Ketchum and Its Clients Take Home Four PRWeek Awards

Ketchum, a leading global public relations firm, was honored with four awards and one honorable mention for outstanding client work at last evening's seventh annual PRWeek Awards ceremony held at New York City's Tavern on the Green.

"I am immensely proud of these awards. The PRWeek Awards are growing in importance in the U.S. and Ketchum's performance is a clear indication of the vibrancy of our brand and a reflection of the passion and precision our colleagues apply to their work with clients," said Raymond L. Kotcher, senior partner and chief executive officer at Ketchum.

Ketchum and its clients received PRWeek awards and an honorable mention for programs with Best Buy/Geek Squad, National Geographic Society, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, The State of Connecticut and Wendy's. Colleagues from offices around the Ketchum network, including Chicago, Ketchum Newscan, Ketchum West, London, Munich, New York, Paris, Washington, D.C., and The Washington Group created and developed these award-winning programs. They are:

AWARD WINNERS:

Technology Campaign of the Year

"Geek Squad Rescues Star Wars Fans from 'Prequel-itis'"

Best Buy/Geek Squad


International Campaign of the Year

"Putting the Genographic Project on the Map"

National Geographic Society


Healthcare Campaign of the Year

"Showing People with Overactive Bladders Where to Stop When They Need to Go"

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation



Public Affairs Campaign of the Year

"Saving SUBASE New London: Submarine Center of Excellence Targeted for

Closure"

The State of Connecticut

HONORABLE MENTION:

Crisis/Issues Management Campaign of the Year

"Wendy's Sticks to Values to Weather Chili Incident"

Wendy's

"Working on this project was an amazing collaborative experience that reinforced the value of our profession done well," said Rebecca Gruber, Vice President, who worked on the National Geographic campaign. "Our clients brought strong media relations expertise to the table and our team of colleagues provided great market insights. We were able to keep each other focused on a very simple strategy and differentiated message that delivered results -- both media output and business outcomes -- beyond everyone's expectations."

PRWeek awards are bestowed annually and are recognized as one of the most prestigious accolades in the public relations industry. The awards honor the best practices and creative excellence in public relations programming.

In addition to the award wins, Ketchum was proud to be nominated as a finalist in the following categories:

Large PR Agency of the Year

"Ketchum 2005: Defining the Odds"

Ketchum

Investor/Financial Relations Campaign of the Year

"Creating the Department Store of the Future"

Federated Department Stores



Employee Communications Campaign of the Year

"The Bucket Brigade: Creating Employee Loyalty Through Corporate Philanthropy"

Fireman's Fund Insurance Company