ADDY(R) Best of Show Goes to McCann-Erickson San Francisco for Microsoft XBOX 360; Agency Also Wins ADDY Mosaic Award for Multicultural Advertising.

SAN FRANCISCO -- The American Advertising Federation (AAF) announced the coveted ADDY(R) Awards Best of Show winner, along with the Gold and Silver ADDY honorees. The awards were announced at the ADDY Awards Gala in San Francisco, Calif. at the AAF National Conference 2006.

The ADDY Best of Show National goes to McCann-Erickson of San Francisco, Calif. for its "Jump Rope" ad for Microsoft XBOX 360. The high-energy national television commercial shows people of all ages, ethnicities and skill levels participating in double Dutch jump rope and has the tagline "Jump In." This marks the first time a Best of Show winner has also been honored with the ADDY Mosaic Award for multicultural advertising.

"This extreme double Dutch jump rope jam metaphorically captures the excitement and social aspect of the new generation X Box 360," said Mark Tutssel, worldwide chief creative officer, Leo Burnett and Chairman of the 2006 ADDY Awards. "It was shot completely in-camera in one take. This is a beautifully crafted piece of work, and the soundtrack is inspired."

The ADDY Best of Show International goes to TAXI Canada of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, for its "Golf/Office/Coach/Elevator" local TV campaign for Pfizer Canada Inc. The ads for Viagra show, in various locales and situations, users of the medication describing its effects, but with the explanation beeped out by the little blue pill.

The second annual Student ADDY Best of Show goes to Grant Minnis of the Miami Ad School, Miami Beach, Fla., for his "Vespa Card Insert" magazine campaign, with the tagline "Mastering City Life".

A Student ADDY Special Judges Award for Design went to Cristina Schuett of the Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, Calif. for her "Treat Skincare & Cosmetics" packaging.

A full list of awardees can be obtained at www.addycompetition.com or by contacting Mary Hilton at [e-mail]. The awards will be celebrated at the ADDY Awards gala, with celebrity Master of Ceremonies Joe Piscopo, on Sunday, June 11. The gala is held in conjunction with the AAF National Conference 2006 in San Francisco.

From this year's 58,000 local grassroots ADDY Awards entries, 1,857 were judged in the national competition. The awards are becoming more competitive and prestigious, as a grand total of 69 Gold ADDY Awards and 104 Silver ADDY Awards were awarded for work done in 2005-2006. Continuing the AAF's tradition of promoting advertising education, this year marks the second annual national Student ADDY Awards. There were 222 Student ADDYs judged, resulting in nine Student Gold and 14 Student Silver ADDY Awards and one special judges award. Of this year's finalists, 1,635 were professional entries, resulting in 60 Gold ADDYs and 90 Silver ADDYs.

The American Advertising Federation's (AAF) ADDY Awards honor excellence in advertising and cultivate the highest creative standards in the industry. With 58,000 entries and three separate judgings, the ADDY Awards are the world's largest advertising competition and arguably the toughest. Each fall the competition begins at the local level with the over 200 AAF member clubs nationwide. The local winners advance to 14 district competitions, and those winners advance to the national finals. Less than one percent of entries receive a national ADDY Award.

The American Advertising Federation (AAF), headquartered in Washington, D.C., acts as the "Unifying Voice for Advertising." The AAF is the oldest national advertising trade association, representing 50,000 professionals in the advertising industry. The AAF has a national network of 200 ad clubs located in ad communities across the country. Through its 215 college chapters, the AAF provides 6,500 advertising students with real-world case studies and recruitment connections to corporate America. The AAF also has 130 blue-chip corporate members that are advertisers, agencies and media companies, comprising the nation's leading brands and corporations. For more information, visit the AAF's Web site at www.aaf.org.