ITEM: Gets Ink

ITEM: Creative Group Wins 2009 Blackstone River Valley Media Design Competition

ITEM’s Winning Entry to Air on Public Television in October

Aug 28, 2009, Woonsocket, RI - The Blackstone Valley River Tourism Collaborative has awarded Putnam, Conn.-based ITEM: Creative Group the 2009 Media Design Award. The award, which included a $2000 cash prize, was for a new public service announcement and a corresponding website aimed to encourage residents in Southern New England to explore the Blackstone River Valley’s natural and cultural resources. The competition drew creative talent from Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

"We are so happy to have ITEM: Creative Group on this project,” said Dr. Robert Billington, of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. “The competition was tough, but we feel that ITEM knew what we needed and created a piece that positions us well.”

ITEM’s 15-second “You’re Already Here” public service announcement will air in October on Rhode Island Public Television during the Ken Burns documentary, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.” The award winning presentation also included the development of a new, unique URL for the Tourism Collaborative, which will act as a portal to lead visitors to area sites, recreational opportunities and attractions. This URL, yourealreadyhere.com, is a perfect fit for the Blackstone Valley, which is a national heritage area located directly adjacent to major metropolitan areas such as Boston, Providence, Worcester, Springfield and Hartford. It is hoped that the unique tagline will be used to attract visitors to Valley attractions from the larger region. In addition to the PSA and the URL, ITEM will work with the Collaborative on future projects.

“Our team is dedicated to promoting and preserving our region’s natural and cultural heritage, so we are particularly glad to win this award,” said Cindy Sebrell, chief executive officer for ITEM: Creative Group. “We are grateful for the opportunity and thrilled that the Blackstone Tourism Collaborative chose our entry.”

The Blackstone Valley River Collaborative is a collection of tourism organizations within the Blackstone River Valley including: the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (RI) and the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce. The organization was created to raise the awareness of tourism offerings within the Blackstone Valley to residents, the region and nation.

ITEM: Creative Group LLC, is a high-energy, strategic communications, public relations, and creative marketing firm. Members of the ITEM team have worked with Fortune 500 companies, schools and universities, international non-profit organizations, and innovators in the technology, manufacturing, and engineering fields. ITEM is located at 112 Main Street in Putnam and on Bleecker Street, New York.