The Times’ advertising department won nine first-place awards for advertising excellence at the recent Georgia Press Association awards banquet.
The newspaper also won five second-place awards, giving it a total of 14 awards, more than any newspaper in its category of daily newspapers with a paid circulation between 15,000 and 39,999. The contest included 20 categories.
"While it is always a proud moment when you earn recognition from your industry peers, the real winners in this competition are our advertisers," said Dennis Stockton, publisher of The Times.
"We pride ourselves on making every possible effort to assure that the advertising we publish is professionally produced and, more importantly, effective for the advertiser," he said. "The relationship between advertiser and newspaper is a business partnership, and our sales and production staffs work hard to be a good partner."
All entries in the GPA contest were published during the 2007 calendar year. The ads must have been conceived, written, designed and sold by newspaper staff members. Ads created by advertising agencies were not permitted.First-place awards include:
Motor vehicle (black and white) for Jacky Jones Lincoln-Mercury.
Food for Sydney’s Buffet.
Service/institutional for J.A. Walters Family YMCA.
Home furnishings and appliances for Amish Furniture Mart.
Full-color advertising for Atlanta Rehabilitation & Performance Center.
Newspaper promotion for publicity for The Times’ series on Vietnam.
Newspaper promotion (out of print) for the newspaper’s rate card.
Classified section or page for the newspaper’s classified section.
Advertising campaign for promotion of the newspaper’s new Web site.
Second-place awards include:
Motor vehicle (color) for Milton Martin Honda.
Health care for Advanced Laser Center.
Non-traditional for the newspaper’s special book, "A Pictorial History of Gainesville and Hall County."
Small page ad for Kid’s Health.
Newspaper promotion (out of print) for a newspaper rack card promoting The Times.