semaphore | esources | december 2006

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Decemberr 2006

Feature

Semaphore's Favorite Work of 2006
What was your favorite Semaphore piece from 2006 and why?

Cynthia Gilliam, President
"My favorite from the past year is South Carolina State's ad in S.C. Business. I sense that the image of the human brain stops the eye moving across the page and demands the attention of the reader. Add to that the fact that the copy is very brief and the contact points are easily accessible and you have an ad that does a good job of communicating a lot in a small space."

Andrew Folks, Associate Account Executive
"I love the new brand we created for Laurens County Development Corporation. It is simple and denotes acceleration - which fits nicely with the tag we've been using for them: 'Laurens County... Accelerating Industrial Progress.' I also like the intense colors. You have to look at it and that's what we want."

Kathy Shuler, Senior Art Director
"I like the pieces and logo we have developed for Seaside Bank. It has a warmer feel than most bank materials. We are in the process of developing a brand and an image for this new bank in Orlando. I also like the Green Power newsletter we do for Santee Cooper each quarter. But I kind of like frogs! The green tree frog is becoming the program's mascot."

Kevin Shelton, Web Business Manager
"I really like the Seaside Bank website. It just launched in mid-December. The Seaside website is something different than what we've done before - a bank! It's clean, simple, and ties in nicely with the print materials we've done for them."

Robbie Robertson, Senior Copywriter
"My favorite piece from 2006 is the Historic Columbia 2007 calendar. I love the use of historic postcards and the very tasteful feel of the entire piece."

Pam Jones, Graphic Designer
"I think my favorite project was the Tri-County employee newsletter. The client was organized and the project moved along at a good pace. It was fun to start a quarterly project from scratch and create a look and feel for the company employees. I think that it is probably great for employee morale. I encourage them to take photos at all events. People enjoy hearing news about others that they know. Also, everyone is proud to see their child or spouse mentioned for doing something special. It is a small company so everyone probably knows each other. It's an enjoyable project."

Todd Hudak, Writer/Strategist
"My favorite piece was a print ad from the 'Value of Electricity' campaign done for our electric cooperative clients. It depicts a newborn baby in a ventilator and illustrates how electricity can literally save lives. I am a sucker for babies to begin with, and this ad really caught my attention and made me think."

Roc Jackson, Creative Director
"My favorite Semaphore piece of 2006 is the agency holiday card that Robbie and I created. It was one of those times when the image and the message came together in a cool way. The main visual on the front is that of a slightly deranged-looking Santa holding up a sign where we superimposed the message: 'The end is near!...2006.' On the back the headline read simply: 'So is the beginning!...2007.' I like it because it uses humor to deliver the real message: hope."

Suzanne Elhosary, Client Services
"My favorite is a set of invitations that Roc created for the SC State Chamber of Commerce. The visuals are wonderfully evocative of the different areas of the state and the ingenious format reminds me of a children's pop-up book. I'm also proud of the fact that this was one of the many pro-bono projects that Semaphore provided to various worthy organizations during 2006."

Semaphore News

Semaphore Meets Unique Challenge for The Salvation Army
In the late fall, The Salvation Army of the South Carolina Midlands asked Semaphore for help with a special challenge; turning a photograph of an angel into a work of art in 3 business days. Semaphore Senior Art Director Kathy Shuler went to work running the photo through a series of filters using graphics software. The results were amazing. "Semaphore took a digital photo and made it unique," said Salvation Army Captain Ethan Frizzell. "With Semaphore's creativity, we now have a true piece of art we can share with our donors and clients. Our angel print is appearing on hundreds of thank-you and honorarium cards. We have used prints of the piece as gifts. Our hats are off to Semaphore for their good work."

Congratulations to 2 Semaphore Staff Members!!
Web Business Manager Kevin Shelton and his wife Anne welcomed a daughter, Lily Margaret, in September. Graphic Designer Pam Thomas married Dr. Chris Jones in November. Please join us as we extend our very best wishes to both families in the new year.

Office Closings
Semaphore will be closed for the holiday season from December 22-January 1. We will reopen for business on Tuesday, January 2nd at 8:15am.

Semaphore Wins Two Wallie Awards
Semaphore recently picked up two Wallie Awards at the annual fall conference of the Carolinas Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing Society (CHPRMS). Semaphore received a Gold Wallie for Laurens County Healthcare System's orthopedic direct mailer and a Silver Wallie for LCHS's orthopedic billboard campaign.

The Wallie Awards are given annually at the CHPRMS fall conference to recognize excellence in healthcare public relations and marketing throughout North and South Carolina. This year, 439 entries were submitted, competing in more than a dozen categories. The entries were judged by the Tennessee and Florida Societies for Healthcare Marketing and Public Relations. Judges scored the entries on creativity, quality and appropriateness of materials as well as achievement of objectives and measurement of results. Congratulations to co-creative directors Roc Jackson and Robbie Robertson and to Laurens County Healthcare System's Jamie Adair for their award-winning effort!

Historic Columbia 2007 Calendar on Sale
Historic Columbia Foundation is helping you ring in the new year with a look back in time. In its 2007 calendar designed by Semaphore, HCF features classic postcard images that highlight some of Columbia lost treasures (the Colonia Hotel, Columbia College's Old Main building), historic views of Main Street, as well as some of the capital city's remaining landmarks (Trinity Cathedral graveyard, the Seibels House and the Woodrow Wilson Boyhood Home).

The calendar was designed to remind residents of the importance of historic preservation in addition to showcasing the important landmarks that still remain in downtown Columbia. The calendars make a perfect holiday gift for anyone who treasures Columbia's past and are on sale for $10 at the Historic Columbia museum shop, located on the grounds of the Robert Mills House, 1616 Blanding Street. Museum shop hours are Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am - 4 pm and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Please call the Historic Columbia Foundation at 252-7742 for more information.