Categories with descriptions
01 - Department/Discount/Jewelry
Any ad for a department, jewelry or discount store (such as WalMart, K-Mart, JC Penney, etc.) but cannot include clothing, furniture, or items listed in other categories.
02 - Automotive
Any ad for new and used cars and trucks, tire store, auto supply store, repair service.
03 - Hardware/Appliance Stores
Any ad for items sold by hardware stores, including tools, building materials, electrical and plumbing supplies, paint, and any ad for dishwashers, dryers, washers, stereos, computer equipment.
04 - Financial
Any ad for a bank, savings and loan, stock broker or insurance company.
05 - Professional Services
Any ad for travel agencies, health spas and tanning salons, barbers/beauticians, funeral homes, attorneys, lawn services, plumbers, electricians, dry cleaners, florists, dance instructors, pet stores, veterinarians, etc. (Does NOT include the medical industry or political.)
06 - Food and Alcohol
Do not enter restaurant ads in this category. Entries would include grocery ads and liquor stores or any related food and liquor item. Restaurant ads must be entered in Category 12.
07 - Furniture
Any ad for home furnishings such as carpeting, couches, beds, TV sets, etc.
08 - Real Estate
Any ad for selling, renting, leasing of property or promoting a real estate company.
09 - Clothing Store
Any ad related to men's, women's or children's clothing items and apparel such as purses, billfolds, shoes, belts, etc.
10 - Multiple Advertiser/"Sig" Page
Any ad using two or more advertisers together to promote an event, public service or promotion but not related to a shopping center promotion, downtown sidewalk sale, etc. (For shopping center promotions, see Category 14.)
11 - Healthcare/Medical
This category is for any ad related to the medical field, including doctors, hospitals, nursing, pharmacies and drugs.
12 - Entertainment/Dining
Any ad featuring fine restaurants, fast food restaurants, specialty restaurants, theaters, movie/video stores, travel, TV and radio stations.
13 - Special Sections
Any special section that is published by the newspaper and inserted into the newspaper. Sections would include progress editions, school sports, bridal, back-to-school, automotive care, fashion merchandising, graduation, lawn and garden, etc.
14 - Group Promotion
This category is for businesses located within a specific shopping location; and promoting an event such as a downtown sidewalk sale, moonlight madness or other shopping center/mall/downtown promotion.
15 - Political Advertising
Any ad for a political candidate and any ad in support or defeat of a candidate or election issue.
16 - Agriculture/Lawn and Garden
Any ad for agricultural items/farm supply stores and any ad for lawn and garden including equipment and nursery items. (Lawn service ads should be entered in Professional Services.)
17 - Classified Section/Page
Enter your classified section or page from any three separate issues of the newspaper.
18 - Preprints/Special Publications
Entries in this category include newspaper preprints not eligible for Category 13, and Special Publications. Newspaper preprints must have been sold by staff members and inserted into the newspaper. Special Publications would include a publication for such things as or Chamber of Commerce, tourism publication or athletic event programs designed, composed and sold by the newspaper staff but that was NOT inserted in the newspaper. If publication was inserted in the newspaper, it must be entered in Special Sections.
19 - Best Use of Color
Submit any ad with color. Ads entered in this category may also be entered in any other category. Judging criteria will be on the effectiveness of the color(s) used in the ad.
20 - Best Ad Series
Enter a series of ads for any business, industry or the newspaper showing continuity or idea for a specific product or service. You may submit up to six tearsheets as one entry. Individual ads within the series may also be entered in any other category.
21 - Holiday Greeting Ads and General/Miscellaneous
This category is for any holiday greeting ad and any ad that cannot be classified in any above category, including schools, colleges/universities and churches but not revivals (see Special Events).
22 - Sporting Goods/Athletics
This category includes ads for sporting goods stores, athletic equipment and apparel as well as ads for athletic events.
23 - Special Events
This category is for special event advertising, including festivals, county and state fairs, church revivals, pageants, etc.
24 - Creative Use of the Newspaper/Newspaper Promotion
Submit a maximum of six individual tearsheets that includes only one newspaper industry promotion (such as First Amendment Contest or National Newspaper Week), if desired, which most effectively and originally promoted your newspaper or the newspaper industry during the year. Entries may consist of house ads, special newspaper promotions, news stories, editorials, photographs, graphics or feature stories. Entries in this category may have been published in the newspaper or on the newspaper’s own website. If the promotion appeared on the newspaper’s website, submit a pdf of the newspaper’s website showing the promotion. One promotion/series is one entry. No more than three entries per newspaper.
25 - Best TMC Product
Submit three separate issues as one combined pdf of your TMC/shopper product. This category will be judged in only two divisions -- weekly and daily -- and not in separate classes by circulation. First, second, third and honorable mention awards will be given in the weekly and the daily division but no points will be awarded toward General Excellence.