Chong Partners Architecture Wins Two SMPS Marketing Communications Awards; Firm Takes First in Advertising Category for Sacramento Project, Third in Special Event for San Francisco Project, Confirming Full-Service Identity Design Capabilities.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Are all buildings architecture? Can architecture heal? Who owns the city? Answering those questions and others through a series of advertisements helped earn Chong Partners Architecture first place in the large firm advertising category of the Society for Marketing Professional Services' (SMPS) annual Marketing Communications Awards. The firm also won third place in the special event category.

Anna Lai, director of graphics design for Chong Partners, oversaw both efforts and accepted the awards on the firm's behalf at the New Orleans Marriott Hotel during a joint national conference for SMPS and the Professional Services Management Association (PSMA).

In addition to being one of the fastest-growing architecture firms in the United States, Chong Partners began offering full-service identity design with logo, Web site, direct mail, signage and all other corporate advertising capabilities, just this year.

"Marketing communications and graphics design have long been a part of Chong Partners' portfolio, but we only recently converted it to a core competency," said Gordon Chong, founder and president of Chong Partners. "To already be judged by your peers, clients, outside experts and leading industry journalists as being among the best in your field is a tremendous honor."

For the advertising campaign, which ran in Sacramento, Calif., the firm developed a series of seven eye-catching burnt-orange and gray ads contrasted with a single question in white type on each. Corresponding Web site addresses directed people to the answers. For example, the campaign's flagship question -- "Are all buildings architecture?" -- is answered at http://www.chongpartners.com/question1.html. You learn there that yes indeed, all structures "can be designed as architecture, but the objective needn't be creating an iconic landmark. Buildings can exist quietly, but meaningfully."

The other four questions were: Your office speaks ... do you know what it says? Is originality important? Is the modern city walkable? And finally -- Can architecture teach?

"The strategy was to create ads that would provoke thinking about architecture and how it improves our communities," Lai said.

Pamela Wolfe-Konrad created the concept for the series of advertising pieces; Louis Kaufmann wrote the text; and David Garner built the accompanying Web pages.

Penny Benda drafted the copy for the special event piece, an invitation developed for an open house in San Francisco. It tells the story of the firm succinctly, yet powerfully as four sections are unfolded. The first panel states simply: "One founder." That's followed by "Five partners" and "Four offices."

"The final frame emphasizes where we're at now with more than 180 employees across four major markets in two countries," Lai said. "We wanted to show the evolution and expansion of the company, anchored by a solid foundation."

Entries were judged in five categories: marketing objectives, creativity, quality, content and results. All winning pieces were on display during the conference.

The annual award program for the Society for Marketing Professional Services recognizes excellence in marketing communications by professional service firms in the design and building industry. Awards are presented in 18 categories. Open to both SMPS members and nonmembers, the program provides an unparalleled opportunity for firms to showcase their best marketing efforts each year. More information is available at http://www.smps.org

Chong Partners -- which also has been well decorated recently for architecture, winning a number of local and national awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) -- has offices in San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego and London. The firm provides strategic planning, urban design, architectural design, interior design and graphic design services to clients in the healthcare, education, civic, institutional and commercial fields.

Distinguished by a community and knowledge-based practice, Chong Partners emphasizes the importance of design to build livable communities and to foster social, cultural and ecological values. More information is available at http://www.chongpartners.com