ERIE, PA (April 7, 2008) — Along with taking home eight Gold ADDY® Awards—the most golds awarded to any agency—fishtank creative won an exclusive Judge’s Award at the 38th Annual Erie Advertising Club ADDY Awards on Friday, April 4 at the Concourse of Union Station.

The local full-service advertising agency received the Judge’s Award as well as a Gold ADDY in the category of Non-traditional Advertising for its creation of custom-designed, full-length elevator door graphics—part of an overall hand hygiene awareness campaign developed for Hamot Medical Center entitled: Spread the words. Not the Germs.

“The ad campaign has played a crucial role in our efforts to increase awareness of the importance of hand hygiene in the medical center,” said Emily McCracken, Hamot’s Director of Infection Control. “The diverse use of the ad materials has helped us reach almost everyone that would enter the facility with this critical message.”

Displayed prominently throughout the hospital, the campaign featured non-traditional advertising elements such as the full-length elevator door graphics as well as large hanging hallway banners and wall signage.

“Ultimately, our goal was to create a highly visible, highly memorable buzz campaign that would literally stop people in their tracks,” said Jamie Potosnak, fishtank creative account supervisor and creative director. “We wanted to continually educate as well as incite hospital patients, visitors and staff to comply with proper hand hygiene standards established by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.”

This year’s ADDY Judges were Jim Elkin, CEO, ADgility Solutions, Cincinnati, Ohio; Tom Moore, President, Moore and Associates, Cleveland, Ohio; and Sue Hough, Founder and Art Director, Octavo Designs, Frederick, Maryland.

According to Judge Tom Moore, he chose fishtank creative because of its unique approach to delivering such an important message to so many people. “Although I don’t typically get too excited about the proliferation of advertising media, the proliferation of germs is even worse.

“This elevator sign is just brilliant, I think it works in so many ways,” Moore added. “It’s just absolutely perfect—it’s pure genius. I’d talk about it more but I’ve got to go wash my hands.”

The ADDY Awards is the first of a three-tier, national competition conducted annually by the American Advertising Federation (AAF) that recognizes creative excellence in the field of advertising. The ADDYs are the advertising industry’s largest and most representative competition, attracting over 50,000 entries every year in local ADDY competitions.

fishtank creative, founded in 1990, is a full-service, Erie-based marketing, advertising and public relations resource powered by the Velocity Network with regional and national accounts. Its client roster includes: Hamot Medical Center, RAILPOWER, Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority, Erie Zoological Society, DAD’s Pet Care, Velocity Network, Erie Redevelopment Authority, Erie County Recycling Program and Ashtabula County Medical Center.