Congratulations to the 2021 Bell Ringer Award Winners

Congratulations to the 2021 Bell Ringer Award Winners

What a year! The PR Club and its members have continued to drive forward while adapting and innovating in a challenging time.This was evident in the incredible work honored at yesterday’s Bell Ringer Award ceremony. 

Though this year’s celebration was the club’s 53rd Bell Ringer Award event, we had several firsts:

  • A hybrid award ceremony where we honored the single-item winners throughout the day via social media, and the campaign and professional award winners during a video event hosted by Justin Joseph, a professor at Boston University. 
  • New COVID-19-related campaign categories to raise awareness of the communication challenge of responding to the pandemic, as well as ensuring stakeholders know about important products and services.
  • Not one, but TWO Platinum Super Bell winners. Our elite Super Bell judging panel felt strongly that two campaigns deserved the honor given their excellence in each of their categories. 
  • A winner’s gallery is now available so you can get a closer look at this year’s winning entries and the incredible amount of work that went into every initiative, campaign, and media placement. You can also click here to see a printable full winner’s list.
  • Commemorative PR Club branded champagne flutes are available to help you mark the occasion (in sets of 12; select “create submission” to place your order). And if you want the recipe to make the 2021 Bell Ringer Award signature cocktail, click here.

We couldn’t have done this all without our distinguished judges, presenters and supporters, particularly Talkwalker and BusinessWire, – without whom an award ceremony (of any kind) would not be possible. We are also grateful toWorld Trophies, Charles River Media Group, Lunchpail Productions, Pretty Instant, Meltwater, Boston University College of Communication, D.S. Simon Mediaand JTC Printing for their continued ongoing support of the PR Club. 

For our winners, we have a package of promotional elements you can use to share the good news. In addition, we’ll let the winners know when their awards and certificates are out for delivery. 

Finally, we’d love your thoughts on the digital awards ceremony, so please consider taking this brief survey.

Now, without further ado, congratulations to the 53rd Annual Bell Ringer Awards winners (for a printable list, click here).

Professional Awards

Striker Award – Industry Newcomer:

Alex Villanueva, Account Manager, Ball Consulting Group

Ringer Award – Mid-level Practitioner:

Cait Kahlem 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