Winners Announced April 23rd

11th Annual Webby Awards Unveil Winners in 14 New Categories

Contact:
Gita Chandra, gita@mkpr.com
Patrick Kowalczyk, patrick@mkpr.com
MKPR, 212.627.8098

11th ANNUAL WEBBY AWARDS UNVEIL WINNERS IN 14 NEW CATEGORIES

HONORING INTERACTIVE ADVERTISING

Several Interactive Agencies Score Multiple Wins

www.webbyawards.com

New York, NY (May 1, 2007) — For the first time in its 11-year history, The Webby Awards today unveiled winners in 14 new categories honoring interactive advertising.

Reflecting the influential role that advertising and interactive agencies play in setting the benchmarks for Internet innovation, several agencies scored multiple wins in both traditional Website categories and the new interactive advertising categories, including Tribal DDB (6), Farfar (4), R/GA (4), Crispin, Porter + Bogusky (3), Euro RSCG (3), Forsman & Bodenfors (3), Goodby, Silverstein & Partners (3), McCann (3), Saatchi & Saatchi LA (2), and Ogilvy (2).

In addition, over 400,000 votes were cast by the advertising community and general public in The Webby People’s Voice Awards presented by Verizon. A full list of both Webby Awards and People’s Voice Awards winners can be viewed at www.webbyawards.com.

The winners will be honored at a star-studded ceremony on June 5th in New York City. Hosted by comedian Rob Corddry (“The Winner”, “The Daily Show”), the ceremony will showcase winners delivering the Webbys’ famous five-word speeches. The agencies will be saluted alongside a remarkable slate of special achievement honorees, including rock legend David Bowie (Lifetime Achievement), the eBay community and CEO Meg Whitman (Lifetime Achievement), and YouTube co-founders Steve Chen and Chad Hurley (Person of the Year).

Hailed as the “OSCARS® of the Internet” by the New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring Websites, online film and video, interactive advertising, and mobile content.

The new advertising categories were judged by a panel of more than 50 advertising leaders, including AKQA’s Lars Bastholm, Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s Jeff Benjamin, R/GA’s Bob Greenberg, Tribal DDB’s Matt Freeman, and Ogilvy & Mather’s Annie Wong.

“It’s really exciting to see how interactive agencies are advancing innovation online and pushing the envelope for the entire medium,” said David-Michel Davies, Executive Director of The Webby Awards. “The degree of creativity and inventiveness on display among the winners is remarkable.”

Other highlights of The 11th Annual Webby Awards include:

  • Winners in the 14 new interactive advertising categories range from powerhouses like R/GA’s “Avaya Snapshots” and Crispin’s “VW Blank like a Rabbit,” to independents like Varitalk’s “Snakes on a Plane,” McCann Worldgroup/Mekanism’s “Clearification” for Windows Vista, and AgenciaClick’s “Wheelchair.”
  • People’s Voice winners in the new interactive categories include 15 letters inc, which won for both “When the Hulk Attacks” and “ESPN 360 Sports Bar,” and Juxt Interactive’s “Coca Cola Pinball,” and “The World Vision’s AIDS Experience.”
  • Of the big four advertising holding companies, Omnicom is the frontrunner with 12 awards, followed by Interpublic (5), Publicis (2), and WPP (2).
  • Winners of The 11th Annual Webby Awards hail from around the world, including United Kingdom, Sweden, The Netherlands, Singapore, Brazil, Italy, Austrailia, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea.

For information on winners in other Webby categories, including Websites and online film and video, visit http://www.webbyawards.com/press/press-release.php?id=130.

About The Webby Awards:
Hailed as the “OSCARS® of the Internet” by the New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Web sites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile web sites. Established in 1996, the 11th Annual Webby Awards received a record 8,000 entries from all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide. The Webby Awards is presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: Adobe; The Creative Group; Verizon; AOL Video; dotMobi; The Barbarian Group; CondéNast|CondéNet; Level3; Adweek; Fortune; Reuters; Variety; Wired; IDG: Brightcove; PricewaterhouseCoopers; 2advanced.Net; KobeMail and Museum of the Moving Image.

OSCAR® is a federally registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Webby Awards and the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences are in no way affiliated with or sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences or OSCAR®.

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