This prestigious award was established by the National American Advertising Federal in 1959 to recognize the 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.
For many local clubs, like the SWVA club, awarding the AAF Silver Medal will be the highlight of the year. It enhances the image of advertising by recognizing a locally well-known person for their advertising and community involvement.
You can think of it as the Lifetime Achievement award for the advertising professionals in our region, honoring the career and commitment of one of the icons of our region. The award will be presented during the Southwest Virginia American Advertising Awards Gala annually.
The Silver Medal Award is the highest honor that a local club can bestow, and will certainly be a career highlight for the winner. It is not a popularity contest or a political thing, and the selection of the recipient is not taken lightly. You do not have to be a member of AAF SWVA to nominate someone or be a nominee for the award.
You probably already have someone in mind to nominate! Nominees could be an influential educator or mentor, a leader in your company, or anyone who meets the criteria below and has made a significant impact to the advertising profession during their career. If you could use a few brownie points, this might just do the trick!
Silver Medal recipients are selected by an independent panel of judges based on the following criteria:
- Contribution to His/Her Company – The recipient must have achieved success in one of the following areas of work: advertising agency, advertiser, media or advertising service.
- Creative Ability – The recipient must have shown a consistent, high degree of original thinking in their field.
- Contributions to the General Advancement of Advertising – The recipient must have worked to increase the stature and raise the standards of the advertising profession.
- Contributions to the Community – The recipient should be someone who has been active in civic, religious, or other groups dedicated to human or social welfare.
Nomination process:
To nominate someone for the Silver Medal Award, please complete the online form and answer several questions about the nominee. Nominations must be accompanied by a list of career highlights and samples of work.
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