Halo Awards: 2005 cause marketing winners.

The Cause Marketing Forum unveiled the winners of the 2005 Halo Awards during its annual conference in New York City in June. Each of the winning entries was a campaign that occurred in whole, or in part, during calendar year 2004 and was "designed to measurably advance the interests of both a business and a nonprofit partner or cause." Judging criteria included Conceptual Strength, Execution, Business Results and Cause Results.

Golden Halo Awards

American Heart Association. The AHA was honored for a number of campaigns including Go Red for Women, a movement to raise awareness that heart disease is the number one killer of women. National sponsors included Macy's and Pfizer. Its American Heart Walk involves more than 1 million participants and partnered with Subway and NutriSoy. The AHA's Food Certification Program was honored for providing consumers an easy way to identify heart-healthy foods.

Target. The Minneapolis-based retail giant was celebrated for its credit card program Take Charge of Education, which has raised more than $139 million for more than 100,000 K-12 schools since 1997. Target House, a "home away from home"for patient families at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Start Something, a program developed with the Tiger Woods Foundation to help children improve self-esteem and set life goals were also recognized. The company has also instituted Local Giving, a policy of empowering store leaders to give to and work with hometown organizations.

Campaign Awards

Best Social Service/Education

Gold: VH1 Save the Music: VH1 and VH1 Save the Music Foundation

In 2004,VH1 Save the Music provided $3.7 million in new instruments to school music programs. VH1 offers support with on-air promotions (including the Divas 2004 benefit concert), programs, events and celebrity talent. In eight years, the program has reached more than 500,000 children across the country.

Silver: PNC Grow Up Great: PNC Financial Services Group, Sesame Street Workshop, National Head Start Association and Family Communications

The Pittsburgh-based bank works with the National Head Start Association, Sesame Workshop and Family Communications, Inc., to develop programs to engage employee volunteers, provide grants to Head Start centers of excellence and raise awareness through advertising, public service announcements and materials for caregivers including the "Happy, Healthy, Ready for School" kit.

Best Health-related

Gold: 5 A Day The Color Way: Wal-Mart Stores and Produce for Better Health Foundation

With the goal of educating the public to eat more fruits and vegetables, Wal-Mart and the Produce for Better Health Foundation worked together on quarterly "retailtainment" events in the produce departments of 1,700 Wal-Mart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets. Each event integrated characters (e.g. Marvel Super Heroes and Shrek) into advertising, signage, educational handouts and product sampling.

Silver." Sticking Up for Breast Cancer Research: 3M and City of Hope Cancer Research Center 3M launched Post-it Super Sticky Notes imprinted with pink ribbons--the symbol of breast cancer awareness--with a portion of sales donated to City of Hope. To increase sales and awareness, 3M created the world's largest pink ribbon out of 75,000 Post-it Notes on a billboard in Times Square and launched a viral email campaign distributing a breast exam reminder program. The integrated program generated a $300,000 donation for the center and more than 125 million consumer impressions.

Best Environmental/Wildlife

Gold: Heifer Hope Blend: Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Heifer International

The co-branded "Coffee for a Better World" campaign created a dependable market for a Guatemalan coffee growers' cooperative and generated more than $300,000 worth of resources for Heifer.

Silver: Bid With Your Lid: Stonyfield Farm and National Wildlife Federation

"Bid With Your Lid" invited consumers to generate donations for environmental groups by voting on the Stonyfield Web site or sending in lids. In a three-way competition, NWF tallied more than two times the votes of its competitors. It received over $40,000 in donations from the organic dairy and substantial consumer exposure.

Best Transactional

Gold: Toys 'R' Us Holiday Toy Drive: Toys 'R' Us and Marine Toys for Tots Foundation

Unsatisfied with results of its 2003 toy drive, Toys 'R' Us teamed with the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation in 2004 and watched cash donations double to $4.1 million and toy donations triple to $3.1 million. Toy pickups by the Marines reduced the retailer's costs by $400,000.

Silver: Triple Winner Game: The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. and the Jimmy Fund of DanaFarber Cancer Institute

Stop & Shop's Triple Winner Game has raised $25 million for pediatric cancer research and care since 1991 by encouraging shoppers to contribute $1 at checkout to The Jimmy Fund. In return, consumers receive an instant winner scratch ticket good for a free product, a gift certificate or a cash prize up to $10,000. Stop & Shop's suppliers support the program by providing product prizes and paying marketing fees to participate in the campaign.

Best Joint Message

Gold: Rock the Vote at 7-Eleven: Cadbury Schweppes, 7-Eleven and Rock the Vote

America's first national, retail-based voter drive distributed more than 1 million registration forms. The campaign earned Cadbury Schweppes convenience store real estate for registration kiosks in 37 states. Music and discount promotions targeted 18-to-22-year-olds, leading to increased sales and civic engagement.

Silver: Fasten Your Seat Belts ... Go Far: Volkswagen of America and Scholastic

Working to combat the tragedy of teenagers killed in auto accidents, Volkswagen and Scholastic teamed up for the third time to provide high school teachers with classroom materials challenging students to develop "buckle up" public service announcements. The top three PSAs aired on MTV, expanding the reach of the message to an important demographic.

Best Event

Gold: Quilted Northern Ultra Komen Sponsorship Activation: Georgia-Pacific and Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

"Quilts of Inspiration" worked with ABC's "The View" to create and unveil on-air a massive quilt with squares produced by celebrities and the public. "Ultra Care Stations" at more than 100 events let consumers sample Quilted Northern. The program spiked sales and share gains and generated more than $700,000 for the Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Silver: Operation Stuffed With Hugs: Build-A-Bear Workshop and United Service Organizations (USO)

During May 2004, Operation Stuffed With Hugs distributed more than 40,000 bears to children of people serving in the military around the world. The special bears were stuffed by visitors to the Build-A-Bear Workshop's 170 stores and were distributed by the USO. The event generated millions of national and local media impressions.

Best Cause Marketing Print Creative

Gold: "Key": Whirlpool Corp., Habitat for Humanity International and Publicis Groupe

A print advertisement features a simple key shown in the palms of regular people, which symbolizes how Whirlpool and Habitat for Humanity open doors to new lives for working poor families. As part of a multifaceted alliance that includes sponsorship of Reba McIntire's concert tour, Whirlpool donates a refrigerator and range for every house built in the United States by Habitat for Humanity.

Silver: Charitable Giving Ad Campaign: JM Family Enterprises, Habitat for Humanity and Big Brothers Big Sisters

The Chalkboard Advertising Campaign grew out of JM Family Enterprises, Inc.'s mission to strengthen families in South Florida. The company created and placed ads to increase awareness of Habitat for Humanity and Big Brothers Big Sisters. A chalkboard creative approach communicates JMFE's involvement with each group and encourages readers to seek information and volunteer opportunities.