Beer and Silver Bowls: A Night at the Hatch Awards

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It’s a time of year that rivals Christmas.

The anticipation, the parties, the open bar: It’s awards season.

2015 Hatch AwardsLast night in Boston, the 55th Annual Hatch Awards celebrated this city’s best advertising work. From bronze to Best of Show, the advertising work submitted by Boston creative agencies was impressive. Big-name agencies and new kids on the advertising block both earned recognition. It was night that brought out Boston’s best.

The House of Blues, a stone’s throw from Fenway Park, was packed with industry movers and shakers. So packed that Kathy Kiely, president of The Ad Club, gently threatened to “shhh” the crowd. Her threat went up against steep competition: awards night excitement and a packed bar.

In the crowd’s defense, it’s hard to be quiet when the opening video features unicorns.

 

The Winning Themes

President Kiely made an astute observation: there’s lots in common between The Hatch Awards and Humor at the Hatch AwardsDraft Kings, the fantasy sports platform based in Boston. Like fantasy sports, winning at Hatch Award is a game of skill, not luck. If you win too much, everyone will question your strategies in the morning. And like your fantasy league, the glory of winning can’t be denied.

All joking aside, The Ad Club’s president shared some impressive facts:

  • There were 1,080 entries for categories ranging from Product Innovation to Packaging to Social Media.
  • 30 new agencies submitted entries, an important stat for the Boston community.

Two of those new agencies walked away with the Hatch’s distinctive bowl last night: Sleek Machine and Pilot.

Converse got a shout-out as the lead sponsor for the event. Overheard in the crowd: “Have you ever seen so many grown men wearing Chuck Taylor’s in one place?”

 

Best of Show

Best of Show Mullen Lowe
Visit the full recap of last night’s top winners too. In the meantime, we’ll cut to the chase and tell you who won Best of Show.

The judges called this project, “A simple, cool idea executed really well” and, “Brands have souls. This work adds high purpose to the brand.” Converse’s CMO Geoff Cottrill made the presentation with humor, noting, “Second place gets free Chuck Taylor’s. The winner gets a bowl.”

Who walked away with the biggest award bowl of them all last night? Mullen Lowe for JetBlue’s “Flying It Forward.” The concept is indeed simple yet triggers the right kind of emotional response. We’ll admit the TV spot made us tear up.

A Night to Remember

Take those Hatch Awards home!Boston’s creatives and account managers will gradually appear in the office today after a night of revelry, comparing notes and recalling who staged the best photo with their shiny new Hatch Award bowl. Then they’ll get to work on new Hatch-worthy projects for next year.

The Ad Club is the heartbeat of Boston’s advertising community and last night it showed. For 55 years, Boston’s best have gathered to recognize each other’s great work for brands big and small. This camaraderie and competition has fostered an industry in Boston that might often be overlooked.

Thanks to The Ad Club, and the occasional unicorn, Boston’s creative agencies are in the spotlight. Congratulations to all of last night’s winners!

Claire Wallace
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