Ft. Lauderdale, FL– Meridian Group was awarded a Best of Print Award, a Judges Award, three gold ADDYs^® and nine silver ADDYs^® at the 2006 regional ADDY^® Award competition hosted by the Advertising Federation of Greater Fort Lauderdale (Ad Fed).

“These awards confirm Meridian Groups commitment to creative excellence,” says Jim Monastra, general manager of Meridian Group’s Florida region. “Not only did we win awards for every client we handle our of our Fort Lauderdale office, but also across many marketing disciplines which is a true testament to the agency’s integration philosophy.”

Meridian Group received a coveted Best of Print Award for its Colee Hammock Home four-color “Mundane” advertising campaign and a prestigious Judges Awards for its Colee Hammock Home consumer “Become Grossly Intolerant” direct marketing piece.

Meridian Group’s three Gold ADDY awards include:

• Direct Marketing-Consumer: St. John’s County Visitors & Convention Bureau - single 3-D
• Consumer Magazine: Colee Hammock Home four-color “Mundane” print campaign
• Interactive Media: Le Blanc Spa Resort/ Palace Resorts online banner

Meridian Group’s nine Silver ADDY awards include:

• Sales Promotion Sales Presentation: Lago Mar Resort and Club printed newsletter
• Sales Promotion Point of Purchase: Le Blanc Spa Resort/ Palace Resorts trade show exhibit
• Direct Marketing- B-to-B: St. Johns County Visitors & Convention Bureau single 3-D
• Direct Marketing- Consumer: Colee Hammock Home single flat
• Trade Publication: Le Blanc Spa Resort/ Palace Resorts four-color print advertisement
• Trade Publication: Le Blanc Spa Resort/ Palace Resorts four-color “All Inclusive to All Incredible” print campaign
• Trade Publication: Palace Resorts four-color “Indulge Them” print campaign
• Consumer Magazine: St. Johns County Visitors & Convention Bureau four-color “Vignettes of Style” print campaign
• Local only: Cole Hammock Home “Spice Up Your Space” print campaign

Sponsored by the American Advertising Federation, ADDY Awards honor excellence in advertising and cultivate the highest creative standards in the industry. With more than 60,000 entries, the ADDY Awards are the nation’s largest advertising competition. The competition begins at the local level with more than 200 AAF member clubs around the country. The local winners proceed to district competitions, and those winners proceed to the national finals.

ABOUT MERIDIAN GROUP:
Meridian Group, one of the fastest growing agencies in the mid-Atlantic region, specializes in consumer and business-to-business accounts in the financial services, travel and tourism, multi-outlet retail, real estate and industrial/corporate sectors.

Headquartered in Virginia with offices in Florida and New York, the agency has grown from two to more than 50 employees since its establishment in 1980 and has served more than 225 clients including Palace Resorts, Colee Hammock, St. Johns County Visitors & Convention Bureau, STIHL Inc., APM Terminals, Bon Secours, Kiawah Island, Grand Furniture, Wounded Warrior Project and more.

Providing comprehensive marketing solutions to clients in North America and the Caribbean, Meridian Group agency is a member of TAAN (Transworld Advertising Agency Network) and operates under "The Why? Philosophy," an exclusive six-step process designed to uncover the core issues of most communications problems. For more information, go to www.themeridiangroup.com or tmg3.com.