2 Maui Companies Take Pele Ad Awards

“Grrrr I’m in” for Aqua Hotels & Resorts by SAE Design wont he Gold Pele Award. Courtesy photo.

By Sonia Isotov

On Saturday, April 27, the 2013 American Advertising Federation District 13 held their annual Pele Awards at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and two Maui companies placed in the winners categories.

“We had a bunch of entrants from Maui but only had two companies that won awards this year,” said Paul Lam, a spokesperson for the Pele Awards, in reference to wins by SAE Deisgn and ZL Design, both Maui-based companies.

SAE Design was recognized for the highest honor of a Pele Gold award in the specialty advertising category (other merchandise) for their “Grrr I’m In” campaign for the Aqua Hotels & Resorts.

SAE Design, a Wailuku-based graphic design company, also took home bronze awards in the category of logo design for their “Salt” campaign for Pomei A.D.; in the menu design category for their “Aperitif at La Mer” for the Hotels & Resorts of Halekulani; and in the collateral material (brochure design) category for their “A Journey Like No Other,” also for Hotels & Resorts of Halekulani.

ZL Designs, a Lahaina-based graphic design company, took home a silver award in the category of Outdoor Board (Interior Still or Static) for their “Aina Gormet Market” design.

A Silver Pele Award went ZL Design for their Outdoor Board (Interior Still or Static) for their “Aina Gourmet Market” design.

The Pele Awards recognizes the best advertising and design work created in Hawaii during the preceding calendar year – January to December 2012.

This year, over 100 companies competed in 18 category groups. Hundreds of art directors, copywriters, designers, and other industry professionals worked towards this award presentation to see how their creative stacks up to the competition.

There are three levels of awards: bronze, silver, and Pele gold. Bronze and silver will receive regional ADDY medals in recognition of their achievement. And Pele Gold winners will receive the coveted Pele trophy. All Pele gold winners will also automatically compete in the National ADDY Competition held this past weekend.

SAE Design was also honored for winning a 2012 National Silver ADDY for “In Room Collateral” for client, The Modern Hotel.