The Rockies, 2020 edition

May 16, 2020.

That was the date for The Rockies, and it was set many months in advance.

But then, as Ryan Reynolds so eloquently put it recently…

Nevertheless, the Boise Advertising Federation quickly shifted, and held the show entirely online, with attendees watching and chatting via YouTube.

All in all it was a tremendous success, and everyone involved in making it happen deserves a ton of credit.

Missed the show? You can view it in its entirety here:

Selected winner highlights

Best of Show

Drake Cooper, Bornstein Seafoods – These Hands
Elements of Advertising – Visual

Gold Rockies

Mitchell Palmer, Idaho Lottery – Holiday Joy
Television

Drake Cooper, Your Health Idaho – Voices of Pain
Radio

Duft Watterson, Geisinger – Geisinger LLE
Print

Senestre Creative, Bodega Boise – Bodega Boise Reverse Graffiti
Out of Home

SOVRN, Carroll College – Carroll College Direct Mail
Direct Marketing

Duft Watterson, Geisinger – Long Live Everyone Video
Online Video & Podcasts

Front Runner Films, Ballet Idaho – The Divine Dissatisfaction
Digital – Branded Content & Entertainment

Simplot Technology & GLG, Simplot Foods – Simplot Foods Website
Digital – Websites

Name Brand Promotions, Simplot – 2020 Customer Focus
Collateral Material

Against, Killer Creamery – Killer Creamery Whaley Pint
Identity

Drake Cooper, Bornstein Seafoods – These Hands
Elements of Advertising

Name Brand Promotions, Mill 95 – 2019 Craft Brewers Conference
Sales Promotion

Idaho Lottery, Idaho Lottery – Guinness World Records Setting Event
Public Relations

Stoltz Marketing Group, Stoltz Marketing Group – Before I Go Book
Ad Industry Self Promotion

St. Luke’s Marketing, St. Luke’s – Fit One Healthy Living Expo
Public Service

1890 Productions, Mission 43 – Direction Through Solitude
Potpurri

Mitchell Palmer, Idaho Lottery – 5 Star Draw
Complete Campaign

Student Gold

James Trayford, Interfraternity Council at the University of Idaho Rebrand
Identity Programs

Gold Rockie winners were automatically forwarded to the District XI AAF Regional Competition, and Silver Rockie winners had the option to submit their entries as well. Notable winners from Idaho at that level included:

Stoltz Marketing Group, Stoltz Marketing Group – Before I Go Book
Silver ADDY, Advertising Industry Self Promotion

Duft Watterson, Idaho Transportation Department – ITD Candy Cones
Gold ADDY, Ambient Media – Guerilla Marketing

Senestre Creative, Bodega Boise – Bodega Boise Reverse Graffiti
Silver ADDY, Ambient Media – Guerilla Marketing

The complete list of Gold and Silver Rockie winners can be found on the BAF site, and the full list of Regional ADDY winners can be found on the AAF District XI site.

Congratulations to all.

The Rockies – an update

Much has been happening behind the scenes, and the Boise Advertising Federation sent out this update earlier today to the public at large about The Rockies.


2020 ROCKIES AWARD SHOW UPDATE
An Idaho Advertising Federation event, brought to you by The Boise Advertising Federation.

Thanks for being patient with us as we have carefully deliberated to determine the fate of the 2020 Rockies Award show due to COVID 19. The Rockies as an in-person event will not happen this year due to the sensitivity of social distancing while we work through this. It was a hard decision, but we will make it up to you with a big party the next time we get together.

The good news: Due to the size of our usual gathering and sensitivity in these times of COVID-19, we will instead present the Rockies Award Show as a livestream event. We still want to celebrate the creative spirit of our community by hosting a special livestream on May 16th. You guys worked too hard this past year for us to not do anything to acknowledge what you do best!

Stay tuned for details to watch the show on May 16th! See the winners, see the fun videos, have some drinks… all from the comfort of your living rooms and yoga pants. It’ll be free to watch and we also encourage you join us in donating to the Idaho Food Bank during the show. Watch it by yourself or in your groups no larger than 10, six feet apart. It will still be an amazing time.

Watch for updates and more details here: https://www.boiseadfed.org/rockies

The show must not go on

Treefort? Uprooted.

Cannes? Canned.*

Boise Music Festival? Silenced.

The list goes on and on…

To my friends at the Idaho and Boise Advertising Federations, it’s time to make the call.

It’s time to either postpone or cancel The Rockies as an in-person event this year.

As much as everyone loves a party and an excuse to dress up, get together and celebrate, it seems foolish to hold an event like this a handful of weeks from now, even if social distancing and shelter-in-place restrictions are relaxed before then.

I want to be as optimistic about this as anyone else, but it’s also time to face reality. Now is not the time to put a large group of people in close contact to one another, mix in alcohol and questionable decisions, and then hope for the best.

Besides, I suspect there will be a lot of belt-tightening at agencies around the state in the weeks and months to come, and the expense of tickets and tables may be among the first to go.

As hard as it is to say it — because I, for one, look forward to seeing the work and the people every year — right now, the show must not go on.

* All credit for that line goes to Dan Goldgeier, who posted it on Twitter a few days ago.

Back to basics

UPDATE

Friends from both the Boise Advertising Federation and the Idaho Advertising Federation have reached out to provide additional clarification and context around the awards and the event:

The official name is “The Rockies,” which dates back to 1983.

The annual IAF Creative Awards Competition first launched in 1978 as a statewide competition (previously it was a local only competition of the Boise Ad Club), but it was rejuvenated in 1983 as The Rockies after a judging fiasco in the prior year.

IAF as ‘creator’ of its awards competition is sole authority as to ‘naming conventions’ cited below. Hence, The Rockies Award Ceremony is correct, and may be alternatively stated as The Rockies Award Show, despite assertion to the contrary.

BAF, has made herculean efforts for more than 40 years in hosting the success of the statewide competition on behalf of IAF.

While this is not the first time–nor will it likely be the last–that I’ve drawn the ire of BAF, that doesn’t mean my opinions or observations are necessarily correct. I appreciate those who have taken the time to set the record straight, and always welcome comments and discussion – either here on the blog or via email.

I have been, and always will be, a vocal supporter of agencies throughout the state of Idaho as well as the ad clubs and other organizations, and will continue to promote events, recognize good work, highlight job openings and other relevant information as time allows without obligation or expectation of anything in return.


Original post:

It’s awards season all over the place.

Unfortunately, our friends at the Boise Advertising Federation have gotten lax — dare I even say lazy — with their naming conventions for the state’s creative awards show.

So, to help get things back on track, or for those who may be new to the game, here’s a little cheat sheet for reference:

Rockie Award (Singular)
An individual award for creative excellence. Can be Silver or Gold.
Shorthand: Rockie
See also, for reference/comparison: Academy Award/Oscar, Golden Globe Award/Golden Globe

In context: Against won a Gold Rockie Award in Sales Promotion for the Auya Co. Tradeshow Booth
–or–
Brad Pitt won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Once upon a Time…In Hollywood.

Rockie Awards (Plural)
Two or more awards for creative excellence.
Shorthand: Rockies
For reference/comparison: Emmy Awards/Emmys, Academy Awards/Oscars

In context: Drake Cooper won 4 Gold and 18 Silver Rockies in 2017.
–or–
PARASITE won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director, International Film, and Writing (Original Screenplay).

Now, this is where it gets a little tricky. Stay with me here.

Rockie Awards Show (Event)
The annual awards show where multiple Rockie Awards are presented
Shorthand: the Rockies
For reference/comparison: Emmy Awards Show/Emmys, Golden Globe Awards Show/Golden Globes

In context: Drake Cooper’s 18 Summers campaign for the Idaho Travel Council won Best of Show at the 2019 Rockie Awards Show.
–or–
2020 marked Ricky Gervais’ 5th time hosting the Golden Globes.

The annual event is NOT the Rockies Award Show (there’s no such thing as a Rockies Award – see singular above), nor is it the Rockies Awards Show (also no such thing as Rockies Awards – see plural above), as it has been referred to in recent years.

You’d never see the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences refer to their event as the Oscars Award Show or Oscars Awards Show, would you?

It may seem minor to some, but details matter. And lack of attention to those details makes the entire organizing body look bad.

Let’s do better Boise Ad Fed.