Silver Anvil Award winners '95.(Cover Story)

Thirty-four outstanding public relations campaigns of 1994 earned PRSA Silver Anvil Awards, given June 15, 1995 at ceremonies in New York City. Symbolizing the forging of public opinion, the Silver Anvil Award has been presented to more than 1,000 organizations since 1949. Winners are recognized by their peers for successfully. addressing a contemporary issue with exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness. Winning entries must meet the highest standards of performance and, in the judges' view, incorporate sound research, planning, execution and evaluation.

In 1994, nearly 10% of households in Texas had no phone, despite SWBT's Lifeline program. It allowed families with incomes lower than the federal poverty level to receive free phone installation and low monthly rates. However, Lifeline only generated 67,000 subscriptions in three years.

In July 1994, SWBT hired Fleishman-Hillard to re-launch the Lifeline campaign. Because the target audiences were low-income households (many were Hispanic or African-American the campaign was bilingual. It focused on outlets these families used - local supermarkets, bus lines, and Hispanic and African-American radio stations.

Celebrity spokespersons familiar to the target audiences helped SWBT cultivate consumer trust. Members of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and Texas Chiefs of Police promoted SWBT's security and safety message at media events in schools and fire stations. Retail partners and SWBT employee groups also worked at the grassroots level. In all, 20,000 bilingual posters with tear-off pads and more than 800,000 fliers were distributed. Neighborhood canvassing and an 800 number educated the public, making it easy for the people to subscribe.

Because of the increased awareness and ease of subscription, the rate of inquiry quadrupled and subscriptions doubled. By March of this year, more than 90,000 Texas households were hooked up to the Lifeline.

Armed with the words "Keep California Free of Pests," CDFA with Fleishman-Hillard set out to stop the spread of unwelcome exotic pests. Since agriculture is the state's number one employer, an insect invasion can cause millions of dollars in losses. By retaining a popular Latino spokesperson, the three-year campaign scored a big hit with Hispanic audiences, educating them against the evils of smuggling illegal food from Mexico and Central or South America.

Chicano songwriter/ composer Lalo Guerrero wrote and recorded the ballad "La Mosca Extranjera (The Foreign Fly)". The song became a top 40 hit on 10 Spanish radio stations in the state. Guerrero performed at Hispanic community festivals and served as a campaign spokesman on Spanish TV, radio and print media.