New Jersey Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America Honors 12 Organizations and Three Individuals for Excellence in Public Relations

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- A campaign that brought the Jersey Shore to the heart of Manhattan and a digital communications campaign to launch a car exclusively via a mobile platform demonstrated the extensive applications of public relations and received top honors in the 20th annual Pyramid Awards, held June 9 at the Basking Ridge Country Club in Basking Ridge, N.J. Sponsored by the New Jersey Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA NJ), the Pyramid Awards honor the state's best work and top practitioners in the field. More than 80 examples of public relations campaigns and single-tactic entries competed for 21 awards.

"From marketing communications to government affairs to non-profit campaigns, some of the finest work in the public relations industry is created and implemented by New Jersey-based corporations, PR firms and practitioners," said Ken Hunter, president of PRSA NJ. "The 2010 class of PRSA NJ Pyramid Award winners represents an incredible array of work, reinforcing the tremendous value of public relations in helping organizations raise awareness and build and protect its brand."

PRSA NJ awarded MWW Group, of East Rutherford, N.J.; and Brushfire Inc., of Cedar Knolls, N.J.; with its coveted "Best of Show" awards.

• MWW Group received top honors in the single-item category for its campaign for Volkswagen, making the 2010 Volkswagen GTI the world's first car to be launched exclusively on an iPhone. The launch was extremely successful and driven solely by publicity – without paid media support of any kind.
• Brushfire won campaign of the year for its program for the New Jersey Division of Travel & Tourism which reminded New Yorkers of the affordable pleasures of a shore getaway by bringing the experience of a day at the beach to the heart of Manhattan. The Jersey Shore Store opened on Broadway, offering authentic tastes of the resorts' iconic pleasures, including cotton candy, sand castles, showgirls and a strip of Atlantic City boardwalk.  

Other event highlights included the following:

• John Moscatelli, Chief Operating Officer of Anne Klein Communications Group, in Mount Laurel, N.J., received the 2010 PRSA NJ Public Relations Professional of the Year award in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions to the profession of public relations in New Jersey.

• Joseph Cohen, Group Vice President of MWW Group, was recognized with the PRSA NJ Chapter Service Award in Honor of David Bressen in appreciation of his commitment and contributions to PRSA/NJ.

• New Jersey Builders Association earned PRSA NJ's Award for Excellence in recognition of its incredible accomplishments and contributions to the profession of public relations.

• PRSA NJ honored Kimberly Ciesla, of Rowan University, with the organization's Future Public Relations Professional of the Year Award which is sponsored by PR Newswire and is in honor of Joseph A. Vecchione, APR, Fellow PRSA.

Following is a list of additional 2010 Pyramid Award winners:

• Community Relations – R&J Public Relations for Somerset Medical Center

• Financial/Investor Relations – MWW Group for Emerisque

• Marketing Communications – Coyne PR for Medco Health Solutions

• Marketing Communications – Coyne PR for the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

• Crisis Communications – Anne Klein Communications Group for St. Mary Medical Center

• Crisis Communications – R&J Public Relations for Arnot Health

• Public/Governmental Affairs – R&J Public Relations for National Fire Sprinkler Association

• Public/Governmental Affairs – Flanders Fire Company & Rescue Squad

• Special Events – Communications Strategies Inc. for Teva/Plan B

• Special Events – Coyne PR for Hasbro

• Media Relations – MWW Group for IKEA North American Services LLC

• Media Relations – Stern + Associates for B. Braun Medical, Inc.

• Special Programs – Brushfire, Inc. for the NJ Division of Travel & Tourism

• Special Programs – MWW Group for the Hershey Company

• Special Programs – R&J Public Relations for New Jersey Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board

• Digital Communication/Social Media – MWW Group for Volkswagen

• Digital Communication/Social Media – Anne Klein Communications Group for Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries

• Brochures & Presentations – United Water Company

• Feature or News Article – Anne Klein Communications Group

• Online or Interactive Technology – The SPI Group for Rahway Valley Sewerage Authority

• Video Communications – ConocoPhillips

About PRSA NJ

The New Jersey Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (www.prsanj.org) was founded in 1960 and represents business and industry, counseling firms, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms, and nonprofit organizations. Its parent organization, PRSA, was chartered in 1947, and is the world's largest public relations professional organization. Based in New York City, PRSA has nearly 32,000 professional and student members organized into more than 100 Chapters nationwide, 19 Professional Interest Sections and numerous Affinity Groups. The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) has nearly 300 Chapters at colleges and universities throughout the United States.

SOURCE The New Jersey Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America