Obie Judges - 2008
Chuck Porter – Chief Judge
Crispin Porter + Bogusky
Chuck joined the Crispin agency in Miami, FL, in 1988 as creative director and partner after a long career as an award-winning freelance copywriter. The agency was renamed Crispin & Porter and within three years, it doubled in size, was profiled in Communications Arts, and was named as one of the top 15 creative shops in the country.
Today, Crispin Porter + Bogusky is perhaps best known for their work with Burger King, as creators of the ‘truth’ anti-tobacco campaign and for their successful launch of the BMW MINI. Based in Miami and Boulder, the agency’s client list also includes Volkswagen, Nike, Coke Zero, Sprite, Haggar, Ask.com, and Geek Squad.
The agency has the unprecedented distinction of winning the Grand Prix at the Cannes International Advertising Festival in five separate categories - Sales Promotion, Media, Cyber, Titanium and the coveted Film category. In 2004, CP+B was named the world’s most awarded agency with wins that - in addition, to the Grand Prix at Cannes - included the O’Toole award for overall creative excellence from the American Association of Advertising Agencies, as well as the grand prizes at the Clios, Effies, Kellys, OBIEs, APG awards, and the One Show.
Chuck grew up in Minneapolis and graduated from the Journalism School at the University of Minnesota. He is on the board of directors, as well as the Chairman of the Creative Committee, of the American Association of Advertising Agencies.
Rick Ardito
BBDO New York
Richard Ardito is an Associate Creative Director at BBDO New York, where he has worked on FedEx, Red Stripe, Guinness, G4 (cable network), and DirecTV.
Prior to BBDO NY he was at Cliff Freeman and Partners where he worked on Budget Rent A Car, Fox Sports, Mike's Hard Lemonade, Hollywood Video and Quizno's Subs.
He has won numerous advertising awards including Clios, One Show, Radio Mercury, D&AD, AICP and countless other Lucite awards. Richard’s work has been featured on NBC’s Dateline, Business 2.0 and numerous advertising publications including Archive and Communication Arts.
Andy Azula
The Martin Agency
Andy Azula is senior vice president/creative director of The Martin Agency in Richmond, VA. Prior to moving to Richmond Andy worked at Goodby, Silverstein and Partners, McCann SF, Fallon Minneapolis, and Loeffler Ketchum Mountjoy in North Carolina.
He attended the Portfolio Center in Atlanta in hopes of becoming an art director. Andy has been involved in developing campaigns for Microsoft, BMW, Lee Jeans, Nikon, Budweiser and The Wall Street Journal, to name a few. He is also the designer and “face” of the UPS “White Board” campaign.
His work has been recognized by Communication Arts, The One Show, Cannes, The National Addys, The Clios, The MPA Kellys, as well as Archive, Graphis and Print magazines.
John Boone
Boone/Oakley
John Boone is the co-founder of BOONE/OAKLEY Advertising in Charlotte, NC. Established in October 2000 with partner David Oakley, the firm’s clients include CarMax, NASCAR, HDNet, Halo vacuums, Bloom supermarkets, and the Charlotte Bobcats.
Previously, John was VP Associate Creative Director at The Martin Agency-Charlotte where he worked on accounts such as Mercedes, Ping, and Wrangler. In 1999, he and Oakley were named “Hot Creative Team” by Creativity magazine.
Boone’s awards include OBIEs, Cannes, Communication Arts, The One Show, Stephen E. Kelley, N.Y. Art Directors, Clios, and Comedy Central’s “World’s Funniest Commercials.”
Paul Lavoie
TAXI
In 1992, Paul Lavoie co-founded TAXI with partner Jane Hope, successfully combining the disciplines of advertising and design. After 15 years, six offices in Canada and the US, and an expanded product offering, TAXI remains independent and committed to its original vision. TAXI has been recognized in the industry for their fresh, unconventional approach; creating consistently strong brands for companies such as BMW ~ MINI, Nike, WestJet, Blue Shield of California, Viagra, and TELUS.
TAXI has been named Agency of the Year by Canadian publications for the last six consecutive years and has been recognized as one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies for the last 4 years. After only 2 years in the U.S., TAXI garnered the AAAA Creative Excellence Award (<100 employees).
In 2006, Lavoie was listed by Creativity Magazine among the 50 most influential creative minds of the last 20 years, as well as becoming the youngest inductee of the Canadian Marketing Hall of Legends. In 2007 Paul received the Spiess Award for lifetime achievement by the Canadian Bessies Awards.
John Livengood
DDB Seattle
Livengood co-founded DDB Seattle to create an agency where ideas span PR to advertising and direct marketing to interactive. As EVP/Executive Creative Director at DDB, he is responsible for creative, production, and project management. After 20 years in advertising, Livengood has worked with an impressive array of clients, including Microsoft, McDonald's, Amazon.com, The Gates Foundation, Bank of America, Alaska Airlines, Starbucks, Holland America Line, Qwest, Energy Star, Eddie Bauer, The North Face, Kaiser Family Foundation (KNOW/HIV), Exclusive Resorts, Philips, Equality California, and The Seattle SuperSonics,
Livengood has won numerous awards for his work, including a Clio, a Webby, and multiple Echoes and Effies.
Kevin Reilly, Jr.
Lamar Advertising Company
Kevin P. Reilly, Jr. began his career with Lamar Advertising in 1978 as an account executive in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Reilly has been Lamar's President and CEO since 1989.
Reilly is past Chairman of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America and the Traffic Audit Bureau. In addition to his business career, Reilly has a long history of service in the not-for-profit community. Currently, Reilly serves as Director of the Wilbur Marvin Foundation, the Nature Conservancy of Louisiana, the Louisiana Technology Park, and the World War II Museum. He also serves as a trustee at Milton Academy.
Reilly graduated from Harvard University in 1977 and resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with his wife, Winifred Ross Reilly.