Creative Tactics

Winner: Arkansas Department of Health and Cranford Co. – COVID-19 Prevention Campaign Finalist: MHP/Team SI – UA Little Rock Nursing Program Celebrates 50 Years 

Feature/News Writing Winner: Ghidotti Communications – Ghidotti Blog

Multimedia – Less Than One Minute

Winner: Ghidotti Communications – Hot Springs Village Golf Video 

Multimedia – More Than One Minute

Winner: Sells Agency – Our Texarkana Homegrown Video Series

Finalist: Ghidotti Communications – McDonald’s Archways to Opportunities Video 

Electronic Periodicals

Winner: Ghidotti Communications – Thanks A Billion Project

Finalist: MHP/Team SI – E-Keepsake E-Newsletter 

Podcast/Vodcast

Winner: Ghidotti Communications – The Ghidotti Podcast

Finalist: MHP/Team SI – COVID-19 Weekly Business Update Vodcast

Promotional Printed Pieces

Winner: Arkansas Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries – Thanksgiving Offering: Build, Strengthen, Restore 

Finalist: Ghidotti Communications – Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Designer House Invitation 

Public Service Announcement – Outdoor

Winner: MHP/Team SI – Uplift Arkansas Billboards 

Public Service Announcement – Radio

Winner: MHP/Team SI – #STAYPRIVATE Radio PSA

Finalist: MHP/Team SI – Do Your Part. Get Involved. Radio PSA

Public Service Announcement – TV

Winner: MHP/Team SI – Do Your Part. Get Involved PSA

Social Media

Winner: Sells Agency – Our Texarkana Social Media

Finalist: Ghidotti Communications – Catholic High School Giving Tuesday 

Websites

Winner: SixtyOne Celsius – HotSpringsTracker: Uniting Restaurants and Residents During Shutdown

Finalist: MHP/Team SI – Fully Optimized COVID-19 Resource Center Site 

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