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ST Presents the 2013 Sign Contest Awards

Philadelphia-area sign professionals evaluate contest field

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ST is understandably proud of its longstanding relationship with the sign industry. For 107 years, we’ve tracked technological innovations that have transformed the nature of our business, and advocated the importance of signage when many in government and activist organizations attempted to excessively regulate and diminish its vitality. We’ve taken this role very seriously.

But here, in our competitions, which we’ve gladly presented since 1978, we strive to take a somewhat more lighthearted approach to our longstanding mission to educate and inspire signmakers. We appreciate the opportunity to convey what materials and equipment a shop used to produce a victorious entry, but, beyond the nuts and bolts, we strive to provide inspiration by showcasing what can be achieved through inspiration and perspiration – and, when local officials author or adapt sign codes to help economic development.

Admittedly, participation was slightly down this year – we tallied 237 entries. With the earlier deadline (normally, we stop collection in December; for this edition, we stipulated a November deadline), which followed shortly after Superstorm Sandy, participation from East Coast shops dropped. Many signmakers also referenced the lack of “compelling” work following several years of economic malaise. Hopefully, as the wheels of recovery began to gain traction in 2012, with many rosier prognostications, more projects will arise that designers and fabrications deem worthy of inclusion next year.

To evaluate this year’s contest pool, we contacted our friends at Cima Network, a Chalfont, PA-based firm that executes sign-design and installation projects. Bill Lockett, Cima’s owner, recruited Keith Denny, his co-owner and senior designer; technical-design director Butch Zawislak; and Cima’s director of environmental branding, Ken Olschewske. Jim Klauder, the general manager of K & S Concepts in nearby Colmar (a shop Cima frequently hires to fabricate its projects), rounded out the quartet of judges.

Like laws and sausage, most would likely prefer not to witness the contest’s selection process. However, after a decade of supervising our competitions, I’ve come to appreciate judging-day machinations. Strong opinions often direct the proceedings, and, befitting a gathering of Philadelphians, they were abundant throughout this competition. Each category required several adjustments of the order of finish. But, unlike Congressional debates, the adjudicators always reached a congenial consensus.

The Best of Show voting culminated the day’s deliberations. Culled from each category’s champion, a trio of entries elicited keen competition: ArtFX’s (Bloomfield, CT) colorful sign and environmental-graphic program for Once Upon A Time Toys, National Signs’ (Houston) compelling building sign for Jerry Built Burgers, and Weitzel Signs’ (Butte, MT) building-mounted sign for Head Frame Spirits, a distillery in its hometown historic district. All provided distinct, but very compelling, iterations of their clients’ brands. After vigorous debate, National Signs’ project, which frames a Jerry Built location in a steer-shaped, golden, LED sign/light sculpture, prevailed as Best of Show.

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We’re proud to unveil our inaugural Readers’ Choice Awards within our contest spread. The field contained 20 contest entries (some earned awards within the main contest field; some did not), and we developed three online surveys – two with 10 entries apiece (one field electric, the other non-electric) for the opening, and a final round with six entries (the top three vote-earners from each of the opening-round surveys). Weitzel Signs’ (Butte, MT) unique, building-mounted sign for Headframe Spirits earned the Readers’ Choice Award. We’re ecstatic with the more than 6,000 votes cast over the competition’s three rounds, and look forward to including this competition component in future contests.

Congratulations to all of our winners; you really do represent signs’ advertising prowess. Check out the portfolio and see for yourself.
 

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