On February 19, the Ann Arbor Ad Club honored the best advertisements at
the annual Addy Awards Gala, held this year at the Horace H. Rackham School
of Graduate School.  As Club President Chad Wiebesick explained to guests
who may not have been familiar with the ADDYs, the purpose is to help “move
forward advertising and to celebrate the design and creativity” fostered in
the industry; arguably, the ADDYs are the toughest and most representative
ad competition, with over 50,000 entries entered across the nation.

The event was, quite appropriately, Mad Men-themed, and it’s hard not to
feel a gleeful kind of nostalgia when you walk in with a jazz band jamming
away, a Jackie O. look-a-like is laughing at a table, and even candy
cigarettes are offered at every turn.  The ADDY winners’ projects were all
exhibited for attendees’ perusals, and many students from the area
attended, as the ADDYs also honor student work.

Mad props to Laila Gislason, the Gala Chair, who organized the event and
invited SHEI; everyone had a great time, as you can see by the pictures
below (photos from author):