» Client: Greater Washington Initiative,an affiliate of the Greater Washington Board of Trade.
» Job: Create a print and online campaign that distinguishes the Washington region from other metropolitan areas in the eyes of prospective businesses looking to expand or relocate.
» Agency: Hrabal Creative in Leesburg.
» Theme: The Washington area has a more highly educated workforce than any other region in the country, making it a very desirable place to work and live.
» The concept: Hrabal Creative played up the impressive stats on Washington’s work force — such as the fact that 21 percent of the region’s adults hold an advanced degree — by comparing Washington residents to “average” residents in other cities. For example, one ad shows an “average” subway rider reading a romance novel. In a separate box, a Washington Metro rider is reading Plato’s “Republic.” The ads aim to ultimately drive the targeted audience to www.greaterwashington.org to learn more about business opportunities in the region and download a copy of the initiative’s regional report.
» The plan: With a limited budget for media placements, the initiative worked to maximize in-kind opportunities with local print and online sites. The ads ran in various local publications that out-of-town business travelers were likely to pick up while staying in the city. Additional ads ran in Metro stations with the tagline “Smart people in the Washington, D.C. area use Metro.”
» Creative team: Tom Hrabal, creative director and art director; Francis Sullivan, creative director and copywriter; Lisa Baldwin, account director; Norman Rich, interactive director; Jim Vecchione, photographer.
» Background: Co-founders and husband-and-wife team Tom Hrabal and Lisa Baldwin launched their own “virtual” agency four years ago. The pair spent many years working for top ad agencies in cities such as Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Houston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Washington. Baldwin and Hrabal call their agency a “virtual” one because they hire professionals on a campaign-by-campaign basis, rather than keeping a large staff. This setup allows the agency to hire the best professionals needed for each project while keeping overhead down, Baldwin said.
» Working on next: Hrabal Creative recently completed a TV campaign for GE Sealants & Adhesives and a radio campaign for Paradise Cuts, a new paradise-themed hair salon for men in Fairfax. Currently, the agency is developing a product name and logo for a new anti-insect product under the GE name.
