Waymack & Crew, Sells Agency Take 8 Awards Each in Ad Competition

The Sells Agency and Waymack & Crew Inc. of Little Rock saw their work rewarded by Arkansas’ marketing and advertising industry Feb.21, winning eight honors each at the 2019 Addy Awards.

Waymack, which entered the local American Advertising Federation competition for the first time in several years, and Sells were recognized at the ceremony at the Rail Yard eatery in Little Rock. The Sells Agency took best in show for its “Passport” brochure to the Fayetteville Ale Trail, and Waymack & Crew claimed three gold awards, the top honors in the competition administered by AAF’s AdClub of Little Rock.

Gold and silver awards winners are eligible to compete in the upcoming AAF Tenth District competition, covering areas of Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.

“We were glad to be back in the competition this year,” said Dan Waymack, the filmmaker and president of his namesake firm. Waymack told Arkansas Business that he would like to see all of Little Rock’s top firms in the competition, which he said has dwindled over the last decade or so. “I hope more people enter next year. We need to be represented by our best at the district level.”

Waymack meant no offense to those who entered and won, not the least of which was his own crew that took the gold in animation, special effects or motion graphics for its “This Is Winning” spots for the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery plus two golds in cinematography.

But it’s no secret that several of Little Rock’s largest and most accomplished firms, including CJRW, Mangan Holcomb Partners and Stone Ward, have not been entering the contest recently. “The entry fees go to Arkansas AdFed, so I’m hoping to get some other agencies back in,” Waymack said.

Mike Sells, CEO of the Sells Agency, praised Art Director Vince Griffin for his winning work for the Fayetteville Advertising & Promotion Commission, and echoed Waymack’s sentiments. “The goal is to get the majority of agencies in the market to participate,” Sells said. “Not because everybody needs to be a part of the ADDY Awards, but because they need to be more involved with AdFed. That’s our lobbying and interest group. At some point AdFed in Little Rock became all about the Addys, and that’s not sustainable.”

The entries were judged by veteran creative director Edward Miller of Huntington Beach, California; Brad Snyder of Snyder & Associates of Corpus Christi, Texas; and Susan Cooke of Susan Cooke Creative in Fort Worth.

Here’s the full winners list:

Gold

• Another Graphic Design Guy (Hunter Oden), Handle Barbershop logo design.
• Sells Agency, brochure and best in show, Fayetteville Ale Trail Passport.
• Think Idea Studio (Mat and Shelley Faulkner), Urban Forge, Advertising Industry Self-Promotion film.
• Thrive, Helena Harmonica shirt, specialty advertising, apparel.
• Waymack & Crew, “This Is Winning,” animation, special effects or motion graphics.
• Waymack & Crew, DCG “Stable,” cinematography.
• Waymack & Crew, “The Heist,” cinematography.

Silver

• Sells Agency, Arvest Bank “People Helping People — Ramsay,” short, branded content & entertainment for online film, video and sound.
• Sells Agency, Texarkana Homegrown Series, branded content and entertainment campaign.
• Sells Agency, “P.A.T.H. — The Life,” public service online film, video and sound.
• Think Idea Studio, Urban Forge, integrated branded content campaign.
• Thrive, Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce, integrated brand identity campaign.
• UAMS, UAMS Race for the Cure T-shirt, specialty advertising, apparel.
• USAble Life, “I Make a Difference,” integrated brand identity campaign.
• Waymack & Crew, Arkansas Parks & Tourism Experience, television advertising.
• Waymack & Crew, “The Heist,” sound design.
• Waymack & Crew, “The Heist,” video editing.
• Waymack & Crew, “This Is Winning” campaign, television advertising.

Bronze

• E. Rose Digital, Premier Gastroenterology, logo design.
• Thrive, Lower Mississippi River Foundation, integrated brand identity campaign.
• Lamar Advertising of Little Rock, Coney’s Garage Doors, outdoor board.
• Paul Michael Co. (Elizabeth Michael), Market Hill Magazine, magazine design.
• Sells Agency, Arvest Bank People Helping People — Elaine Gimblet, branded content & entertainment for online film, video and sound.
• Sells Agency, Arvest Bank People Helping People — Chris Beach, branded content & entertainment for online film, video and sound.
• Sells Agency, Fayetteville, magazine advertising.
• Sells Agency, Experience Fayetteville, visual arts, branded content & entertainment for online film, video and sound.
• UAMS, Friends of UAMS print ad campaign, magazine advertising.
• USAble Life, 2018 Incentive trip, special event material, card, invitation, announcement campaign.
• Waymack & Crew, “The Heist,” television advertising.