For the second year in a row, The Two River Times has won the New Jersey Press Association’s top advertising award known as the O’B, at the annual 2015 Newspaper Contest held April 14 at The Hamilton Manor in Hamilton, NJ.
The 2015 ad was selected by the NJPA judges after considering the top winners across dozens of categories. It was nominated for the O’B because it was selected for First Place, Best Restaurant/Entertainment Ad-color, Weekly Division.
The winning advertisement is a light-hearted promotion for “Wednesdays are Ladies Night” for Molly Maguire’s Gastropub, which has since been sold. It depicts a bikini-clad blond in a martini glass holding a metal scoop of red berries. The ad is skillfully designed to display Ladies Night dates, drink prices, a vodka brand and a logo for Paint the Town Pink. “We were fortunate to have great art pieces provided to us by Molly Maguire’s Gastropub that really helped this particular ad stand out in the crowd,” said Production Manager Chris Draper.
Draper, who has worked at the weekly for 12 years, said, “Winning the O’B for two consecutive years is a big win for everyone at The Two River Times.” He added he appreciates the work the NJPA does to support the newspaper industry.
Draper also won First and Second Place Awards in the Weekly Division for ads designed for Goldtinker and Poor Cat. He won second place for ads designed for Better Housekeeping Shop (Best Home & Garden Ad) and The Law Offices of Prosper A. Bellizia (Best Use of Humor). The Bellizia law firm, however, gets credit for the humorous content.
The O’B is affectionately named for the NJPA’s Foundation Director John O’Brien, who long served as the association’s executive director. He was known to all as “O’B.” The trophy, which is mounted on a pedestal in a wink to the Academy Awards, has been traveling to different member newspapers for over a decade. It spent the prior year at the Two River Times’ Red Bank office, after winning the 2014 Best in Show award.
You can contact the advertising professionals at The Two River Times by emailing Sales@TwoRiverTimes.com.
