Cause Marketing Halo Awards Given to Top Corporate Nonprofit Partnerships

Chicago, IL., May 30, 2013 /3BL Media/ - Campaigns that bolstered small business, kept garbage from landfills and ushered the space shuttle home, all while simultaneously supporting business objectives, were among the winners honored at the eleventh annual Cause Marketing Halo Awards.

Twenty category-specific awards were presented by the Cause Marketing Forum to 2012 campaigns partnering company and cause. DoSomething.org and Subaru received a special Cause Marketing Golden Halo Award for their overall achievement in the field of doing well by doing good during an award luncheon at the J.W. Marriott in Chicago on May 30.

Writeups of all the winners are online at http://www.CauseMarketingForum.com/halo2013

A new category – business model integration – recognized TerraCycle (Gold award) and Warby Parker (Silver award) for embedding cause into the fabric of their successful business model. TerraCycle organizes fundraising “bridgades” to collect massive amounts of trash that would otherwise end up in landfills and then converts the trash into new products ranging from recycled park benches to upcycled backpacks, which are then sold at major retailers. Warby Parker provides high-quality, fashionable and affordable prescription eyewear and ensures that for every pair of glasses sold, a pair is distributed to someone in need.

"Cause marketing, the creation of mutually beneficial partnerships between companies and causes, continues to experience exponential growth and complex evolution." commented Cause Marketing Forum President David Hessekiel. Over one hundred programs were entered in this year’s Cause Marketing Halo Award competition.

“In this crowded marketplace, Cause Marketing Halo Award-winning campaigns haven risen to the top because of their authenticity, effectiveness in communicating a cause message and ability to generate social and financial dividends,” said Hessekiel. “These campaigns offer creative partnership solutions that leverage assets of company and cause.” The winning campaigns include:

Best Transactional Campaign
GOLD: A Very Special Christmas:  Big Machine Label Group, Clear Channel Communities & Special Olympics International
SILVER: Million Moment Mission: LL Bean & National Park Foundation

Best Social Media Campaign Finalists
GOLD: Phones for Good: TELUS + Free The Children Campaign
SILVER: Inner Strength: Brawny Towels & Wounded Warrior Project

Best Message-Focused Campaign Finalists
GOLD: Time Warner Cable Brings Space Shuttle Endeavour Home:  Time Warner Cable & California Science Center
SILVER: Give, Get & Save the Rainforest:  Macy's & The Nature Conservancy

Best Video Creative Finalists
GOLD: Warriors in Pink: Ford Motor Company & Several Nonprofit Organizations
SILVER: We Can Be Heroes:  Warner Bros. Entertainment & Save the Children, International Rescue Committee and Mercy Corps

Best Health-Related Campaign Finalists
GOLD: Every Step Counts:  Kohl's Department Stores & Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Southeast Wisconsin
SILVER: Do It For The Girls!:  P&G’s GIVE Hope & The National Breast Cancer Foundation

Best Environmental or Animal Campaign Finalists
GOLD: Million Moment Mission:  LL Bean & National Park Foundation
SILVER: Take a Load Off: Procter & Gamble & Alliance to Save Energy

Best Business Model Integration Finalists
GOLD: TerraCycle
SILVER: Warby Parker

Best Social Service Campaign Finalists
GOLD: Brewing the American Dream:  Samuel Adams Brewing & ACCION U.S. Network
SILVER: Building Community:  ARAMARK & Families International

Best Education Campaign Finalists
GOLD: Turning Agents into Educators: Horace Mann & DonorsChoose.org
SILVER: Tools for Classrooms:  Chase, Clear Channel & DonorsChoose.org

Best Print Creative Finalists
GOLD: “Let’s Solve This” ExxonMobile
SILVER: We Can Be Heroes:  Warner Bros. Entertainment & Save the Children, International Rescue Committee and Mercy Corps

Now in their eleventh year, the Cause Marketing Halo Awards are North America's highest honor in the field of cause marketing, awarded by the Cause Marketing Forum, a company dedicated to providing business and nonprofit executives with the practical information and connections they need to succeed. All Halo winners can be seen online at http://www.CauseMarketingForum.com/halo2013