NEWS RELEASE
Sept. 15, 2009
ABA Media Contact: Carol Kaplan       
(202) 663-5471
E-mail: ckaplan@aba.com

FINANCIAL MARKETING AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Bank Marketing's Most Coveted Award Handed out in San Antonio, Texas

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The best bank advertising and marketing campaigns from across the U.S. were recognized in San Antonio, Texas at the American Bankers Association's 2009 Financial Marketing Awards ceremony.  Established in 1972, the ABA Financial Marketing Awards recognize bank marketing professionals and their agencies for creative excellence based on bank asset size. 

This year's Financial Marketing Excellence Award winner, Norway Savings Bank, a $920 million mutual banking institution headquartered in Norway, Maine, was recognized for its "Colorful Solutions" campaign.  The campaign -- a series of "colorful" advertisements targeting Norway's small business customers -- includes six television and six print ads.  Each small business customer represented a color throughout the campaign, creating a consistent point of view throughout all campaign collateral.

A panel of financial services marketers and advertising professionals around the country judged entries based on execution of the communications strategy, message and positioning, as well as the campaign's overall results.

Entries were divided into 6 categories including annual report, brand, customer acquisition and retention, financial education, humor, and impact.

Each category was judged in four asset levels: under $500 million, $500 million-$1 billion, $1 billion-$5 billion and more than $5 billion.   Financial institutions including banks, savings and loans, insurance companies, brokerage firms, investment firms, credit card companies  and their advertising agencies submitted entries.

Awards were presented to the following winners:

Financial Marketing Excellence Award (Winner)

  • Norway Savings Bank
    Norway, ME
    Agency: Leslie Evans Design Associates
    Asset Size: $500 million to $1 billion

Financial Marketing Excellence Award (Runner-Up)

  • Chemical Bank
    Midland, MI
    Agency: Gravity Six
    Asset Size: $500 million to $1 billion

Marketers' Choice Award

  • State Bank of Countryside
    Countryside, IL
    Asset Size: $500 million to $1 billion

Spotlight Award

  • Alpine Bank & Trust Co.
    Rockford, IL
    Asset Size: $500 million to $1 billion

Annual Report

(Under $500 million)

  • 1st Place
    Foundations Bank
    Pewaukee, WI

  • Runner Up
    Seaside National Bank and Trust
    Orlando, FL
    Agency: M Design Group

($500 million to $1 billion)

  • 1st Place
    Bank First National
    Manitowoc, WI
    Agency: Hoppman Group

  • Runner Up
    MidSouth Bank
    Lafayette, LA
    Agency: Pennebaker

($1 billion to $5 billion)

  • 1st Place
    Bankers Trust Company NA
    Des Moines, IA
    Agency: Love Scott & Associates

  • Runner Up
    Bank Iowa Corporation
    West Des Moines, IA

(Over $5 billion)

  • 1st Place
    UMB Bank, NA
    Kansas City, MO
    Agency: Genesis

  • Runner Up
    Key Bank
    Cleveland, OH
    Agency: Adcom Communications

Brand Awards

(Under $500 million)

  • 1st Place
    Alliance Bank
    Francesville, IN
    Agency: Marketing-Made-Easy

  • Runner Up
    Planters Bank
    Hopkinsville, Kentucky
    Agency: BLF Marketing

($500 million to $1 billion)

  • 1st Place
    Norway Savings Bank
    Norway, ME
    Agency: Leslie Evans Design Associates

  • Runner Up
    Montecito Bank & Trust
    Santa Barbara, CA
    Agency: Kosaka Design

($1 billion to $5 billion)

  • 1st Place
    Chemical Bank
    Midland, MI
    Agency: Gravity Six

  • Runner Up
    Beneficial Bank
    Philadelphia, PA
    Agency: LevLane Advertising

(Over $5 billion)

  • 1st Place
    TIAA-CREF
    Charlotte, NC
    Agency: Purple@Epsilon

  • Runner Up:
    National City
    Cleveland, OH
    Agency: BrandPartners

Customer Acquisition and Retention

(Under $500 million)

  • 1st Place
    Seaside National Bank & Trust
    Orlando, FL
    Agency: M Design Group

  • Runner Up
    Ledyard National
    Hanover, NH
    Agency: Collage Advertising/Design

($500 million to $1 billion)

  • 1st Place
    National Bank & Trust Co.
    Sycamore, IL

  • Runner Up
    CommunityBank of Texas, NA
    Beaumont, TX
    Agency: The Lee Group

($1 billion to $5 billion)

  • 1st Place
    Liberty Bank
    Middletown, CT
    Agency: Cronin & Company, LLC

  • Runner Up
    Southern Community Bank and Trust
    Winston Salem, NC
    Agency: The Bloom Agency

(Over $5 billion)

  • 1st Place
    Umpqua Bank
    Portland, OR

  • Runner Up
    First National Bank of PA
    Hermitage, PA
    Agency:  Adcom Communications

Financial Education

(Under $500 million)

  • 1st Place
    First American Bank
    Norman, OK

  • Runner Up
    DNA Creative
    Huntington, NY

($500 million to $1 billion)

  • 1st Place
    Foster Bank
    Chicago, IL

  • Runner Up
    Pioneer Financial Services
    Kansas City, Missouri

($1 billion to $5 billion)

  • 1st Place
    Anchor Bank
    Madison, WI

  • Runner Up
    Salem Five Bank
    Salem, MA

(Over $5 billion)

  • 1st Place
    Associated Bank
    Green Bay, WI
    Agency: Priority Results

  • Runner Up
    Bank of North Georgia
    Alpharetta, GA
    Agency: Frederick Swanston

Humor

(Under $500 million)

  • 1st Place
    First National Bank of Bemidji
    Bemidji, MN
    Agency: Bank Marketing and Advertising Inc – Colleen Petroff

  • Runner Up
    NewportFed
    Newport, RI
    Agency: McDougall & Duval Advertising

($500 million to $1 billion)

  • 1st Place
    FirstBank
    Lakewood CO
    Agency: TDA

  • Runner Up:
    Bank of Guam
    Hagatna, Guam

($1 billion to $5 billion)

  • 1st Place
    Broadway Bank
    San Antonio  TX
    Agency: The Lee Group

  • Runner Up:
    Union Bank & Trust Company
    Lincoln, NE

(Over $5 billion)

  • 1st Place
    FirstMerit Bank
    Akron, OH
    Agency: Barnes Design Group, LLC

Impact

(Under $500 million)

  • 1st Place
    Ohio Valley Financial Group
    Henderson, KY
    Agency: Financial Marketing Solutions

  • Runner Up
    Framingham Co-operative Bank
    Framingham, MA
    Agency: Sundin Associates

($500 million to $1 billion)

  • 1st Place
    First Federal Bank
    Port Angeles, WA
    Agency: Financial Marketing Solutions

  • Runner Up
    FirstBank
    Lakewood CO
    Agency: TDA

($1 billion to $5 billion)

  • 1st Place
    StellarOne Corporation
    Charlottesville, VA
    Agency: Mills Financial Marketing

  • Runner Up:
    Home Savings & Loan Co.
    Youngstown, OH

(Over $5 billion)

  • 1st Place
    Doral Bank
    San Juan, Puerto Rico

  • Runner Up
    ING Direct
    Wilmington, DE

The American Bankers Association brings together banks of all sizes and charters into one association. ABA works to enhance the competitiveness of the nation's banking industry and strengthen America's economy and communities. Its members – the majority of which are banks with less than $125 million in assets – represent over 95 percent of the industry's $13.3 trillion in assets and employ over 2 million men and women.  

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