Ocreations and The Pittsburgh Irish Festival Win AMA Award Two Years in a Row

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) December 16, 2011 -- The Pittsburgh Irish Festival campaign with graphics designed by ocreations won the 2011 Marketer of the Year Award for the Minority and Women Owned Businesses Category for the second year in a row. Hosted by the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA), the fifth annual Marketer of the Year celebration was held December 8 at LeMont with record attendance and awards were presented by Bill Flanagan, EVP of Corporate Relations for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.

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Ocreations and The Pittsburgh Irish Festival Win AMA Award Two Years in a Row

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As Pittsburgh’s only results-based marketing competition, over 100 entries were received for twelve categories and were judged by a panel of experts on the criteria of business problem/opportunity, objectives, strategy, tactics, and results. Ocreations’ award-winning design for the 21st Annual Pittsburgh Irish Festival was an Andy Warhol-inspired look with a modern, vibrant feel that was the cornerstone of the marketing and social media campaign run by the Irish Partnership, which organizes the Pittsburgh Irish Festival every year. Many channels of promotion were used including newspaper advertising, transit and outdoor promotion, direct mail, brochures, and television/radio spots to increase awareness and attendance.

This year, a strong social media push was added with a photo contest where people submitted photos taken with the transit signs. Entries were received from all over Pittsburgh and beyond and the Pittsburgh Irish Festival saw a 40% increase in their social media following as well as a 12% increase in direct mail response reaching all 50 states plus Canada and Ireland.

In addition, there were many requests for T-shirts and promotional materials with the 2011 campaign design. Ocreations was able to quickly respond to create commemorative posters which were signed by the festival’s entertainers and sold to patrons. “The number of compliments on the design and requests for posters and t-shirts we received spoke volumes to us in terms of the campaign’s success. Ocreations created more than a design—it became art,” said Nan Krushinski, Executive Director of the Irish Partnership and co-founder of the Pittsburgh Irish Festival.

In operation since 2007, ocreations is a full-service, cutting-edge design firm that provides high-end graphics and marketing solutions at affordable prices. Their capabilities range from business cards to billboards and they have successfully done branding and logo design, brochures, advertisements, web design, packaging, video, and event marketing. In addition to the two AMA awards, ocreations’ designs also recently won two national advertising awards from the Independent Free Papers Association and they were named 2010 Best Overall Agency sponsored by the Media Association of Pittsburgh.

Founder Shawn O’Mara has over 17 years experience in the design industry holding notable positions such as creative manager for Giant Eagle. He also is a full-time instructor at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and part-time instructor at Duquesne University. The ocreations team consists of his partner Jesse Mader, Art Director Jared Dieffenbach, and interactive contractor Dustin Lawson. Their client list has grown to include UPMC, Giant Eagle, Home Depot, eyetique, Pittsburgh Irish Festival, In Wheeling magazine, PittsburghWeddings.com, and others. More information can be found at www.ocreations.com.


Photo Caption: The ocreations team with Pittsburgh Irish Festival staff: Jesse Mader; Dustin Lawson; Mairin Petrone, Special Projects Director, Pittsburgh Irish Festival; Nan Krushinski, Executive Director, the Irish Partnership; Shawn O’Mara; and Jared Dieffenbach.

Contact: Shawn O’Mara
Cell: 412-759-3181
Email: somara@ocreations.com
www.ocreations.com

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More information can be found online at http://www.ocreations.com

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