International ANDY Awards Sends Symbolic Message Naming Michael Lebowitz, Big Spaceship, as Co-Chair of Show

NEW YORK -

– ANDY Chairman Ty Montague Brings in Lebowitz to Acknowledge and Champion Digital Work and Changing Industry Landscape –

The International ANDY Awards, under the stewardship of new Chairman Ty Montague, has named Michael Lebowitz, Founder and CEO of Big Spaceship, as Co-Chairman. A first for the ANDY Awards, the sharing of the Chairmanship title reflects the exciting changes taking place in advertising, coupled with what the industry has long celebrated; big ideas, storytelling, and craft.

“In recent years, many creative awards shows have spun off digital shows to support the enormous role that interactive plays in the marketing landscape,” says Montague, Co-President and Chief Creative Officer, JWT North America. “The ANDYs haven’t done this, believing that integrated campaigns need to be evaluated in a single show. However, we recognize the rapidly evolving nature of our industry and the importance of digital work to have its deservedly prominent place in our show. Michael and I will be working closely together to accomplish this for the ANDYs.”

Some of the ways the collaborative vision of Montague and Lebowitz will impact the ANDY Awards include expanding the Show’s digital communications (marketing campaign, Call for Entry, etc.), increasing the number of digital creative leaders on the jury, and developing unique categories that enable highly innovative work to be submitted.

Lebowitz founded Big Spaceship, an independent digital agency, in 2000. He is a board member of the Society of Digital Agencies, and a member of AIGA’s Visionary Design Council and the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences. A frequent juror for creative shows, Michael’s agency has been the recipient of many awards over the past decade.

“I’m honored to be Co-Chairing the ANDYs with Ty,” says Lebowitz. “My goal is to build upon everything already great about this awards show — the excellence of the work, the openness of the jury — and re-orient our approach toward the increasingly complex communications landscape.”

The ADVERTISING Club (www.theadvertisingclub.org) is the premier organization for all communications professionals in New York. The Club, founded in 1896, offers its members a forum to exchange ideas, make connections, and honor excellence. The Club’s Foundation provides students numerous educational outreach programs that give back to build a stronger and more diverse advertising and marketing community. The Club is the facilitating sponsor of the International ANDY Awards (www.andyawards.com), which acknowledge outstanding creative achievement in advertising around the world.

Contact: Gayle Taryn The ANDY Awards +1-212-533-8080 x211

Source: JWT

Gayle Taryn for The ANDY Awards, +1-212-533-8080 x211