Twin Cities office takes home several awards for video production on behalf of the Opus Group

The Twin Cities office of Weber Shandwick has won four awards for video production work done on behalf of The Opus Group and the Opus Prize Foundation. The Audio Visual Association (AVA) recently announced 2007 International AVA Award recipients. Weber Shandwick earned three Platinum and one Gold award.

Weber Shandwick won a Platinum Award for “Building Beyond: Opus Overview” in the category of Company Overview (video/film) and a Gold Award in the category of Product Marketing for its “Opus Retail Sector Overview” video. The agency also won Platinum Awards for “Opus Prize 2007 Awards Video” in the categories of Cinematography and Awards Videos.

"We're very excited to have won this kind of recognition among such strong competition," said Weber Shandwick President Sara Gavin. "We're extremely proud of the videos our office has produced with The Opus Group and the Opus Prize Foundation."

The AVA Awards recognize outstanding work by creative professionals across the world involved in the concept, writing, direction, shooting, and editing of audio-visual materials and programs. Entries include film, analog and digital productions viewed in a wide variety of mediums- from movie screens to televisions to computers. Entrants include video and film production companies, Web developers, advertising agencies, PR firms, corporate and government communication departments, producers, directors, editors, and shooters. The AVA Awards program is administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP).

Once again the Morris + King Company brings you the best ProfNet Queries of 2007.

10. BEHAVIOR/TODAY: People's Busy Lives and the Bad Things that May Happen as a Result—The Cincinnati Post

I'm looking for a sociologist/psychologist to talk about people's busy lives and bad things that may happen as a result, i.e., leaving the car on in the garage, going to bed and dying of carbon monoxide poisoning because they were so busy they forgot.

9. SPORTS/TODAY: Transitioning from Cheerleader to Coach/Gym Owner—Freelancer

I'm working on an article for Cheer Biz magazine about transitioning from cheerleader to coach. If you've ever been a cheerleader who transitioned into coaching either a school squad or an all-star cheer team, please answer these questions: 1. What has been the hardest part about transitioning from cheerleader to coach/gym owner? 2. How long have you been coaching? Also, how long did you cheer? 3. When you were cheering, did you ever anticipate becoming a coach? Did you consciously prepare to do that? 4. What would have helped you make the transition easier? 5. What would you say to young cheerleaders coming up in the cheer system with the goal of becoming a coach/gym owner? 6. Any advice on making rules and running practices and gaining respect of other coaches, cheerleaders, parents, etc.? Many cheer coaches and owners are so young, they have a hard time with the respect part. How do you handle it? (By the way, how old are you?) 7. For coaches who are not married, barely 21, how do you suggest they separate themselves from the cheerleaders? 8. Is the pressure too much sometimes? Is it all worth it in the end? 9. What characteristics do you think a person needs to have in order to be a good coach/gym owner? Please feel free to add any other info you think might be beneficial to this piece.

8. PARENTING: Purity Balls—WOSU-AM (OH)

I'm looking for someone who can speak about purity balls, either for or against. I need someone who can say why father-daughter purity balls are good, or why they are bad.

7. BEHAVIOR: Lion/Tiger Tamer—Parenting Magazine

No, this isn't a joke. I am seeking a circus lion/tiger tamer for a short, humorous piece on how to get small children to behave. I would vastly prefer that the tamer have children of his/her own and speak English. Please forward me your candidate's credentials and availability, as well as the name of a contact person I can reach for further information or to schedule an interview.

6. BEHAVIOR: Vampires—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

I'm out to prove we still love vampires. I need some folks familiar with creatures of darkness to help me give evidence of this passion and/or tell me why we still love them.

5. BOOSTER/TODAY: Bible Verses for Daters—Love.MSN.com

Many daters look for inspiration from the Good Book. So I'm compiling a list of the best Bible verses for daters. Please e-mail your most inspirational verse, a 100-word explanation of what it means to you and why you chose it, and your name, title and location with "Bible Verses" in the subject line.

4. NON-EXPERT: Taser Parties—Cloaked

A national women's magazine is looking for women who've hosted taser parties. Please respond ASAP with your info, and I'll provide details about the article.

3. BEHAVIOR/TODAY: Effects of Drugs and Alcohol—Star Magazine

I need someone to explain to me the effects drugs and alcohol can play on a 25-year-old's mind. How might their behavior change? Will they do irrational things?

2. FITNESS: Exercising While Drinking—Freelancer

I am writing an article on how barflies can stay in shape. I am looking for experts who can suggest exercises that can be done at a bar. I am open to anything—low-impact aerobics, barstool dips, beer curls, etc. I am looking for detailed descriptions on how to correctly do the exercise. This is for UrbanTailgate.com, a social networking site for sports fans.

1. LIVING/TODAY: Finding Treasure/Thwarting Mosquitoes/Chicken Fights—Freelancer

I'm writing some how-to pieces for WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) magazine, and am looking for advice on three rather unique topics: find buried treasure, thwarting mosquitoes, and winning a chicken fight. If you are, or work with, an expert treasure hunter, insect killer, or chicken fighter, please let me know, or simply pass along your top tips. My deadline's Tuesday, so I'm looking for great info in a hurry.

To view last year's list click here.

Tastefully Simple, the Alexandria, Minnesota-based national home taste-testing company offering easy-to-prepare gourmet food through 24,000 independent consultants, and and Feed Company, the St. Paul-based company which created the Farm Boy & Farm Girl fashion brands of authentic jeans, shirts and accessories sold in 1,000 retail locations, have both chosen Maccabee Group as their new public relations agency.

Carol Rosenbaum wrote an article for the December issue for PR Tactics that boiled down the basics of an interview and serve as a great media training 101 guide for your clients.

One of the over-riding themes of the piece is "know your audience" - you can't decide what your talking points are until you know who you are talking to. It seems easy enough, until a last minute interview pops up and you are scrambling to put together points minutes before an interview opportunity. It's a great refresher and worth putting together to share with clients.

Classics Awards Entries Due Dec. 14

Entries are now being accepted for the 30th Annual Minnesota PRSA Classics Awards, which will be held March 27, 2008, at the Graves 601 Hotel, 601 First Avenue North, in downtown Minneapolis.

All Minnesota communications professionals are eligible to enter; you do not need to be a PRSA member. The deadline for receipt of entries is noon, Dec. 14. Each entry must be submitted according to the "How to Submit Your PRSA Classics Entry" instructions located at www.mnprsa.com or it will be disqualified without a refund. There will be no deadline extensions.

The majority of an entry's work must be completed between Oct. 1, 2006 and Nov. 30, 2007. Programs tend to have a better chance of winning when they're near completion and they can be better evaluated against their initial objectives.

For more information and to register, go to www.mnprsa.com or call the Minnesota PRSA office at .

UGLY SWEATER EXTRAVAGANZA!!!

In addition to celebrating the holidays with friends and co-workers, part of the proceeds from the event will benefit The Courage Center, a resource center that helps to empower, rehabilitate and uplift both children and adults experiencing barriers to health and independence.

Meeting Specifics

Location:
Trocaderos



Time:
5:00 PM Registration
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Program

Cost:
Ad Fed/Ad2 Members: $25.00
Nonmembers: $40.00
Students: $25.00

For more information, call the Ad Fed office at , or revisit the Ad Fed Web site at www.adfed.org.