Laguens Kully Klose Wins Big at Pollies

Laguens Kully Klose Partners continued its Pollie-winning ways under our new name at this year's Pollies, adding three more victories to our record of creative media recognized by our peers as among the best in the land.

Ralph Becker’s Blueprint Man took a second place for humorous web ad. We were wary of revealing Ralph Becker’s secret identity as a superhero with a plan for every issue facing Salt Lake City voters. But since the buzz around this web ad helped propel Becker from fourth place into the runoff in the Salt Lake City Mayor’s race, then to his election as Mayor by a nearly 2-1 margin, we think it was worth it.

Our ad for Oregon’s pro- health care, anti-tobacco Measure 50 also took a second for ballot campaign TV ads. While this ad was not enough to overcome a tobacco industry attack campaign that broke all of Oregon’s records for spending to defeat a ballot initiative, it did provide the impetus for a later legislative effort to take on the issue of Oregon’s 100,000 uninsured children. Our record on anti-tobacco work now stands at 7-1; we hope to add further victories soon.

And our print ad for Planned Parenthood outlining the dangers of Bush’s anti-contraception proposed appointee Eric Kerouack took a third place, though we’re still thrilled by the larger win for common sense and basic health when Bush withdrew Kerouack’s nomination. Planned Parenthood is already up to great things in 2008, and we’re excited to be a part of it.

The 2008 Pollies add to the more than 30 Pollie wins by Laguens Kully Klose, including Best Congressional ad (for Dennis Moore), Best Senate ad (for Ben Cardin), Best Senate campaign (for Jon Tester), Best Use of Humor (Tester again), and Best Senate Independent Expenditure (for the League of Conservation Voters).

Thanks again to our clients for letting us do such creative and important work for the progressive cause.

Laguens Kully Klose Would Like to Thank the Academy

LKK Partners celebrated a banner evening at the American Association of Political Consultants’ "Pollie" awards Thursday night, winning five first-place awards, a silver, and three honorable mentions at the political consulting industry’s most prestigious awards ceremony.

LKK Partners’s work for Jon Tester was recognized three times, as "Creating a Buzz" (aka "The Haircut Ad") was recognized as 2006’s best Democratic Senate ad, and for the best use of humor by any TV advertisement. More gratifyingly, Tester won as 2006’s best overall television advertising campaign.

Two of LKK Partners’s ads for Ben Cardin won as well. "Change" - a successful counter to Michael Steele’s famous "puppy" ad --picked up a gold for best negative of any television ad, while Michael J. Fox’s testimony on Cardin’s behalf won a silver medal in the best Democratic Senate ad category.

Furthermore, "Halloween," made on behalf of Colorado’s now-Governor, Bill Ritter, won gold for best web-only video.

Also recognized with honorable mentions were "Baggage," an ad featuring a Vern Buchanan look-alike dragging actual baggage around town; "Shoes," a television ad for the Colorado State Senate Democratic Caucus, featuring successful candidate John Morse’s well-worn shoes testifying on his behalf; and the Minnesota DFL House Caucus’ radio ad "Zombies," which portrayed the attempted return of Minnesota Republican House candidates in terms of a 1950’s horror movie.

LKK Partners’s 2007 wins come after more than 25 other Pollie victories, including Golds for 1998’s Best Congressional Ad (Dennis Moore’s "Music Lessons") and 2002’s Best Senate IE (The League of Conservation Voters’ "Hard to Swallow").

Other 2005-2006 LKK Partners victories included the re-election of Senator Debbie Stabenow; the election of new House members Peter Welch and Kathy Castor; and a 5-0 record on statewide ballot initiatives.

All of our ads are available via e-mail or DVD upon request.

Contacts:
Dawn Laguens (202) 276-7797
Dan Kully (206) 283-2888