Team Gatesman Showed Up in Style to the 2023 American Advertising Awards Wearing their In-House Designed T-Shirts that Represented the Work from 2022

PITTSBURGH Apr. 28, 2023 Gatesman was honored Thursday by The American Advertising Federation with one gold and six silver ADDY® awards in recognition of outstanding creative work completed for Duquesne Light Company’s Electric Vehicle program and the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE), as well as pro-bono work to combat the Spotted Lanternfly which has become an environmental hazard in Pennsylvania.

The awards were presented at the 2022-2023 American Advertising Awards at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center in downtown Pittsburgh on April 27. The American Advertising Awards, home of the ADDY® Award, is one of the industry's largest creative competitions, attracting nearly 40,000 professional and student entries each year through competitions offered through local AAF clubs. 

“At Gatesman, we don’t just say we create an environment where creativity thrives; we prove it,” said Mark DiPietro, VP, senior creative director, Gatesman. “Anytime that we can tickle your emotions with one of the brands we touch, that’s an honor. I’m very inspired to see so many of my teammates with their names in the program.”

Gatesman’s client work earned five ADDY® awards across three campaigns.

  • The agency earned a gold ADDY® for copywriting on the No Body is Perfect campaign, as well as two silver ADDY® awards for campaign creative. The effort supported the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE), the organ procurement organization serving western Pa. and W.Va., with a goal to educate people who opt out of organ donation due to the misperception that certain physical characteristics could disqualify them. Gatesman’s campaign message drove home that while “no body is perfect,” anybody can sign up as an organ donor. The creative was pushed out via social and programmatic, earning 11.4 million impressions and an average of 62,000 website sessions. 
Gatesman Creative Director Ian Young Proudly Accepts a Gold ADDY® During the 2023 American Advertising Awards Show on April 27, 2023
Gatesman Creative Director Ian Young Proudly Accepts a Gold ADDY® During the 2023 American Advertising Awards Show on April 27, 2023
  • Gatesman also earned a silver ADDY® for another CORE campaign, launched during National Donate Life Month in April 2022, Gatesman helped CORE partner with the Pittsburgh Penguins to launch the Pittsburgh Penguins Fans Save Lives campaign. The creative effort, appropriately themed “All You Need Is An Assist,” incentivized Penguins fans to support or consider organ donation through social, programmatic, radio, earned media and in-game activations. The creative called on fans to lend an “assist” by registering as organ donors, ultimately garnering 85 new registrations and influencing thousands of people to keep organ donation top-of-mind.
  • For its work on Duquesne Light Company’s Save on Electric Everything campaign, Gatesman was recognized with a silver ADDY®. The campaign convinced target audiences to make the shift to drive electric vehicles. The campaign communicated how “taking the charge” allows people to save money and receive other energy-saving incentives. To entice people to commit to EVs, the team implemented social and print tactics to spread awareness. 

Outside of client work, Gatesman was acknowledged for the Stomp ‘em Out campaign, produced on the agency’s behalf to “squash” the spotted lanternfly population in downtown Pittsburgh.

“This was a passion project for our team,” said DiPietro. “The spotted lanternfly is an invasive species. There’s no natural predator, so the insect population explodes downtown. This means that, since they have no natural predators, we needed to enlist more shoes to stomp 'em out.”

The team designed “Stomp ‘em Out” posters and uploaded them as free-to download to encourage more Pittsburghers to join in on the cause, eventually earning Gatesman two silver ADDYs. 

“Creating things that are recognized by your peers is never easy, but that means you made something memorable,” said DiPietro. “We get to create work that makes you lean in and before you know it, we’re able to successfully attract people to what we’re trying to advertise. That’s what I love about this business.”

For more information, please visit gatesmanagency.com or keep up with #TeamGatesman on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

About Gatesman:

With offices in Pittsburgh and Chicago, Gatesman offers expertise in strategy/branding, advertising, public relations, social media, digital and analytics. Gatesman is a partner in AMIN Worldwide, an alliance of over 50 independent marketing agencies, and IPREX, a global communications network. Gatesman acquired Quest Fore in 2014 and Noble Communications in 2017.

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