Winners of the 2009 4A's O'Toole Awards for Creative Excellence were announced last night during a ceremony at the Nokia Theatre in New York City. The event, sponsored by Yahoo!, marked the first night of Advertising Week 2009. Winners were announced by Chuck Porter, Chairman, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, LLC, and Chair of the 4A’s Creative Committee, and Teressa Iezzi, Editor, Creativity magazine.

Top winners included: BBDO New York (Large Agency); BBH (Mid-Sized Agency); Barrie D’Rozario Murphy (Small Agency); Ogilvy North America (Public Service: National), McKinney (Public Service: Local); and VCU Brandcenter (Portfolio School, a new category). A complete list of winners can be found below.

Additionally, Clear Channel Communications awarded a total of $1 million in free advertising across the company’s radio, digital and outdoor platforms to the top winners in four categories―BBDO, BBH and Barrie D’Rozario Murphy each received $300,000, while Ogilvy North America, the top winner of the Public Service: National, received $100,000.

“I love the O’Tooles―they were probably the first national recognition we ever got when we were a finalist back in ‘91,” says Porter. “The changes this year are pretty dramatic. The award show is in New York during Advertising Week, right back in the heart of the business where it belongs. The judging is done online by agencies who have won in the past, rather than by a few people sitting in a room eating cookies. Also, a new trophy has been created that’s the biggest in the business―in every sense. What hasn’t changed is that the O’Toole’s are still the only awards that recognize an agency’s overall creative excellence, rather than just one campaign. One hot idea won’t win this award― you have to be very good, again and again and again.”

“It’s been a challenging year,” added Nancy Hill, President and CEO, 4A’s. “And sometimes we just need to kick back and celebrate what made us enter and endure in our industry. That’s what the O’Toole Awards embody―toughness, creativity and teamwork.”

The O’Toole Awards program is known as one of the toughest industry competitions because entry requires that an agency submits a body of work representing different brands. This year’s changes made the O’Toole Awards even more competitive.

Chuck Porter spearheaded several changes to the 2009 O’Toole program, starting with a redesigned trophy, which now officially makes the O’Toole Awards the biggest award in advertising (clocking in at almost 40 pounds). Previously limited to 4A’s member agencies, the award is now open to all agencies, including international. Judging was brought to a new, peer-to-peer level as agencies called upon their creatives to judge categories of non-competing size groups. The Public Service category was divided into two sub-categories― National and Local. Additionally, in recognition of the future of our industry, a new Portfolio School Category was introduced. The Portfolio School category adheres to one of the basic tenets of the O’Toole Awards, as proceeds of the awards are donated to the 4A’s Foundation, Inc. A primary goal of the Foundation is to award scholarships to multicultural students of the advertising arts.

The 2009 O'Toole Awards for Creative Excellence Winners

Large Agency Category
Winner: BBDO New York
Finalists: Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Leo Burnett Worldwide

Mid-Size Agency Category
Winner: BBH
Finalists: Carmichael Lynch, DDB West

Small Agency Category
Winner: Barrie D’Rozario Murphy
Finalists: Duncan/Channon, mono

Public Service: National
Winner: Ogilvy North America
Finalists: Casanova Pendrill, The Martin Agency

Public Service: Local
Winner: McKinney
Finalists: Cramer-Krasselt, Preston Kelly

Portfolio School
Winner: VCU Brandcenter
Finalists: School of Visual Arts, The Creative Circus

  Download Previous Years Winners

The 2009 O’Toole Awards for Creative Excellence Judging Agencies

About the O'Toole Awards
Established in 1991, the 4A’s O’Toole Awards for Creative Excellence competition is one of the most competitive and highly-regarded award programs in advertising. In order to win, an agency must submit an entire body of stellar work across several different clients. Its purpose is to recognize agencies that consistently set and maintain the very highest standards.

All proceeds go to the 4A's Foundation, Inc., which was established in 1997. A primary goal of the Foundation is to award scholarships to multicultural students of the advertising arts.

About the 4A's
The 4A's is the national trade association of the advertising agency business. The 1,175 member agency offices it serves in the U.S. employ 65,000 people; offer a wide range of marketing communications services, and place 80 percent of all national advertising. The management-oriented association helps its members build their businesses, and acts as the industry’s spokesperson with government, media, and the public sector. For more information, visit the 4A's Web site at www.aaaa.org.