Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Whimsical Calendar wins national award

A limited edition calendar commissioned by the Brunswick and The Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau has been recognized in national and international competition by the Calendar Marketing Association.

The calendar, created by international calendar artist and St. Simons Island resident Pilliard Dickle, received a Gold Award for "Most Original Promo" in the 2009 World and National Calendar Awards. The annual competition is open to all those involved in the production, distribution and marketing of calendars - advertising agencies, artists, designers, photographers, printers, publishers, etc.

The calendar, created especially for the CVB, shows Brunswick and The Golden Isles - St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island - through the eyes of Dickle, known around the world for his portrayals of "Calendaria," a fanciful land of castles, airships, pyramids, flying houses and more, where everyday locations become years and common objects become months and days.

"Pilliard's calendars have a wonderful charm, with their whimsical portrayals of everyday scenes and bright colors," explained Bill Tipton, executive director of the CVB. "We are pleased and flattered that an artist of his stature agreed to create this original work of art just for us, and excited to receive this additional recognition."

The calendar was created especially for travel writers, meeting planners, and group tour operators, as a unique reminder to consider Brunswick and The Golden Isles as a subject for travel articles, and as a destination for meetings, tours, reunions and other gatherings. The calendar was mailed to more than 1,000 individuals in January; many calendars were numbered and signed by the artist, increasing their value as collectibles.

"We received a lot of positive comments from travel writers and others who received the calendar," Tipton said. "It reminds people in a fun way that Brunswick and the Golden Isles are a great place to visit and conduct business meetings. We consider it be a very successful promotion in that regard, and are pleased that the Calendar Marketing Association agrees."

Brunswick and The Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for Glynn County, Georgia including the City of Brunswick, Georgia and four barrier islands: St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island.

The CVB's mission is to create awareness of and interest in Brunswick & The Golden Isles of Georgia as a destination for vacations, meetings and group visits. This is done through an array of programs and initiatives that include paid advertising, public relations, sales and marketing, a comprehensive area web site and operating three area welcome centers. For information, call toll-free 800-933-COAST (2627) or visit them online at www.ComeCoastAwhile.com

Pilliard Dickle, aka Joe Chandler, is an internationally known artist who lives on St. Simons Island. His calendars have won the World Calendar Award from The Calendar Marketing Association. A collection of his calendars has been published as a book, The Calendar World of Pilliard Dickle (Longstreet Press, Atlanta). Thanks to favorable reviews by such luminaries as David Letterman and Gene Shalit, Dickle has built a solid base of fans that eagerly await his yearly calendar creation. To learn more about Pilliard and Calendaria, visit www.PilliardDickle.com

The Calendar Marketing Association is the only worldwide trade association for the calendar industry. Based in Wheaton, IL, the CMA was founded in 1989 to represent the interests of designers, marketers, publishers, printers and suppliers of both retail and custom calendars. For information, visit www.calendarassociation.org.

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