Worst Advertising of 2010 Announced in Second-Annual Tracy Awards

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Tracys 2010 Winners

These awards serve as a reminder to ourselves, as well as our colleagues in the industry, that we should keep the bar high or at least mid-thigh.

Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) December 28, 2010

The most atrocious advertisements of 2010 have been named after a two-month nomination period for the second annual Tracy Awards (TheTracyAwards.com). This year’s winners include some newcomers, and some repeat offenders such as Oreo for “Best simultaneous destruction of the last shreds of dignity Shaq, Apollo Ohno, Serena Williams, and Eli Manning had left.” Other notable brands include Sizzler, Heineken, Summer’s Eve and State Farm.

The Tracy Awards were open for online nominations from September through mid-November 2010. Anyone could comment on the continuous postings of radio, print, online, television and collateral work from all over the US. Judges then selected the top 11 ads and created award categories to specifically describe each recipient for its own unique shame. The Tracy Awards will recognize the 11 winners by sending a plastic Tracy trophy to the CMOs of the various brands.

The full list of winners includes:

•     Best simultaneous destruction of the last shreds of dignity Shaq, Apollo Ohno, Serena Williams, and Eli Manning had left: Oreo – “Heads or Tails.”
•     Best use of Photoshop to sledge hammer home an already belabored point: Doubletree – “Double Tree Family.”
•     Best use of sentimentality to insult the collective intelligence of humanity: Foundation for a Better Life – “Sportsmanship.”
•     Best use of copywriting in a … billboard!¬: Sizzler – “How do you Sizzler?”
•     Best casual sexism since 1963: Summer’s Eve – “How to ask for a raise.”
•     Best sad attempt to out-Bud Light Bud Light: Heineken – “The Tube.”
•     Best use of heavy-handed hyperbole to erase all semblance of credibility: PCRM – “Consequences.”
•     Best use of forced diversity since every college ad ever: State Farm – “Dap.”
•     Best use of arrogance to remind us that cognac isn’t just for rich people and douche bags, but also for rich douche bags: Courvoisier – “You wish.”
•     Best use of a logo to make it look like your brand was invented in an airport bathroom: Gravity Defying Shoes – “Sperm Logo.”
•     Best use of child labor to write copy: Cold-EEZE – “Facebook Packaging Tie-in.”

“Every time I open my mail it seems as though there’s a new awards program recognizing something in our industry—like best use of a period at the end of a sentence,” said Tracy Crowell, owner and president of Crowell Advertising, Marketing & PR. “There are awards shows out there for everything, but bad ads. We saw this hole, and thought it needed to be filled. I mean think about all those poor creatives who put all that time and effort into the creation of their advertising atrocities. They need to be recognized, too, don’t they? And hey, before you get your hackles up, I know my own ad agency isn’t immune from missing the mark sometimes. These awards serve as a reminder to ourselves, as well as our colleagues in the industry, that we should keep the bar high or at least mid-thigh.”

For a complete list of Tracy Award winners, links to the ads and a descriptive elaboration revealing why each ad deserves an award visit http://www.thetracyawards.com.

About Crowell
Crowell Advertising & PR started 23 years ago and is one of Salt Lake City’s most respected, full-service agencies. In today’s economy it takes guts to be both different and successful – that’s Crowell. Crowell’s energetic team brings fresh ideas and results-driven approaches that simplify a client’s marketing plan into effective tactics. For more information visit http://www.crowelladvertising.com

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