MIAMI, March 21, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perry Ellis International (PEI) is announcing that its AXIST® brand, available at Kohl's, has received a Miami Gold ADDY for best integrated campaign of 2012. The "Reasons to AXIST" campaign, featuring celebrity Gilles Marini, was developed by the in-house creative services team of PEI. The award was judged by the American Advertising Federation of Miami and given to the most comprehensive and creative campaign implementing a broad range of outreach mediums and communication vehicles.
The integrated campaign featured in-store signage, sales collateral, print ads, internet radio spots, online videos, downloadable ringtones, style guides, digital ads, an interactive campaign site (ReasonstoAxist.com) as well as PR and social media outreach through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
"Our campaign highlights the excellent quality and value of AXIST and how adaptable and appropriate the brand is for so many wearing occasions. We felt that Gilles Marini was the perfect embodiment of this versatility given his success in so many roles, whether as a model, actor, dancer, father, or athlete," explained Lori Medici, vice president of Marketing for AXIST. "His down-to-Earth, approachable personality made the brand both relatable and aspirational, plus the PR and editorial coverage his involvement garnered provided invaluable extra exposure for our campaign."
Editorial coverage included segments on E! Entertainment News, Access Hollywood, PeopleStyleWatch.com, as well as features in notable magazines, newspapers and industry websites and blogs. Marini was also photographed wearing the AXIST brand at various engagements and appearances, further promoting the line's versatility for multiple wearing occasions, both casual and refined. The integrated effort helped reinvigorate the brand with existing fans while also attracting new customers.
"This is the first time we are awarded for a campaign created and produced by our in-house creative department and earning a Gold ADDY validates how capable our creative team is. The fact that we won for best integrated campaign not only makes us extremely proud but further highlights the breadth of knowledge within our walls," stated Joakim Wijkstrom, CMO at Perry Ellis International on the skills of the creative team. "The advertising industry used to be almost exclusively agency-driven, but today's corporations are building strong internal teams that are proving to have the ability to develop excellent campaigns using their own talent pool."
The award was presented to the AXIST team on March 13, 2013 at the Hoxton Downtown Miami. They were joined by influential industry peers along with other category winners. Because the campaign earned Gold, it will automatically advance to the 4th District competition which includes Florida, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and U.S. Virgin Islands.
"In the reality of our new Omni-channel world - where consumers shop via mobile, in-store, online, through social media and more - we must approach everything we do from an integrated perspective. Today's technology is changing by the minute and we aim to be at the forefront of advertising innovation," concluded Joakim Wijkstrom.
For more information about AXIST, visit www.ReasonstoAxist.com. For details about Perry Ellis International Inc. and the company's entire portfolio of brands, please visit. www.PERY.com
About Perry Ellis International
Perry Ellis International, Inc. is a leading designer, distributor and licensor of a broad line of high quality men's and women's apparel, accessories and fragrances, as well as select children's apparel. The Company's collection of dress and casual shirts, golf sportswear, sweaters, dress pants, casual pants and shorts, jeans wear, active wear, dresses and men's and women's swimwear is available through all major levels of retail distribution. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, owns a portfolio of nationally and internationally recognized brands, including: Perry Ellis®, Jantzen®, Laundry by Shelli Segal®, C&C California®, Rafaella®, Cubavera®, Ben Hogan®, Centro®, Solero®, Munsingwear®, Savane®, Original Penguin® by Munsingwear®, Grand Slam®, Natural Issue®, Pro Player®, the Havanera Co.®, Axis®, Gotcha®, Girl Star®, MCD®, John Henry®, Mondo di Marco®, Redsand®, Manhattan®, Axist®, Farah®, Anchor Blue®, Miller's Outpost®, Tahoe River Outfitters®, Original Khaki Company® and Techworks®. The Company enhances its roster of brands by licensing trademarks from third parties, including: Nike® and Jag® for swimwear, and Callaway®, PGA TOUR® and Champions Tour® for golf apparel. Additional information on the Company is available at http://www.pery.com.
About the ADDY Awards
The ADDY Awards is the world's largest advertising competition with more than 50,000 entries annually. Founded in Florida in 1960 it was adopted by the American Advertising Federation, a not-for-profit industry association, as a national competition in 1968. The ADDY Awards is unique among other advertising creative competitions in that it is the only competition that includes three levels of judging: local, regional and national. Gold winners are automatically advanced to the next level of competition. Awards presented are Gold and Silver ADDY Awards, recognizable by its stylized "Star A" shape.
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