Press Room

The Silver Anvil is an elite industry award honoring organizations that have successfully addressed a contemporary public relations issue with exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness. A prominent group of public relations professionals judge the awards.

Exponent was recognized with a Silver Anvil Award in the Marketing Consumer Products category for work on behalf of Nestlé Purina with an entry titled, “Helping Pets Win a Losing Battle.” The agency developed Project Pet Slim Down, a groundbreaking initiative to help battle America’s pet obesity epidemic.

Exponent received a Silver Anvil Award in the Marketing Consumer Products (Restaurants) category for work on behalf of Caribou Coffee — the nation’s second largest gourmet coffeehouse. The winning campaign honored Amy’s Garden, Caribou’s program to help raise awareness and donations for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The program celebrates the memory of Amy Erickson, a beloved Caribou roastmaster who passed away from breast cancer.

Exponent was also honored in Marketing Consumer Products (Healthcare) category with an Award of Excellence for the entry, “Novartis Uncovers the Dirty Truth about Fleas.” The Dirty Truth campaign for Novartis Animal Health helped educate consumers on how dog owners can deliver the best care to their pets. For this campaign, Novartis turned to the quirky personality of spokesperson Mike Rowe.

The agency’s fourth award was an Award of Excellence in the Events/Observances (More Than Seven Days) category honoring the Amy’s Garden commemorative events hosted by Caribou Coffee.

“Our agency is expected to deliver innovative ideas that make a difference,” said Tom Lindell, managing director, Exponent PR. “This recognition demonstrates the creativity, passion and effectiveness of collaboration with our client partners,”
PRSA selected 143 finalists out of a record 923 entries this year.

To view PRSA’s official announcement, and a complete list of the 2012 Silver Anvil and Awards of Excellence winners, visit PRSA.org.

Exponent received two finalist nods for work on behalf of Caribou Coffee, the nation’s second–largest gourmet coffeehouse retailer. The nominated entries, “Caribou Coffee Brews Hope for a Cure” and “Caribou Coffee Fights Breast Cancer One Cup at a Time,” summarize the company’s Amy’s Garden program, which helps raise awareness and funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation and celebrates the memory of one of Caribou’s original roastmasters who passed away from breast cancer.

The agency’s other finalist programs include “Nestle Purina Helping Pets Win a Losing Battle” and “Novartis Uncovers the Dirty Truth about Fleas.” Exponent developed a groundbreaking initiative on behalf of Purina to help battle the pet obesity epidemic through a strategic partnership with Jenny Craig. Novartis’ “The Dirty Truth” campaign helped educate consumers on how dog owners can deliver the best care to their pets leveraging the quirky personality of spokesperson Mike Rowe.

“Our clients expect pioneering ideas that move the needle,” said Tom Lindell, managing director, Exponent PR. “This recognition exemplifies the creativity, passion and effectiveness of collaboration with our amazing client partners.”

PRSA has selected 143 finalists from 923 entries this year. Silver Anvil winners in all categories are automatically contenders for the Best of Silver Anvil Award, representing the finest example of public relations programming in 2011.

To view PRSA’s official announcement, and a complete list of the 2012 finalists, visit: http://media.prsa.org.

Exponent PR received recognition for its work on behalf of a range of clients including, Bikes Belong, Caribou Coffee, DuPont Crop Protection, IBA Particle Therapy, Land O’Lakes and Nestlé Purina. Following are the specific awards:

- Best of Show: “Caribou Coffee Plants Hope with Amy’s Garden” for Caribou Coffee

- Industry Campaign of the Year (Nonprofit): “Pedaling to Mainstream” for Bikes Belong

- Industry Campaign of the Year (B2B): “7 Billion Reasons for Science-Powered Innovation” for DuPont Crop Protection

- Special Events/Observances (More than Seven Days; Business/Industry): “Caribou Coffee Plants Hope with Amy’s Garden” for Caribou Coffee

- Institutional Programs (Business/Industry) “Brewing Hope with Amy’s Garden” for Caribou Coffee

- Evaluation: “Measuring a Recipe for Success” for Land O’Lakes

- Feature Writing: “Pediatric Nurses Make Cancer Less Scary” for IBA Particle Therapy

- Media Relations (Government/Nonprofit): “An Uphill Ride for Awareness” for Bikes Belong

- Brochures: “Project: Pet Slim Down” for Nestlé Purina

Minnesota PRSA is the tenth-largest chapter of the PRSA, the world's largest organization for public relations professionals with nearly 32,000 professional and student members. Minnesota PRSA comprises more than 400 members who represent business and industry, counseling firms, independent practitioners, military, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations.