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# AAF DC celebrates “creativity and innovation” at 2023 American Advertising Awards
- URL: https://capitolcommunicator.com/aaf-dc-holds-celebration-of-creativity-and-innovation-at-2023-american-advertising-awards-on-march-9/
- Published: 2023-03-13T15:44:57.000Z
- Updated: 2023-03-15T14:09:10.000Z
- Author: Capitol Communicator
- Tags: Advertising, Awards, #wp-top-center-sponsored, #Import 2026-10-08 18:53

**AAF DC held its 2023 American Advertising Awards on March 9 at The Hamilton in D.C.**  It was described as “a celebration of creativity and innovation within the DC advertising community.” The event featured cocktails, networking and the awards ceremony.

AAF DC provided the following information related to the awards.

**Entries:**

- They had 250 entries (a 15% increase over last year and the first time in over 8 years numbers went up and not down)
- Those came from 39 entrants
- Most popular entry category was Cross Platform-Integrated Marketing
- They only had ONE print ad entry! And it didn’t win anything.
- There were 12 broadcast tv entries and 4 radio entries. Definitely seeing a big shift toward all things online marketing or integrated.
- Maybe people are saving awards budgets and just throwing everything into one entry instead of entering a piece in each of tv, radio, outdoor etc
- Considering D.C. is often referred to as a political town, they had no entries in any of the political categories, even in a mid-term election year. AAF had added political specific categories a few years back.

**Gala:**

- They had 175 attendees to the Gala (also about a 15% increase in attendance over last year)
- Host was **Dr. Sheila Brooks** from SRB Communications
- Sponsors were:
  - Platinum: GreeneGroup and Yes&
  - Gold: Artemis Ward
  - Silver: iHeart Media
  - Bar: Basis Technologies
  - Welcome Sponsor: Undertone
  - In-Kind: International Spy Museum, January Third, Capitol Communicator, CSI Printing, Peraton
- January Third set up old analog TVs where people could see themselves on multiple screen and adjust the frequencies and just make a cool fun video.

**Awards:**

- They gave out 53 awards — 14 gold and 39 silver
- They gave out 6 Best Of’s and 3 Special Judges Awards

**Misc:**

- The campaign creative for call for entries and the gala was done by January Third. They created over 100 individual pieces for the campaign

**Winners:** [**For the Complete List of Winners, Click Here**](https://aafdcawards.com/winnerlist?ref=capitolcommunicator.com)

**Best of Show:**

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/16/5016dd29-aeff-4565-a68b-cdbb78bc58e6/content/images/2026/10/ADDY-Cadse.png)

- Entrant: Cade Martin
- Title: International Spy Museum
- Client: International Spy Museum
- Category: Elements of Advertising > Still Photography > Black & White/Color/ Digitally Enhanced—Campaign

**Best of Film/Video/Sound:**

- **Best of Public Service:**
    - Entrant: Subject Matter
    - Title: Freight Rail Works
    - Client: Association of America Railroads
    - Category: Film, Video, & Sound > Television Advertising – Local > Single Spot :30 or less
- Entrant: Duke & Duck
- Title: Meet Your COVID Vaccine
- Client: Virginia Department of Health
- Category: Public Service > Online/Interactive

 **Best of Online:**

- Entrant: Northrop Grumman
- Title: Overheard at Northrup Grumman
- Client: Northrop Grumman
- Category: Online/Interactive > Social Media Campaign

**Best of Cross Platform:**

- Entrant: January Third
- Title: Don’t Visit, Live It
- Client: International Spy Museum
- Category: Cross Platform > Integrated Campaigns > Consumer Campaign-Local

**Best of Elements of Advertising:**

  - Entrant: Van Metre
  - Title: A Home For Life
  - Client: Van Metre
  - Category: Elements of Advertising > Film & Video > Animation, Special Effects, Motion Graphics, or CGI

**Special Judges Award 1:**

- Entrant: HZ
- Title: Here For What Matters
- Client: Dollar General
- Category: Cross Platform > Integrated Advertising Campaigns > Consumer Campaign-Regional/National

 **Special Judges Award 2:**

- Entrant: Duke & Duck
- Title: Nestle Global Families
- Client: Nestle Global
- Category: Online/Interactive > Social Media Campaign

**Special Judges Award 3:**

- Entrant: HZ
- Title: The Kawasaki Experience
- Client: Kawasaki Motors
- Category: Online/Interactive > Websites > Microsites

**PHOTO:**

Top left: The American Advertising Awards at The Hamilton Live

Top right: Team Subject Matter

Bottom left: **Gretchen Carswell** (Awards Co-Chair) and AAF DC Board Members **Louise Salas, Imani Greene** and **Judy Markoe**

Bottom center: Team January Third