Pele Awards for Advertising Go To Four Maui Designers

Carlo Carbajal, creative director, Carbajal Designs shows his 2011 Pele for Outdoor Advertising murals at Whole Foods Maui. Photo courtesy of Carbajal Design.

By Sonia Isotov

Four Maui design firms walked away with several 2010 Pele Awards each, from the American Advertising Federation (AAF) Hawaii Chapter’s 2010-11 Pele Awards Show, at the historic Hawaii Theatre, on Oahu.

From over 700 entries statewide and representing the best in Hawaii advertising and design work, Agape Design, SAE Design, Carbajal Design, and the Maui Time Weekly brought home Pele awards. Categories ranged from Sales Promotion Campaigns, Outdoor Advertising, Special Judge’s recognition, to Package Design.

Every year, advertising and design professionals submit their work for judging, by national design experts brought in especially for the Pele Awards, with winners going on to compete at the national level in the AAF’s prestigious ADDY awards.

Cover of MauiTime's Pele winning 3-D issue. Photo courtesy of Mauitime.

This year, MauiTime won the prestigious 2011 Special Judge’s Award in the Design Category for its issue entitled “The Best of Maui 2010 in 3D”.

“This award is a credit to the hard work and innovative thinking of our entire team–from design to editorial to sales. We’re proud to provide our readers with exciting, dynamic coverage of the things that matter on Maui, and delivering our biggest, most popular issue of the year in 3D–a first for any newspaper as far as we’re aware–was a part of that commitment,” said, Jacob Shafer, editor of MauiTime, the local independent newspaper.

Pele Award winning guest collateral designed by Agape Design for the Four Seasons Maui. Photo courtesy of Agape Design.

“Agape Design is honored to earn 9 various Pele Awards for 2011 and be a team member along side with our clients to develop effective designs for their marketing and communication,” said, Janlisa Potratz, Designer, Agape Design, of her wins in the Sales Promotion Campaign, Specialty Advertising, and Sales Promotion-Package Design-Single categories.

“You are not designing for yourself, the client is most important,” said Janlisa Potratz, designer, Agape Design, who graciously attributed her accomplishments to having collaborative relationships with key clients.

Recently, she worked with the Four Seasons Maui to do an overhaul of all printed in-room printed materials, and remarked on their keen eye for design and thoughtful guidance. “We got them what they needed. And they loved it.” Potratz went on to say that the design is only as good as what it means to the client and to the success of the clients business, referring to her work as “a form of communication—visual communication”.

An exterior wood panel designed by Carbajal Designs for the Whole Foods Market in Kahului. Photo courtesy of Carbajal Designs.

Carlo Carbajal, principal creative for Carbajal Designs and Carbajal Illustrations based in Makawao, won in the Outdoor Advertising category with a mural he designed for the Whole Food Market in Kahului.

“The Peles were the starting point of work for me. It made an annual opportunity for me to meet with Hawaii’s agencies and creatives. The Pele Awards are a valuable measure of all of Hawaii’s advertising professionals, and it inspires my work each year.” Said Carbajal, who also serves as creative director, art director, graphic designer, photographer and illustrator for his two companies.

Carbajal originally entered 4 pieces of work in a wide variety of categories (Annual Report for Maui Memorial Medical Center, Flash Website for DavidSerenoLaw.com, Illustration for Honolulu Business Magazine, and Outdoor Advertising for Whole Foods Market), but it was the Outdoor Advertising that won for a series of large format murals designed, illustrated and manufactured for Whole Foods. They include photography, illustration, typographic and hand drawn elements.

SAE Design won the Pele Award for is Puzzle Box designed for the Halekulani Hotel (O`hu). Photo courtesy of SAE Design.

On her 2 Pele wins this year at the AAF-Hawaii Awards Show, Saedene Ota, owner and chief creative at SAE Designs also acknowledged her clients in saying, “We’ve been in business for nearly 14 years and have been extremely fortunate to have built solid client relationships and great brands on Maui, Oahu and Kona. By integrating my mainland schooling and professional experience with my local upbringing, the SAE Design team has been able to build appropriate, unique and sophisticated brands. From Hawaiian Springs Water to Alii Kula Lavender, we approach each challenge with thoughtful and integrated design solutions.”

Over the course of her career, Saedene Ota, has won more  30 Pele Awards, two Best of Show, and two National Silver Addy’s, as well as been named Hawaii Advertising Woman of the Year.

To enter the Pele Awards, work must have been conceived and created within the Hawaiian Islands, although production services may be used outside of Hawaii. With the exception of Public Service Advertising, Advertising for the Arts, and Advertising Industry Self Promotion categories, work entered must have been the result of paid creative services and media placement in the normal course of business.

The Pele Awards is a District 13 National AAF-ADDY Competition.  All Pele Award winners are automatically forwarded to compete in the National AAF-ADDY competition with the winners announced on June 4, 2011 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel & Resort.

List of Pele Award Winners 2011 for the island of Maui (Award Category, Title of Work, Client, Design Company):

SAE Design's Pele Award winning packaging entry for 100 Mile Lifestyle at Aina Gourmet Market. Photo courtesy of SAE Design.

SPECIAL JUDGE’S AWARD – DESIGN
“The Best of Maui 2010 in 3D”
MauiTime Weekly

SALES PROMOTION – MENU DESIGN
Silver
“Compendium Cover Design & Inside Pages”
Client: Azul & Koloa Landing on Poipu Beach
Agape Design

SALES PROMOTION – CAMPAIGN
PELE
“Four Seasons Guest Campaign”
Client: Four Seasons – Wailea
Agape Design

Bronze
“Parc Chic Surf Campaign”
Client: Waikiki Parc Hotel
SAE Design

SALES PROMOTION  – PACKAGE DESIGN – SINGLEPELE
“100 Mile Lifestyle”
Client: Aina Gourmet Market
SAE Design

More "puzzle box" designs from the Pele Award winning entry from SAE Design. Photo courtesy of SAE Design.

PACKAGE DESIGN – SERIES
PELE
“Puzzle Box”
Client: Halekulani
SAE Design

Bronze
“Maui’s Honey”
Client: Tropical Apiary Products of Maui
SAE Design

COLLATERAL – BROCHURE CAMPAIGN
Silver
“Four Seasons In-Room Campaign”
Client: Four Seasons – Wailea
Agape Design

COMPLETTE PUBLICATION DESIGN – ACCEPTING ADVERTISING
Bronze
“The Best of Maui 2010 in 3D”
MauiTime Weekly

SPECIALTY ADVERTISING
PELE
“Four Seasons Maui Complete Campaign”
Client: Four Seasons Maui
Agape Design

Bronze
“In-Room Memo Pad”
Client: Four Seasons-Wailea
Agape Design

OUT OF HOME – SITE EXTERIOR
PELE
“Whole Foods Market – Maui Flagship Store Exterior”
Client: Whole Foods
Carbajal Design

ADVERTISING FOR THE ARTS – POSTERS
Bronze
“MACC Benefit Event”
Client: Maui Arts & Cultural Center
Agape Design

TRAVEL & TOURISM – COLLATERAL
Silver
“Four Seasons Resort”
Client: Four Seasons Maui
Agape Design

Bronze
“Compendium Book”
Client: Azul & Koloa Landing at Poipu Beach
Agape Design

TRAVEL & TOURISM – MIXED/MULTI MEDIA CAMPAIGN
Silver
“Four Seasons Guest Services Campaign”
Client: Four Seasons Maui
Agape Design