PRSA Honors Top Campaigns at Glittering Anvil Awards Gala
June-July 2024
On May 9, PRSA announced the 2024 Anvil Awards winners during a gala dinner at the Edison Ballroom in New York City, marking the 80th anniversary of the Silver Anvils.
PRSA Chair Joseph Abreu, APR, and PRSA CEO Linda Thomas Brooks welcomed attendees, who also heard from guest speaker Molly McPherson, APR.
“This year, we celebrate 80 years of honoring the top PR campaigns and tactics across the country,” said Abreu. “Congratulations to all of our Anvil recipients and thank you for consistently demonstrating the vital role of public relations in uplifting our greater communities.”
The winning entries covered various critical topics and causes, from campaigns to advocate organ donation in multicultural communities to initiatives designed to reduce opioid overdose deaths and promote climate-smart agriculture practices globally.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Best of Silver Anvil Award, which went to Dynamic Integrated Services (DIS) and the Department of Veterans Affairs Million Veteran Program (MVP) for their “Million Milestone by Veterans Day” campaign.
In 2011, the Department of Veterans Affairs launched MVP to enroll 1 million veterans in its genetic research program. The program aims to enhance the understanding of how genes, lifestyle, military experiences, and exposures impact health and wellness.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, MVP had nearly 750,000 in-person enrollments. The pandemic, however, severely disrupted these efforts. In response, MVP and DIS leveraged a new online enrollment website and developed a comprehensive communications strategy to promote the digital portal.
DIS undertook a brand refresh, launched a stakeholder engagement network, expanded the direct email strategy, initiated MVP’s first digital advertising campaign, and employed data-driven approaches to continuously evaluate and optimize their efforts.
On Nov. 8, 2023, just three days before Veterans Day, MVP enrolled its one-millionth veteran, achieving its goal and marking a significant milestone as the most extensive research program at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the world’s most diverse genetic research program within a health care system. The campaign saw remarkable results, including a 621% increase in enrollments, an 857% rise in online users and an 80% surge in social media impressions compared to the previous year.
“As a service-disabled veteran-owned small business, winning the Best of the Silver Anvils is a true testament to the caliber of our team, the quality of our work and to the mission of VA’s Million Veteran Program,” said Nicole Carey, chief strategy officer of Dynamic Integrated Services.
During the evening, PRSA presented 47 Silver Anvil Awards, 22 Bronze Anvil Awards, 48 Awards of Excellence and 18 Awards of Commendation. Visit the PRSA website for the complete list of recipients, including agencies Finn Partners, FleishmanHillard and Ketchum, as well as leading brands such as Planned Parenthood, Delta and United Airlines, Aflac, McDonald’s, 7-Eleven and The Library of Congress.
