Announcing PR Daily Awards Winners

The competition was fierce, but after looking through more than 200 submissions from around the world, we’re ready to name the winners of Ragan’s 2017 PR Daily Awards.

We found the year’s best PR campaigns, publications and events. Congratulate the winners and check out their work below.

General Campaign

B2B Campaign

WINNER
2017 Retail Reputation Report
10Fold and Reputation.com

Honorable Mentions

  • The Good Clean Food Campaign, Stein IAS and Ingredion (EMEA)
  • Sailthru Anchors Retailers in Personalization, SHIFT Communications and Sailthru
  • BrightEdge Public Relations, The Abbi Agency and BrightEdge
  • Hiscox Cyber Readiness, Hiscox USA
  • Lead Generation for Bsquare’s DataV Integrated Marketing Campaign, Magnolia Marketing Communications and Bsquare Corporation
  • Staring Down the Street: State Street’s Fearless Girl, State Street Corporation (with support from Ogilvy Public Relations)

Branding Campaign

WINNER
NBA G League
FleishmanHillard and Gatorade

Honorable Mentions

  • Destiny 2 Launch Campaign, Activision Publishing, Bungie, PMK*BNC, Step 3
  • Nutrition International Rebrand, GMMB and Nutrition International
  • Ortho Dermatologics Rebranding, EvolveMKD and Ortho Dermatologics
  • M&M’s Caramel Launch, Weber Shandwick and M&M’s
  • Unveiling Hitachi Vantara, Hitachi Vantara
  • Moving to a Unified Ascension Brand, Ascension and Nick Ragone
  • Communicating Call of Duty: WWII’s Return to the Franchise’s Roots, PMKBNC, Step 3 and RED Consultancy for Activision

Cause-Related Marketing

WINNER
PA Blue Ribbon Champion for Kids
Nell McCormack Abom Communications and Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance

Honorable Mentions

  • 2017 Home is the Key Campaign, Porter Novelli and Habitat for Humanity International
  • Red Nose Day 2017, Weber Shandwick and M&M’s
  • Pet Diabetes Month, Stein IAS and Merck Animal Health-Caninsulin
  • Aflac Holiday Helpers Give $50,000 to Families in Need, Aflac
  • Close Before You Doze, UL and UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute

Community Relations Campaign

WINNER
Plants with a Purpose
Seymour PR and Sabra Dipping Company

Honorable Mentions

  • Save the Sign: Preserving a Boston Icon, CITGO/Burson-Marsteller
  • Dyno Nobel Ammonia Plant Opening, DEVENEY and Dyno Nobel
  • Renovation Across the Nation, Lowe’s

Content Marketing & Brand Journalism

WINNER
.future Podcast
Microsoft

Honorable Mentions

  • “My God, It’s Better”: Emma Can Write Again Thanks to a Prototype Watch, Raising Hope for Parkinson’s Disease, Microsoft
  • A Lost Boy and a Father’s Search: How Microsoft Technology Helped Solve a Four-Year Mystery, Microsoft
  • For the Love of Aaron, and All Children Who May Be Susceptible to SIDS, Microsoft
  • With New Microsoft Breakthroughs, General Purpose Quantum Computing Moves Closer to Reality, Microsoft News Center
  • High-fives All Around as Young Inventor Fits Girl with a Robotic Hand, Microsoft
  • Cashless Cities Interactive Data Visualization, Visa Inc./Beyond Words Studio

Corporate Social Responsibility

WINNER
No Ducking the Disconnect: Aflac Gets Serious About Corporate Perception Gap
Aflac

Honorable Mentions

  • Sunshine, Turk Telekom
  • 2017 Sustainability Report, “Working Smart for the Long Term,” Domtar
  • Talking Paintings, Turk Telekom
  • CSR, RB

Crisis Communications

WINNER
T-Mobile Responds to Natural Disasters
T-Mobile USA

Honorable Mentions

  • Lowe’s Weathers a Record Hurricane Season, Lowe’s
  • Managing Communications in the Storm of the Century, DTE Energy Corporate Communications

Event Marketing

WINNER
National Work from Home Week (#WFHWeek)
Logitech

Honorable Mentions

  • Lowe’s Renovation Across the Nation, AgencyMSI and Boys & Girls Clubs of America
  • Propel Co:Labs Fitness Festival, FleishmanHillard and Propel Electrolyte Water
  • Brunch with a Purpose, Maggiano’s Little Italy
  • 2017 Race for Every Child, Mission Partners and Children’s Hospital Foundation
  • McDonald’s B-Boy Royale, IW Group and McDonald’s

Location-Based Campaign

WINNER
Be A Smart Ash
GroundFloor Media and Denver Parks & Recreation

Honorable Mentions

  • Racing to Recruit Patients in Indy for the VENUS Clinical Trial, Merryman Communications and Active Implants
  • McDonald’s B-Boy Royale, IW Group and McDonald’s
  • You Gotta See This Place, Carson-Newman University

Media Pitch

WINNER
Signpost Trumps the News Cycle
SHIFT Communications and Signpost

Honorable Mentions

  • The 2016 Aflac Open Enrollment Survey, Hill+Knowlton Strategies and Aflac
  • Social Saw It Coming, Hotwire and Socialbakers
  • Love at First Lift: A Dream Wedding at Planet Fitness, ICR and Planet Fitness
  • #VerHIGHzon, T-Mobile USA

PR on a Shoestring

WINNER
#BlackwithBlue for Mobile Stü
Allen & Gerritsen and Mobile Stü

Honorable Mentions

  • POPNatural, Volume PR and POPNatural
  • Villa Italian Kitchen’s Pizza-Kini, BML Public Relations and Villa Italian Kitchen
  • Gut Check: Dad Bods Rule, ICR and Planet Fitness
  • Denton County Transportation Authority Increases Brand Awareness with I-35E vs. A-train Campaign, Denton County Transportation Authority
  • UPS Road Code, AgencyMSI and Boys & Girls Clubs of America
  • T-Mobile Fires Back at the Duopoly, T-Mobile

Social Media Campaign

WINNER
Don’t Quack Under the GRAMMY Awards Spotlight: Aflac Sets Company Record on Twitter
Aflac

Honorable Mentions

  • #WeAreCisco #LoveWhereYouWork #Maythe4th Be With You, Cisco Talent Brand
  • Ferrovial #UrbanPeek Instagram campaign, Ferrovial
  • Emeril’s Meril Restaurant Social Media Launch, DEVENEY and Emeril Lagasse Restaurants
  • Are You The 4 Percent?, Delta Dental of Colorado
  • #LetsTrumpAddiction, CURA Strategies and Advocates for Opioid Recovery
  • #freestyle50 challenge, Verizon, 300 Entertainment, KWL Management, IW Group, LAGRANT COMMUNICATIONS, VPE Public Relations, Weber Shandwick

Traditional Campaign

WINNER
"End of an Era": Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company Closure
iQ 360

Honorable Mentions

  • SafeHouse Chicago, Heron Agency and SafeHouse Chicago
  • The 2016 Aflac Open Enrollment Survey, Hill+Knowlton Strategies and Aflac
  • Malwarebytes First Annual State of Ransomware Report, MIX Public Relations and Malwarebytes
  • Bringing Industry-wide Recognition to Cuba’s First Independent Video Game: How Gregory FCA Helped Garner Funding and U.S. Acceptance for “Savior” and its Cuban Developers, Gregory FCA and Savior
  • Life in Full Bloom, GdB Pitch and Bailey Nurseries
  • American Professional Series Guitars: Fender Speaks to Next Generation Players, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation

Viral Campaign

WINNER
Staring Down the Street: State Street’s Fearless Girl,
State Street Corporation (with support from Ogilvy Public Relations)

Honorable Mentions

  • PR Campaign for Bonsticks Toys, LLC Eurotorg
  • Love at First Lift: A Dream Wedding at Planet Fitness, ICR and Planet Fitness
  • Gut Check: Dad Bods Rule, ICR and Planet Fitness Womanizer, MSR Communications
  • #freestyle50, Challenge Verizon, 300 Entertainment, KWL Management, IW Group, LAGRANT COMMUNICATIONS, VPE Public Relations, Weber Shandwick
  • Gatorade—Make Defeat Your Fuel, FleishmanHillard and Gatorade

Publications

Annual Report

WINNER
Foundations for Transformation: 2017 Sustainability Report
American Cleaning Institute

Blog

WINNER
Knee Pain News: A Blog to Point Patients to Potential Relief
Merryman Communications and Active Implants

Honorable Mentions

  • Corporate Blog, Vizient, Inc.
  • Life at Cisco Blog, Cisco Talent Brand
  • Brand Journalism by Ferrovial, Ferrovial
  • DXC Blogs, DXC Technology
  • Travelzoo Blog, Praytell Agency and Travelzoo
  • Rapid Fire Friday, Praytell Agency and Dynamic Signal

Digital Publication

WINNER
Member Newsletters
Vizient, Inc.

Honorable Mentions

  • Today Brings a World of Weight Loss, SHIFT Communications and Slimming World

Online Newsroom

WINNER
Microsoft News Center
Microsoft

Honorable Mentions

  • Online Newsroom, Vizient, Inc.
  • BCBST News Center, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
  • com, Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Businesses

Press Kit

WINNER
Marea Subsea Cable Press Kit
Microsoft

Honorable Mentions

  • Microsoft Education Event Press Kit, Microsoft
  • Gatorade Bars “Break for Fuel” Press Kits, FleishmanHillard

Print Publication

WINNER
Raytheon 2016 Corporate Responsibility Report
Raytheon Company

Honorable Mentions

  • Leveraging Toolkits to Empower Employers to Advance Value-Based Care, CURA Strategies and the Purchaser Value Network
  • NYISO Power Trends 2017, New York Independent System Operator (NYISO)
  • Where the Casino Money Goes, Cherokee Nation Businesses
  • Anadisgoi magazine, Cherokee Nation Businesses
  • Foundations for Transformation: 2017 Sustainability Report, American Cleaning Institute

Website

WINNER
Microsoft News Center
Microsoft

Honorable Mentions

  • Cisco Careers | Join the #WeAreCisco Tribe, Cisco
  • Aflac Launches CSR Microsite, FleishmanHillard and KWI with Aflac

Campaigns by Industry

Education Campaign

WINNER
Demystifying Guitar Education: Fender Play Inspires Next Generation Players to Learn Guitar
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation

Finance or Utilities Campaign

WINNER
Motivating the Modern Millennial Homebuyer with Relatable Insights
Bank of America with Burson-Marsteller

Honorable Mentions

  • The Birth of Consensus, Water & Wall Group and Investor Stewardship Group
  • The Georges Are Coming! Ally Promotes “Hardest Working Dollar” Campaign by Putting Troop of Fun-loving George Washingtons to Work, Tier One Partners and Ally Financial
  • From Here. For Here., Brownstein Group and AmeriGas
  • Momentum Leadership Expo 2017, Hawaiian Electric Companies

Food & Beverage Campaign

WINNER
Chili's Is Back, Baby, Chili's Grill & Bar
Chili's Grill & Bar

Honorable Mentions

  • McDelivery, The Narrative Group and McDonald’s
  • Villa Italian Kitchen’s Pumpkin Spice Pizza, BML Public Relations and Villa Italian Kitchen
  • Emeril’s Meril Restaurant Opens with a BAM!, DEVENEY and Emeril Lagasse
  • RAGÚ Rose Parade: Simmered in Tradition, Hill+Knowlton Strategies and RAGÚ
  • Hooters Mother’s Day Campaign, Largemouth Communications and Hooters of America, LLC

Health Care Campaign

WINNER
#LetsTrumpAddiction
CURA Strategies and Advocates for Opioid Recovery

Honorable Mentions

  • Creating Differentiation in a Saturated Market for a Cosmetic Dentist, SowGrow Public Relations and Flax Dental
  • Are You The 4 Percent?, Delta Dental Social Media Collaborative
  • I Care. I Share. Employee Giving Campaign 2017, Mission Partners and Children’s Hospital Foundation

Hospitality, Travel & Tourism Campaign

WINNER
DEVENEY Breaks Records for the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau
DEVENEY and New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau

Honorable Mentions

  • 50th Anniversary Marketing Campaign, Suasion Communications Group and Montreal Beach Resort
  • Crystal Takes Luxury to New Heights with Crystal Skye, Crystal/Finn Partners
  • Travelzoo and Tourism Ireland Partnership, Praytell Agency and Travelzoo

Sports or Outdoor Campaign

WINNER
McDonald's B-Boy Royale
IW Group and McDonald's

Honorable Mentions

  • Phoenix Rising FC: Helping a Local Team Become a National Contender, RIESTER and Phoenix Rising FC
  • Engaging Athletes to Bring Call of Duty Back to Its WWII Roots, Activision & PMK*BNC

Technology Campaign

WINNER
#freestyle50 challenge
Verizon, 300 Entertainment, KWL Management, IW Group, LAGRANT COMMUNICATIONS, VPE Public Relations, Weber Shandwick

Honorable Mentions

  • Launching Bluetooth Mesh Networking, INK Communications Co. and Bluetooth Special Interest Group
  • eSight Launch, Uproar PR and eSight
  • MEDJACK—Medical Device Hijack Campaign, 10Fold Communications and TrapX Security
  • Global Fishing Watch Launch, Oceana DynaTrap, PulpPR and DynaTrap

PR Events

Contest or Giveaway

WINNER
Kid Food Nation Recipe Competition
Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada

Honorable Mentions

  • #WeAreCisco #LoveWhereYouWork #Maythe4th Be With You, Cisco Talent Brand
  • Fan Favorite Song Giveaway: Launching the Special Edition M50xRD Headphones, lotus823 and Audio-Technica
  • #freestyle50 challenge, Verizon, 300 Entertainment, KWL Management, IW Group, LAGRANT COMMUNICATIONS, VPE Public Relations, Weber Shandwick     

Influencer Event

WINNER
Engaging Athletes to Bring Call of Duty Back to Its WWII Roots
Activision & PMK*BNC

Honorable Mention

  • McDonald’s and Pasión for Fútbol: ICC Soccer Championship PR and Social Strategy, BODEN and McDonald’s USA

Press Event

WINNER
XPRIZE Brings Star Trek Science Fiction to Reality
Merryman Communications and XPRIZE

Honorable Mentions

  • Bottled Recycled Water Campaign Launch, Orange County Water District, Orange County Sanitation District, Dick Jones Communications
  • Xeo-Men Hits the Road, EvolveMKD and Xeomin
  • CHAMPION THE TROPHY, Edelman and Heineken
  • Oticon Opn Rocks: World’s First Live Concert Broadcast to Hearing Aid Wearers, Gregory FCA and Oticon
  • Working on the Edge, Aurora Strategy Group and Union of Canadian Correctional Officers

Product or Service Launch

WINNER
Unlimited 55+
T-Mobile USA

Honorable Mentions

  • McDelivery, The Narrative Group and McDonald’s
  • Obalon Balloon System Product Launch, EvolveMKD and Obalon Therapeutics
  • Now You’re Cookin’ with Char-Broil’s SmartChef® Gas Grill, SHIFT Communications and Char-Broil
  • M&M’s Caramel Launch, Weber Shandwick and M&M’s
  • NOVATION Rice Starch Launch Campaign, Stein IAS and Ingredion (EMEA)
  • WaveNewYork, SweeneyVesty and Kaynemaile

Publicity Stunt

WINNER
Official Home of Winter Campaign—Six More Weeks PR Stunt
Break the Ice Media and Visit Syracuse

Honorable Mentions

  • Building Cure Groundbreaking Celebration, Seattle Children’s
  • T-Mobile ONEsie, T-Mobile USA

Grand Prize

Grand Prize: PR CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

GRAND PRIZE
Staring Down the Street: State Street’s Fearless Girl
State Street Corporation (with support from Ogilvy Public Relations)

Honorable Mentions

  • The Power of Connected World Tour, Honeywell Aerospace
  • The American Writers Museum Grand Opening, Heron Agency and American Writers Museum
  • No Ducking the Disconnect: Aflac Gets Serious About Corporate Perception Gap, Aflac
  • Unveiling Hitachi Vantara, Hitachi Vantara
  • Make Dust History, Tech Image and Bosch Power Tool
  • #freestyle50 challenge, Verizon, 300 Entertainment, KWL Management, IW Group, LAGRANT COMMUNICATIONS, VPE Public Relations, Weber Shandwick