Winners were announced at the Thoth Gala Luncheon on Friday, September 27, 2019 at The National Press Club.
Hall of Fame Inductee – Danny Selnick
Details of the 2019 Thoth winning entries are listed below. To find the winner in a particular category, just click on the category in the table below.
The American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union received the Best in Show award for their entry Farm Town Strong: Overcoming the Rural Opioid Epidemic.
The American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union joined forces to address the opioid epidemic that is increasingly affecting rural communities. Their Farm Town Strong campaign had a significant impact in promoting life-saving prevention and treatment information, reducing stigma and influencing public opinion about opioid addiction in rural America.
Research Award
The research award is judged by and presented annually by the Institute for Public Relations.
The 2019 winner is The American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union for their entry Farm Town Strong: Overcoming the Rural Opioid Epidemic.
The winner of this year’s IPR Research Award has demonstrated excellence in the use of research in developing an informed PR strategy and then evaluating the effectiveness of that strategy.
2019 Thoth Winning Entries
PR Agencies and Communication Teams
Large PR Agency of the Year
Crosby Marketing Communications
Crosby Communications develops integrated marketing communications programs that help their clients positively impact people’s lives by shaping attitudes, inspiring behavior change, and motivating action. Their work touches the lives of virtually everyone in America through programs for healthcare organizations, nonprofits and causes, government agencies, and businesses that believe in the power of doing good.
Government Communication Team of the Year
Virginia Department of Transportation, Northern Virignia District
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is responsible for building, maintaining and operating the state’s roads, bridges and tunnels. Virginia has the third-largest state-maintained highway system in the country, behind Texas and North Carolina.
Nonprofit Communication Team of the Year
National Apartment Association
The National Apartment Association serves as the leading voice and preeminent resource of the rental housing industry. As a federation of nearly 160 affiliates, NAA encompasses over 82,000 members representing more than 9.7 million apartment homes globally. NAA believes that rental housing is a valuable partner in every community.
Program Winners
Crisis Communications
Thoth Award
Howard University
#HowardMedicineMatters
In December 2018, Howard University launched an emergency campaign to challenge the D.C. Council’s Health Equity Bill to bring a new hospital to East End. As originally written, the bill excluded Howard’s medical students from training at the new hospital, jeopardizing 1,000 students currently training at Howard University Hospital.
Crisis Communications
Thoth Award
National Treasury Employees Union Public Relations Department
NTEU United: The Crisis of the Nation’s Longest Government Shutdown
NTEU represents federal workers. During the nation’s longest government shutdown how did we best serve our members in a crisis with an unknown end, how did we relate a dire situation to the American public and how are we continuing to advocate for the importance of the federal service?
Events and Observances (less than seven days)
Thoth Award
Medicines360 and JPA Health Communications
Amplifying the Voices of Women – From Dream to Plan
With access to contraception threatened daily, Medicines360 inspired women with information to keep them in control of their contraceptive options—and their lives. With the launch of #FromDreamToPlan on World Contraception Day, JPA engaged 700,000+ women across digital channels.
Events and Observances (less than seven days)
Thoth Award
The National Press Club and Vanguard Communications
The National Press Club’s Night Out for Austin Tice
To raise awareness of and generate more leads about the whereabouts of Austin Tice, a journalist believed to be held in Syria since 2012, the National Press Club asked restaurants to pledge a portion of their dinner revenue on May 2 for Night Out for Austin Tice.
Events and Observances (more than seven days)
Thoth Award
Avadel and JPA Health Communications
Nocturia Is Common, But it Isn’t Normal
Between 45-90M American adults suffer from nocturia, a virtually unknown medical condition which can elicit a devastating toll if left unchecked. In recognition of Bladder Health Month, The Nocturia Council, formed with 10 large advocacy partners by JPA Health, came together to educate 49M+ Americans on this distressing bladder condition.
Integrated Communications: Government
Thoth Award
Virginia Department of Transportation, Northern Virginia District
VDOT Northern Virginia’s Incident Management Open House
On Nov. 10, kicking off Federal Highway Administration’s National Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week, the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) Northern Virginia District hosted its second Incident Management Open House to show the coordinated effort between VDOT, local, state, federal, and private partners to clear incidents and keep Virginia moving.
Media Relations: Associations/Nonprofit Organizations
Thoth Award
The Leapfrog Group and JPA Health Communications
Patient Safety is Too Important to Be Ignored
Every year, too many patients are harmed by medical errors. The Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Grades (HSG) reports which hospitals have a sustained commitment to safety. Despite the noisy media environment with mid-term elections, JPA achieved market saturation for the fall 2018 HSG across 82 of 100 direct market areas.
Media Relations: Business
Thoth Award
Raffetto Herman Strategic Communications with McAfee
Securing Elections to Secure McAfee’s Position as Industry Leader
To secure McAfee’s reputation as an industry leader on election security among D.C. audiences, RH Strategic devised a plan to leverage McAfee’s free election security offering and executive expertise to elevate the brand.
Public Affairs
Thoth Award
Raffetto Herman Strategic Communications with Intel Corporation
Positioning Intel as a Champion of Comprehensive U.S. Privacy Legislation
To elevate Intel as a champion of comprehensive U.S. privacy legislation, RH Strategic devised a plan to leverage Global Privacy Officer David Hoffman’s model privacy legislation to generate visibility while positioning the company as a thought leader and a leader in privacy.
Public Service
Thoth Award
American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union
Farm Town Strong: Overcoming the Rural Opioid Epidemic
The American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union joined forces to address the opioid epidemic that is increasingly affecting rural communities. Their Farm Town Strong campaign had a significant impact in promoting life-saving prevention and treatment information, reducing stigma and influencing public opinion about opioid addiction in rural America.
Reputation/Brand Management
Thoth Award
Virginia Wine, Padilla, and Joe Smith
Bigger Than A Drink: Pouring New Life into the Virginia Wine Brand
Virginia is a wine region on the rise – but it also had an identity crisis, lacking a story that inspired key audiences. Virginia Wine and Padilla developed a new brand platform for the organization that rallied winemakers around a shared vision and amplified consumer enthusiasm and pride.
Integrated Communications: Associations/Nonprofit Organizations
Thoth Award
DAV (Disabled American Veterans) and Crosby Marketing Communications
Victories for Veterans Campaign
Every year, DAV (Disabled American Veterans) helps more than one million veterans get the benefits and support they earned through their service. In 2018, Crosby conducted “Victories for Veterans,” a national, integrated campaign that used multiple media channels to build awareness and support for DAV’s work.
Component Winners
External Video
Thoth Award
Virginia Wine, Padilla, and Joe Smith
Bigger Than a Drink: Using Video to Bring the Virginia Wine Brand to Life
Virginia is a wine region on the rise – but it also had an identity crisis, lacking a story that inspired key audiences. To bring the new brand identity to life, Virginia Wine and Padilla developed videos to rally winemakers around a shared vision and amplify consumer enthusiasm and pride.
Integrated Media Relations: Campaigns with a Budget Over $25,000
Thoth Award
American Psychological Association and Vanguard Communications
Meet the U.S.’ most stressed generation, Gen Z
The American Psychological Association and Vanguard Communications conceptualized an annual survey — Stress in America™ — to generate interest in APA’s Mind/Body Health public education campaign. The campaign focuses on the connection between mental and physical health, and to increase the understanding of the role psychologists play in addressing stress.
Integrated Media Relations: Campaigns with a Budget Under $25,000
Thoth Award
Virginia Department of Transportation, Northern Virginia District
VDOT Northern Virginia Snow Operations
In the D.C. metro region, a hint of winter weather can grind the region’s traffic to a halt. So it’s no surprise that among communicators at the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Northern Virginia District, snow is king.
Internal Video
Thoth Award
The Long & Foster Companies
Join Long & Foster Video Series
Long & Foster wanted another way to share their story with potential new agents, encouraging them to join our company. Using current agents’ perspectives on why they love working with Long & Foster, we created a video series to provide to managers for their online recruiting efforts.
Podcast/Webcast
Thoth Award
Eddy Alexander and Acuity, Inc.
Federal Leader’s Playbook Podcast
Acuity, Inc. and Eddy Alexander produced the Federal Leader’s Playbook podcast in Spring 2018. The 10-part show covered a variety of topics utilizing industry expertise and time-bending graphics to gain awareness of Acuity’s Business Service Management practice, resulting in Acuity’s team establishing themselves as subject matter experts around the Beltway.
Public Service Announcements
Thoth Award
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Crosby Marketing Communications
SAMHSA National Recovery Month PSAs
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration sponsors the annual National Recovery Month in September to increase understanding of mental and substance use disorders. In 2018, Crosby developed national television and radio PSAs to raise awareness and encourage those in need of treatment and recovery services to seek help.
Publications
Thoth Award
Virginia Wine, Padilla, and Joe Smith
Bigger Than a Drink: Bringing the Virginia Wine Story to Life
Virginia is a wine region on the rise – but it also had an identity crisis, lacking a story that inspired key audiences. Virginia Wine and Padilla developed an inspirational booklet that shared stories rather than data and rallied winemakers around a common vision and amplified consumer enthusiasm and pride.
Social Media
Thoth Award
Milestone Pharmaceuticals and JPA Health Communications
Outsmart PSVT
Nearly 2M Americans live with a common yet alarming heart condition called paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) that can occur anytime, anywhere. Milestone Pharmaceuticals and JPA Health launched the Outsmart PSVT social media campaign to empower more than 1.9M people to be informed partners in managing their heart health and care.
Website
Thoth Award
Pet Food Institute
Pet Food Institute Website
In 2018, the Pet Food Institute’s goal was to increase overall website traffic through both paid and unpaid strategies to help ensure its site was a go-to source for information on cat and dog food safety and nutrition for key audiences.
