Ethanol industry campaigns targeting the general public and Congress have won top awards from Region II of the National Agri-Marketing Association, which covers the west central part of the country from Montana to Texas.

First place honors for “Television Ad Series” and “Best in Show” from the NAMA Region II went to a national TV advertising campaign for ethanol producer POET. The campaign includes three ads, each representing a different aspect of ethanol production. A farmer, a scientist and a plant manager recite free-verse poetry explaining their role in helping solve the nation’s fuel crisis. The campaign ran on Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC, CNN and HLN. The ads, which can be seen on POET’s website, were designed by 3 Advertising out of Albuquerque, N.M. POET’s website, which was also designed by 3 Advertising, won first place in the Internet Website category.

In the same region, the national advertising campaign “Facts” by Growth Energy won a First Place award for outdoor creative. The Facts ad campaign launched in April and ran through the fall, with nearly $3 million invested on national TV, on-line, traditional print, and outdoor ads. The outdoor creative segment of the campaign was Growth Energy’s “station domination” at the Washington, DC, Capitol South Metro station – the closest stop to the U.S. Capitol and the offices of the House of Representatives – which included 45 large-scale floor mats, pylon wraps, wall graphics and banners. The campaign also won a Merit Award in the multi-media category, for how the creative was used on national TV, on-line, and in traditional print and broadcast, as well as outdoor. The TV spots can be viewed on Growth Energy’s website.

The submissions now advance to the Best of NAMA National Awards in Kansas City in April.