Bell Ringer 2021 Award Winners

Professional Awards

Striker Award – Industry Newcomer:

Alex Villanueva

Account Manager, Ball Consulting Group

Ringer Award – Mid-level Practitioner:

Cait Kahle

Account Supervisor, Duffy & Shanley

John J. Molloy Crystal Bell for Lifetime Achievement:

Sharon F. Merrill

Chairman Emerita and Founder, Sharon Merrill Associates

Platinum Super Bell

For the first time, a tie for the ultimate award:

• Boston Ballet for Boston Ballet’s Digital Pivot: Dance Where You Are – COVID-19 Response Campaign
• John Hancock for Creative Virtual Summer Camp Gets Employees’ Children Learning and Having Fun – Corporate Culture/Internal Communications Campaign

Single-Item Entries

EVENTS:

Media Event

• Merit: Racepoint Global on behalf of Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America for Creating a Virtual Event Remotely During a Global Pandemic
• Bronze Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for “Ride the Ferry Day” Highlights the Need for Preserving Public Transportation on the South Shore

One-Time Special Event

• Merit: PRLab at Boston University for PRoBono: Apart But Connected
• Bronze Bell: Rhode Island Medical Imaging with Providence College for Rhode Island Medical Imaging and Providence College Basketball Stand Up to Cancer
• Silver Bell: Duffy & Shanley with Dunkin’ for Celebrating Iced Coffee Day

Special Event – Series

• Gold Bell: March Communications with Affectiva for Decoding a Book Tour When There’s No Bookstores

CONTENT MARKETING:

Paid Media

• Silver Bell: Duffy & Shanley for Pairing the “Best Colleges” with First-Class Student Loans

Podcast

• Merit: V2 Communications for Disrupting the Podcasting Space with ASG’s Digital Disrupted
• Bronze Bell: C+C for EthicalVoices
• Gold Bell: Duffy & Shanley for Introducing the Blue Economy Podcast Presented by Rhode Island: The Ocean State

Corporate/Agency Blog

• Bronze Bell: Duffy & Shanley with College Ave Student Loans for Making the First Impression Click
• Silver Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations with the Town of Brookline for Town of Brookline Streamlines Communications in Real Time During Pandemic Emergency
• Gold Bell: RDW Group for Positive Change in Action: Driving Impact Through Blog Strategy

Digital/Printed Collateral

• Merit: Hollywood Agency for Making the Best of a “Schitty” Year
• Bronze Bell: C+C with Kwik Lok for A Path Forward: Kwik Lok 2020 CSR Report
• Silver Bell: Harvard Medical School with Sametz Blackstone Associates for Pulse: Fall 2020 Donor Newsletter

Video – Single

• Merit: John Guilfoil Public Relations for Bedford, New Hampshire Police Department Shares Why They Chose to Serve

Video – Series

• Merit: John Guilfoil Public Relations for 5 Diamond Chef Moves into the Kitchen at Revolution Taproom & Grill
• Bronze Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for City of Gloucester Creates Multi-Lingual Video Campaign to Encourage Census Participation

Agency Citizenship or Pro Bono Work

• Merit: PRLab at Boston University for PRoBono: Apart But Connected
• Bronze Bell: Duffy & Shanley for Yes on 6: Arts + Preservation = Jobs
• Silver Bell: CK Communications Group for All in for Chelsea

MEDIA PLACEMENTS:

Television – Regional/Local

• Merit: John Guilfoil Public Relations for Rhode Island Police Chiefs Address Concerning Rise in Motor Vehicle Fatalities
• Bronze Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for JGPR & Burlington Police Showcase the Department’s 21st Century Training
• Silver Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for Off-Duty North Reading Police Sergeant Rescues Three People During Early Morning House Fire

Television – National

• Bronze Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for Somerset Officer Buying Holiday Dinner for Family After Shoplifting Sees Worldwide Acclaim
• Silver Bell: Solomon McCown & Cence with CIC Health for CBS Sunday Morning Reports that CIC Health is an Innovator in COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Logistics

Regional Media

• Merit: Porter Novelli and Pan-Mass Challenge for Driving Fundraising in Struggling Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Industry Through Local Media Coverage
• Bronze Bell: Boston Ballet for Boston Ballet Dances in the Streets
• Silver Bell: Racepoint Global on Behalf of eClinical Works for The Future of Medicine: Pandemic Virtual Care Spike Leads to New Vision of Healthcare in the U.S.

National Media

• Merit: Brodeur Partners forBringing FM Global’s Message of Resilience to a Business Audience
• Bronze Bell: Tier One Partners for Tier One Goes Full Throttle with Altair’s Customer Story on Rolls-Royce
• Silver Bell: Duffy & Shanley for Foster Grant and Sofia Vergara Team Up to Make Reading Glasses “Not Look Like a Granny”
• Gold Bell: Duffy & Shanley for “BJ’s, You’ve Done it Again!”

Vertical/Trade

• Bronze Bell: Solomon McCown & Cence with Perkins School for the Blind for Feature Story in NewzHook Highlights Perkins India & Global Reach of Perkins School for the Blind

Series of Media Placements

• Merit: V2 Communications for Cooper University Health Care Transforms the Patient Experience with Nuance AI
• Bronze Bell: V2 Communications for Emergency Communication and Public Safety Trust

Op-Ed

• Silver Bell: Hollywood Agency for in 2020, National Nurses Week Had a Whole New Meaning

Bylined Article

• Merit: Racepoint Global on behalf of Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America for Remote Learning Technology Prepares Pepperdine University for the Unpredictable
• Bronze Bell: Matter Communications for Corindus for Corindus Media Relations and a Major Byline Placement
• Silver Bell: Porter Novelli and L.L. Bean for L.L. Bean Inspires People to Experience the Power of Being Outdoors
• Gold Bell: Red Lorry Yellow Lorry for Making a Fortune with GameStop

Response to Breaking News

• Merit: V2 Communications for How Markforged Applied 3D Printing to Solve for Supply Shortages During the Height of the Pandemic
• Silver Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for Braintree Police Respond Following Shooting at South Shore Plaza Mall

Campaigns

INDUSTRY CAMPAIGNS:

Business-to-Business

• Merit: March Communications for Increasing Sophos Tier-One Coverage with Issues Response
• Bronze Bell: Racepoint Global on Behalf of Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America for Bets on Android with an All-Digital Approach
• Silver Bell (Tie): Red Lorry Yellow Lorry for Turning An Industry Leader Into an Industry Titan
• Silver Bell (Tie): Racepoint Global on behalf of MediaTek for The Not-So-Secret Ingredient of Chromebooks
• Gold Bell: SHIFT Communications for Vyv Wages War on Germs: Survey Report Catapults B2B Brand in Front of Partners & New Prospects

Consumer

• Merit: Tier One Partners for Born Digital: Ally Bank Welcomes 10,000+ Newborns Into The Digital Era With A Financial Head-start
• Bronze Bell: Matter Communications for CVS Pharmacy for Live Better by CVS Health: Successfully Launching a Brand While Facing Unprecedented Obstacles
• Silver Bell: Duffy & Shanley for Duffy & Shanley with College Ave Student Loans: Making the Grade in Student Loans
• Gold Bell: Allison+Partners with King Arthur Baking Company for King Arthur Baking Company: Making Baking the National Pastime

Government or Public Affairs

• Bronze Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations on behalf of the ConVal School District for its use of Multimedia to Help ConVal Schools Pass its Budget by a Razor Thin Margin
• Gold Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for the “Save the Greenbush-Save the Boat” Campaign to Preserve Public Transportation on the South Shore

Healthcare

• Merit (Tie): V2 Communications for Cutting Through the COVID-19 Confusion: Amplifying CarePort’s Pandemic Data to a Nation in Need
• Merit (Tie): March Communications with Lumeon for Re-imagining Care Delivery Through Technology

High-Tech

• Silver Bell: March Communications with Neurala for Manufacturing a Name for Neurala’s AI in the Industrial Space
• Bronze Bell: Allison+Partners with AFSP – American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for AFSP #RealConvo – May Mental Health Campaign
• Silver Bell: C+C with the Washington State Department of Health for Keeping Washington Safe

Hospitality/Travel/Entertainment

• Silver Bell: Adams & Knight, Inc. on behalf of The Connecticut Office of Tourism for Connecticut Pivots to Promote Tourism Businesses During and After Pandemic Shutdown

COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER-SPECIFIC CAMPAIGNS:

Nonprofit 

• Merit: CK Communications Group for Keep the Music Going
• Bronze Bell: CK Communications Group for The Boch Center Will Not Go Dark
• Silver Bell: Porter Novelli and Pan-Mass Challenge for Compelling Digital Storytelling and Interactive Content Drives Fundraising Amid Pandemic
• Gold Bell: Brodeur Partners for Changing Course: Transforming an Iconic Walk into a Virtual Event Amid a Pandemic

Cause Marketing

• Silver Bell: PRLab at Boston University with F*It Won’t Cut It for F*It Won’t Cut It: Boston University’s Student-Run Campaign that is Provocative With a Purpose

Corporate Social Responsibility

• Merit: Real Chemistry on behalf of Sunovion Pharmaceuticals for Inspiring the Next Generation of Innovators: Lead the Way to a Healthier World
• Bronze Bell: Seven Letter With A Day for Democracy for A Day for Democracy

Fundraising

• Merit: Dana Farber Cancer Institute for Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk
• Bronze Bell: Porter Novelli and Pan-Mass Challenge for Compelling Digital Storytelling and Interactive Content Drives Engagement Amid Pandemic

COVID-19 RELATED CAMPAIGNS:

COVID-19 Product or Service 

• Merit: Three Rings with Navisite for IT Services Firm Goes Goo Goo to Raise Funds for Boston-based COVID Charity
• Bronze Bell: SHIFT Communications for The Pandemic’s Frontline Workers You’ve Never Heard Of
• Silver Bell: Solomon McCown & Cence with Cic Health For Introducing Cic Health as an Innovator in Covid-19 Testing and Mass Vaccination Logistics
• Gold Bell and Super Bell Finalist: C+C with the Washington State Department of Health for COVID-19 WA Notify Service

COVID-19 Response

• Merit: John Hancock for You Are Essential. We are Grateful.
• Bronze Bell: Adams & Knight, Inc. on behalf of The Connecticut Office of Tourism for Connecticut Pivots to Promote Tourism Businesses During and After Pandemic Shutdown
• Silver Bell: Brodeur Partners for Changing Course: Transforming an Iconic Walk into a Virtual Event Amid a Pandemic
• Gold Bell and Super Bell Finalist: Boston Ballet for Boston Ballet’s Digital Pivot: Dance Where You Are

INFLUENCER CAMPAIGNS:

Mega Influencer Campaign:

• Gold Bell: Rinck Advertising for Dove Everyday Hero Lexy Burke Campaign

Unpaid Influencer Campaign:

• Merit: RDW Group for #CrushCovidRI Grassroots Influencer Campaign To Educate And Promote Community Mitigation Behaviors
• Bronze Bell: Hollywood Agency for The Purr-fect Unpaid Influencer Campaign
• Silver Bell: Next Step Communications On Behalf Of Fertility Focus for Understanding Ovulation And Empowering Women With Data On Their Fertility Journey
• Gold Bell: C+C with the Washington State Department of Health for COVID-19 WA Notify Service – Unpaid Influencer Campaign

MARKETING CAMPAIGNS:

Integrated Marketing Communications

• Merit: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute with Merge Media for I Am Jimmy
• Bronze Bell: Adams & Knight, Inc. on behalf of The Connecticut Office of Tourism for Connecticut Pivots to Promote Tourism Businesses During and After Pandemic Shutdown
• Silver Bell: March Communications for Helping Build a Secure Modern Workplace with Zix
• Gold Bell: RDW Group with Rhode Island Medical Imaging for Rhode Island Medical Imaging – October Breast Cancer Awareness

Content Marketing

• Bronze Bell: BackBay Communications on behalf of Fiduciary Trust Company for Fiduciary Trust Company: Guiding Clients Through the Pandemic
• Gold Bell: Duffy & Shanley for Duffy & Shanley with College Ave Student Loans: Making the First Impression Click

Business-to-Consumer Social Media

• Silver Bell: RDW Group with Rhode Island Medical Imaging for Rhode Island Medical Imaging Grows with Social Media
• Gold Bell and Super Bell Finalist: RDW Group with Ageless Innovation for Supporting Caregivers and Older Adults Through Social Media

“On a Shoestring”

• Merit: Image Professors for Community Impact Movement Lasagna Love Delivers Kindness When Needed Most
• Bronze Bell: Duffy & Shanley for Vote Yes on 3 and 5. It’s Overdue.

Agency Marketing 

• Merit: March Communications for rAIsing Awareness in AI

VISIBILITY CAMPAIGNS:

Brand Building or Re-Branding

• Merit: Mintz+Hoke on behalf of WellSpark for WellSpark Branding
• Bronze Bell: V2 Communications for Building a Backup Brand from the Bottom Up: GRAX

Executive Thought Leadership/Visibility

• Bronze Bell: Adam Ritchie Brand Direction for Invention in PR: Executive Thought Leadership Impacts a Generation of Pros
• Gold Bell and Super Bell Finalist: March Communications with Affectiva for Spoiler Alert: Leading Conversations on the Future of Tech and Leadership

SPECIALTY COMMUNICATIONS:

Superior Achievement in Research and Planning

• Bronze Bell: SHIFT Communications for Inmar Declares ‘Tis the Season for Stockpiling

Crisis Communications

• Merit: John Guilfoil Public Relations for Fairfield Police Department Apologizes After Euthanizing Dog Mistaken as a Coyote
• Bronze Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for Town of Norwood Successfully Manages Early Covid-19 Crises
• Silver Bell: Solomon McCown & Cence for Leading the City of Cambridge through the COVID-19 Crisis Communications Response
• Gold Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for RIPCA Twenty for 2020 Campaign Addresses Statewide Policing Standards and Practices

Investor/Financial Relations 

• Bronze Bell: InkHouse for Datto for A Lesson in Resilience: Going Public During A Pandemic
• Silver Bell: LaVoieHealthScience for Building Investor Visibility and Credibility, Post-IPO

Corporate Culture/Internal Communications

• Bronze Bell: March Communications with Retail Business Services for RBS Cares: Communicating Amid Crisis
• Silver Bell: Brodeur Partners for Creating a Culture of Wellness Amid a Pandemic
• Gold Bell and Super Bell Finalist: John Hancock for Creative Virtual Summer Camp Gets Employees’ Children Learning and Having Fun