Stone Ward is proud to have recently been named a 2018 Public Relations Society of America Bronze Anvil Award of Commendation winner for its “Love, Little Rock” campaign. Executed on behalf of the Little Rock Regional Chamber and the city of Little Rock, “Love, Little Rock” was recognized in the “Word-of-Mouth (Viral, Buzz, Talk Triggers)” category, honoring tactics that “get key audiences talking or provide an avenue for conversation using different techniques.” The Bronze Anvil awards are presented by the Public Relations Society of America.

For more than 45 years, the Bronze Anvil Awards have celebrated the “best of the best” in public relations tactics. Stone Ward was one of only 82 organizations chosen for this year’s awards, among 525 entries. This demonstrates the high standards applied by the judges in their evaluation process.

Other campaigns recognized in the “Word-of-Mouth” category included Universal Pictures with Zumba for its work in promoting the movie, “Despicable Me 3,” and Jack Links for its “Runnin’ With Sasquatch” campaign. American Greeting Cards was named the category winner for its “Device Like No Other” campaign unveiled at CES. A full list of winners is available here.

Love, Little Rock” has truly become a rallying cry for the Little Rock Region and has captured the attention of national site selectors by positioning Little Rock as a city ripe for economic development. Its tongue-in-cheek “breakup letter” to Amazon, beginning with the now-famous line “It’s not you, it’s us,” allowed the agency to celebrate the city’s resources and benefits with site selectors.

Starting with a full-page ad in the Washington Post, owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, on the RFP deadline, “Love, Little Rock” has since been featured or mentioned in nearly 1,000 pieces of print, online and broadcast news coverage totaling more than one billion potential impressions.