R/GA’s Greenberg conceives interactive Show + Party for ANDY Awards in New York on April 12

— Immersive Experience Will Emulate Underground Digital Art Museum and Replace Usual Long-Form Presentation —

The International ANDY Awards is planning to make some fresh, new changes in its 48th year to make the Show & Party on April 12th at Good Units in the Hudson Hotel, New York more socially-driven, creative and interactively compelling.

Conceived by ANDY Chairman Bob Greenberg (below left), Chairman/CEO/Global Chief Creative Officer, R/GA, the Show & Party will create an atmosphere reflective of the ANDY marketing campaign, including presenting winning Gold/Silver/Bronze work in a new format during the evening. This year’s sponsors include R/GA, Facebook, 24 Seven, Grey Goose Vodka, Bang Music, Post Factory and dwinQ. The program is being produced by R/GA’s Live Events division.

Cocktails and Creative Go Underground

The ANDY “Enter the Apocalypse” Call-for-Entry campaign asked creatives to compete in the Show because it may be their last chance to win an award “before the world ends in 2012,” a long-time Mayan prediction. In keeping with the end-of-the-world theme, the Show & Party will take place in a space stylized like a bunker, with oversized screens providing special effects and graphics to set the mood, making the evening feel unique — more like a cocktail party in an underground digital art museum than a traditional awards show. The fully immersive experience will include:

•    winners presented in different rooms on multiple screens, replacing the single-auditorium/long-script format. Shown in progression from Bronze to Silver to Gold, guests will be directed at designated times to each room;

•    full integration of Facebook into the marketing mix. One example is, during the Show & Party, all attendees will be checked in digitally and provided with an RFID badge, which will allow them to share information and photos on their Facebook profiles via the badge’s barcode.

“With this year’s ANDYs, we really wanted to break from the traditional convention and form of award shows. Our goal was to integrate new digital, social, and spatial elements, giving attendees a new ANDYs experience vastly differing from what they’ve grown accustomed to,” said Greenberg. “We’re excited for the industry to join us on April 12th for what promises to be a fun and memorable night.”

“This very different approach in presenting and awarding the ANDYs was inspired thinking by R/GA,” says Gina Grillo, President, The International ANDY Awards and The ADVERTISING Club. “We wanted to be a game-changer – making the Show as creative as the work we honor and truly engage our guests. Everyone is not only going to see the work in a fresh, new way but have more time to enjoy socializing and networking with industry superstars during the evening.”

This year the exclusive global jury included David Nobay, creative chairman of Droga5 Australia. Campaign Brief and Bestads are both global media partners of the ANDY Awards.