Thoroughbred Racing Campaign Runs Away With the Gold at Cannes International Advertising Festival

Sole Gold Medal Award For Radio Ads Given To DeVito/Verdi For NTRA Commercials

NEW YORK, June 24 /PRNewswire/ — For the third time in five years, a thoroughbred raced home with a top lion at the prestigious International Advertising Festival in Cannes.

“And They’re Off,” the celebrated radio advertising campaign for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, was awarded the sole gold medal award yesterday by the judges at the 56th annual awards show known as the Cannes Lions. The campaign, created by the New York advertising agency DeVito/Verdi, won the gold “Lion” in 2005 and 2006, and three silver “Lions” last year.

The ads (heard here at www.devitoverdi.com) provide humorous vignettes of ill-fated leisure activities that pale in comparison to spending the day at a local thoroughbred-racing track. The spots utilize an excitable announcer who relays the increasingly dismal details of an everyday outing or event with the same brio as he would a thrilling horse race.

“Given the historic success this campaign has had since it was introduced six years ago, I think we’re going to continue to ride this horse because it keeps leading us to the winner’s circle,” said Ellis Verdi, president of DeVito/Verdi.

Since its debut, the NTRA campaign has garnered more than 30 national and international advertising awards for its creativity and effectiveness. Twice it has won the grand prize ($100,000) at the Radio Mercury Awards for best radio ad, and it has won the top award at the Clio, One Show and ADDY creative competitions.

It was also announced this week that the campaign won a Bronze World Medal at the recently held New York Festivals advertising awards show.

The four ads that comprise the most recent award-winning campaign focus on purportedly relaxing or fun-filled events that quickly spiral downward. One spot chronicles the travails of a father buying his family a puppy, another has a man making the wrong choice on the nightclub dance floor, a third presents a disastrous Oktoberfest outing, and a fourth commercial has a father receiving an unexpected heart-to-heart talk from his son.

The International Advertising Festival — Cannes Lions — is the largest gathering of worldwide advertising professionals and advertisers as well as the most prestigious annual advertising awards. More than 28,000 ads from all over the world are showcased and judged at the Festival.

About DeVito/Verdi

DeVito/Verdi, a privately held company, has been recognized as one of the most exceptional creative agencies in the industry. Its lengthy list of industry awards includes the top prizes at the Clios, Radio Mercury, Cannes, Andy, Addy and One Show award ceremonies.

DeVito/Verdi, which has been voted “Best Agency” six times over the last 12 years by the AAAA, has created some of the most memorable ad campaigns of the past 15 years. DeVito/Verdi strives for excellence and maintains a unique level of prestige within the advertising industry, as evidenced by its work for such clients as Meijer, The National Association of Broadcasters, Sony, Canon, BMW, Circuit City, Daffy’s, Esquire Magazine, Men’s Wearhouse, TimeOut Magazine, Grey Goose Vodka, SteinMart, Reebok, Massachusetts General Hospital, Hotwire.com, Office Depot, Legal Sea Foods, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Pepsi/SOBE, Corazon Tequila, Empire Kosher Chicken, Acura, CarMax, Sports Authority and others. For more information on DeVito/Verdi, visit www.devitoverdi.com.

SOURCE DeVito/Verdi