hawthorne direct Receives Two Top Communicator Awards

Fairfield, IA - hawthorne direct, the direct response TV advertising agency, was recognized by the Communicator Awards with two top Crystal Awards of Excellence for the U.S. Navy infomercial “Behind the Seas” (produced by hawthorne direct in association with Rapp Collins Worldwide) and “Nikon’s Grand Adventures” infomercial (produced by hawthorne direct) created for Nikon U.S.A.

“Behind the Seas” – Crystal Communicator Award of Excellence

What is it like to bring an FA-18 in for landing? Or to sit behind the wheel of a two thousand-ton submarine or to be a member of the elite defensive force the S.E.A.L.S.? The U.S. Navy action packed infomercial takes viewers behind the seas on a voyage to discover what life in the Navy is really like.

The infomercial answers real questions…What is day-to-day life like? What else is there to do besides military work? Is there any time to play? Real enlistees describe their workday, their time off, what they like and don’t like about the Navy…adding to this unique commercial campaign.

The target audience is predominately male at about 90%, ages 18 to 34, with an educational level of high school plus. The purpose is to generate interest in what the Navy can do for the enlistee. Four years in the Navy can provide income, college credits and invaluable life lessons.

“Nikon’s Grand Adventures” – Crystal Communicator Award of Excellence

“Grand Adventures” is an elegant documercial style travelogue designed to maintain the quality image of Nikon, while introducing two new cameras.

What happens when 20 cameras are given to 20 amateur photographers on a Grand Princess Mediterranean cruise? The amateur photographers discover that Nikon, which has an impeccable image for professional cameras, now has the S series; simple, lightweight, easy to use cameras for non-professionals.

Set in the romantic environs of Venice, Florence, the ruins of Pompeii, the Isle of Capri, Monte Carlo and Barcelona - infomercial viewers discover that spectacular pictures can be taken with the Nikon S series cameras that will give them incredible memories for a lifetime. The target audience of Nikon’s “Grand Adventures” are both male and female, ranging from young adult to senior citizen. The Nikon campaign goal is to generate interest in the new ‘S Series’ cameras.

"We are very honored to have ‘Behind the Seas’ and ‘Nikon’s Grand Adventures’ both receive two Crystal Awards of Excellence from the Communicator Awards," said Timothy R. Hawthorne, founder, chairman and executive creative director. "We value this recognition for our productions, as we take great pride in our creativity. hawthorne direct looks forward to many more great campaigns in the years to come."

The Communicator Awards operates as a national awards organization, recognizing outstanding work in the communications field. Entries are judged by industry professionals seeking companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry. There were a grand total of 3,275 entries from 49 states and Canada in the 2000 Communicator Awards.

The Communicator’s prestigious Award of Excellence is only presented to those entrants whose ability to communicate elevates them above the best in the field. The Award of Distinction is awarded for projects exceeding industry standards in communicating an idea or message. Honorable Mention Awards are granted to entries that meet the high standards of the industry.

Winners of the Communicator Awards come from advertising and public relations agencies, corporate communications departments, government entities, designers, writers, video production professionals, broadcast and cable operations, and other businesses and individuals throughout the country.

hawthorne direct is a full-service direct response advertising agency, specializing in creative and production, long and short form media buying, telemarketing/fulfillment management and integrated marketing.