The American Advertising Awards, home of the ADDY Award, is one of the industry’s largest creative competitions, with nearly 35,000 professional and student entries each year. The 2020 awards included three UCF students, McKenzie Estes, Gi-ting Chen, Ryan Pesch, and one 2004 alumna, Annika Matos.
The ADDYS originated in Florida in 1960 and became a three-tiered national competition in 1968. The awards serve to honor excellence in advertising and cultivate the highest standards in the industry. Local winners proceed to 15 regional competitions, and those winners, to the national finals.
McKenzie Estes won the following awards: A Gold ADDY for New Hope For Kids Annual Report, a Gold ADDY for Flavor Brand Campaign, a Best of Student Brand Identity for Flavor Brand Campaign, a Best of Student Design for New Hope For Kids Annual Report and a $500 scholarship.
Gi-ting Chen won a Gold ADDY for Gundam Beer by Mecha Biry.
Ryan Pesch won a Gold ADDY for Blackline Brewing.
Annika Matos ’04 won an ADDY award for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as their Senior Graphic Designer for a children’s video series called “Carmen Sandiego – Fearless Kids Around the World.” The video series featured international kids in different countries helping to spread the word of how they are helping their community. View the video series here.