ADDY Awards 2023: The Pièces de Résistance

At the 2023 American Advertising Awards (ADDY) Gala, 19 Pensacola Christian College students were recognized and rewarded for creativity and excellence in advertising art. These graphic designers and studio artists submitted pieces to a panel of local judges, and winning entries have the potential to advance to district and national levels. “The American Advertising Federation (AAF) is a recognized national organization,” said Miss Abigail Emtage, visual arts faculty member. “Even if a potential client or employer is from across the country, they should still recognize and respect the award.”

This year’s PCC graduate and undergraduate students earned 6 Gold awards for designs portraying the highest creative excellence and 16 Silver awards for outstanding entries. The most impressive creations earned two of only three Judge’s Choice awards, and the top entry won Student Best of Show.

Designing What They Love  

Students chose their favorite or strongest pieces to be reviewed and were thrilled with their recognition. Senior Mia Griffin’s Eagle Books logo design was inspired by her hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada. She based her brand out of Utah and incorporated a color palette inspired by Zion National Park nature hikes. “Designing logos is what I love to do most in graphic design,” Mia explained, grateful for winning Silver. “I am overjoyed to have recognition for something I worked hard to present in an aesthetic and professional way.”

Johanan Cartwright (Graduate Assistant) earned two Gold awards for two fictional brand identity designs—Yonder, a U.S. road trip travel agency, and Folk Allure, a fantasy-themed skincare brand. His entries were also awarded Judge’s Choice and Best of Show respectively. “I was shocked when they read my name” for the additional awards, he shared. As an international student from the Bahamas, Johanan never thought he’d be able to travel the U.S. as much as he has with friends and his in-laws. “I really wanted to design a brand that helped others see the small towns, mom-and-pop shops, and backroads that make up much of America,” he said about his inspiration for Yonder. “For Folk Allure, I got inspired by some of the classics/folk tales I’ve heard and from being out in nature observing God’s creation.”

The Silver award Abigail Smith (Sr., NC) earned encouraged her in her college career. A local frozen yogurt shop in Pensacola, Wild Honey, inspired her Yogurt Tundra branding. Abigail submitted her piece as a class requirement and was honored to be rewarded for her hard work. “I chose this piece because blood, sweat, and literal tears went into its making, and I feel so proud of what I had accomplished and the obstacles I had overcome,” she explained. “To see this piece recognized as worthy of an award felt like the pièce de résistance.”

Looking to a Promising Future

Receiving an award from a prestigious organization motivated the winners to envision what their future could look like. Kathy Sumardi (Sr., Indonesia) received one Gold and two Silver awards for her Rocket Tonic designs. “I’m truly happy and grateful for the opportunity to be able to receive some awards for my work,” she expressed. “I’m very thankful for what God has brought me [through during] my college journey and to see the growth God has [brought] me through.” Used to getting critiqued by her peers in class, Kathy found that getting positive feedback from the judges at such an amazing and prestigious event was “unbelievable and on another level.”

Sydney Smith (Sr., MI), wanted to design something that could be used to help people. Looking to current events, she chose to redesign the Lakeshore Pregnancy Center website for her project, earning Silver at the ceremony. “It felt so good to receive that ADDY and to know that the education I’m getting is competitive with other schools in the area,” said Sydney. “Honestly, my favorite thing about seeing the piece I created on the screen at the ADDYs was knowing that, for a brief moment, other people were seeing the message of the piece I had created.”

Winning a Silver for her Space Bagels logo, Abigail Chiaradia (Sr., WA) felt that this piece was her strongest from last semester and a good representation of what God taught her. “I feel very blessed to have learned so much from my teachers at PCC to be able to enter and win an award in a design competition,” she said. “God gets all the glory, and I feel like I get to take the next steps He has for me with some extra confidence that, yes, I can do what I feel He’s called me to do.”

By being formally recognized with an ADDY award, these winners can pursue their professional career with confidence. Mr. Greg Hewitt, chair of visual arts, is thankful for the opportunity and encouragement the competition provides. “I’ve seen students grow in their confidence as a direct result of competing and winning an award—in a way that’s different than earning an ‘A’ on a project in class,” he said. “Having professional ‘validation’ brings a special weight to their work when it’s recognized.”

“It feels amazing!” said Blake Soregei (Sr., NE), who earned Silver for a website design that shared the Romans Road. “I’m looking into a career in web design, and this award gave me a sense of validation that I can make a career out of what I enjoy doing.”

Congratulations to each student on their well-deserved awards!