It's that time of year again. A time to look back on all the work you've done in the past year and select those projects you want to enter into the Hermes Awards show.

The ADDY® Awards is the advertising industry’s largest and most representative competition, attracting over 50,000 entries every year in local ADDY® competitions. The mission of the ADDY competition is to recognize and reward creative excellence in the art of advertising.

Conducted annually by the American Advertising Federation (AAF), the Hermes/ADDY® Awards is the first of a three-tier, national competition. Concurrently, all across the country, local entrants vie for recognition as the very best in their markets. At the second tier, local winners compete against other winners in one of 14 District competitions. District winners are then forwarded to the third tier, the national ADDY® Awards competition. Entry in the HERMES/ADDY competition is the first step toward winning a national ADDY®.

Dates to Know

CALL FOR ENTRIES - Entries will be accepted at our Hermes Happy Hour:  Friday, January 14th from 4-8pm at Brixx Ice Company.
Late entries, with a $25 per entry additional charge, will be accepted Monday, January 17th from 11am-noon at Yeck Brothers Company, 2222 Arbor Blvd.

HERMES AWARDS CEREMONY - The big show will be on Saturday, February 26 at the Dayton Masonic Center. Reservation information to come.

How to Enter

There are a few steps here. If you're a new entrant, this may be of help (and even if you're not it's a refresher):
1.  Click on this link to access the rules and categories. The first page is a check list which will help you make sure you have everything you need before turning in your entries.
2. After you've figured out what you're entering and in what categories, you'll go to the online entry site by clicking on this link. You'll create a login, fill out the contact information and then begin filling out the entry form.
3. Assemble your entries as indicated in the rules and categories document. Note, you'll need a copy of each entry form with the entry AND a copy of each attached to the manifest.
4. Bring your entries to the Call for Entry site listed above and also in the rules and categories.
5. Mark your calendar for Saturday, February 26th for the Hermes Awards Ceremony!

Entry Fees
Entry fee for Greater Dayton Ad Association and Dayton Creative Syndicate members is $65 per entry. Non-member fee is $100 per entry. Student fee is $40 per entry. Entry fee for The Best Ad That Never Ran category is $30 per for members and $40 for non-members.

New for this Year

Broadcast, Audio Visual or Computer Presentation Entries
For audio entries, audio CD's are the only accepted audio format.  No AIFF, MP3, WMV, or WAV files.

Elements of Advertising
Entries may only be entered in the CBSA, DMA or MSA in which it was created by the original creator of the work, not the agency who commissioned the work.

Collateral Material
In Stationery package, @font-face { font-family: "LucidaSans-Bold"; }@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }@font-face { font-family: "LucidaSans"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }

5A      Flat Printed. Flat printed stationery. May contain one or more pieces of letterhead, envelope and/or business cards. Any number of inks may be used.
5B      Multiple Process. Any multiple process stationery. May contain one or more pieces of letterhead, envelope and/or business cards. Any number of inks and processes (such as thermography, engraving, embossing, die-cutting, foil stamping, folding, etc.) may be used.

Advertising Industry Self-Promotion
There is now a differentiation between printed and online newsletters:

69D Newsletter, Printed
69E Newsletter, Online

Internet/Interactive Media

New categories:

36F    Online Annual Report. Any Annual Report created to be viewed online.

36H Mobile Marketing. Any ad or message displayed on a mobile phone or PDA. (This includes smartphone apps and text messages.)
Mobile Marketing or Text Messaging may enter using screen shots or CD.
We are not requiring 5 CD for disk based entries this year.

Television
In TV Self-Promotion, commercials can only be run locally to be entered in this category.

Contact with Questions or Sponsorship Information
Have questions or interested in being a sponsor?  Please contact:
Hermes chair Jim Hausfeld at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 937-224-1137, or
GDAA/DCS Executive Director Sara McCatherine at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 937-248-4697.