Congratulations to all of the 2023 Renaissance Awards winners!

We want to thank all attendees, sponsors, partners, awardees and our Renaissance Awards co-chairs for planning the event, as well as Chris Mueller of 93.7 The Fan, who emceed the annual ceremony on Jan. 26 at Point View Hall inside the Carnegie Science Center.

This year, the awards represent more than 20 different communication campaigns and tactics created in 2022 from some of the most recognizable agencies and brands such as Gatesman, Duquesne Light Company, BCW, Allegheny Health Network, 84 Lumber, Brunner and Highmark.

In addition to honoring creative work, PRSA Pittsburgh awarded its annual Black Excellence Award, sponsored by Red Havas. The $2,000 scholarship, given this year to Vicie Simpson, honors a Black young professional working in the region’s communications field.

Duquesne Light Company took home Best in Show for their Reputation Management at the Global Clean Energy Action Forum.

Complete list of 2023 award recipients:

Individual Awards

  • Hall of Fame — Hollie Geitner, Duquesne Light Company
  • Communicator of the Year — Brittney Coburn, The Motherhood
  • Rising Star — Megan Clista, Oyster Creative Co.
  • Black Excellence Award — Vicie Simpson, Brunner
  • PR Team of the Year — Cooper Munroe and Team, The Motherhood
  • PRSSA Chapter of the Year — Point Park University PRSSA
  • PRSA Member of the Year — Josh Porterfield, RIZZO International
  • Bob O’Gara Student Scholarship — Morgan Emery, Duquesne University

Campaign Awards

Content Marketing Campaign

Award of Merit:

  • BAM Advertising & Marketing, Culligan “Clean Water Playbook” Content Marketing Campaign

Digital Campaign

Award of Merit:

  • BAM Advertising & Marketing, Houston Harbaugh Content Migration & Site Rebuild

Events

Renaissance Awards:

  • Allegheny Health Network, 1st Birthday Party at AHN Wexford Hospital
  • Pipitone, Getting Results in a Pickle
  • PPG, New Paint for a New Start, made possible by PPG’s COLORFUL COMMUNITIES program

Awards of Merit:

  • Kerry Ford Communications, The Karli Short Better Tomorrow Foundation Gala
  • Gatesman, Eyeglass World Partnership with For Good PGH

Influencer Relations

Renaissance Award:

  • The Motherhood, 84 Lumber: Celebrating Women In Construction

Awards of Merit:

  • The Motherhood, buybuy BABY Influencer Campaign: It Takes A Village
  • The Motherhood, Seed: Harnessing Influencers to Share the Science-Backed Benefits of Probiotics

Integrated Marketing Campaign

Renaissance Awards:

  • Oyster Creative Co. & The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, N’Art
  • Gatesman, Pace ADA Paratransit

Awards of Merit:

  • Gatesman, CORE & Pittsburgh Penguins Fans Saves Lives Campaign
  • Allegheny Health Network Public Relations, National Blood Shortage Campaign
  • Gatesman, SHOP ‘n SAVE “Enjoy Life” Rebrand
  • Oyster Creative Co., Starglide Moving Beltway Launch
  • Brunner, The Home Depot Rental 2023 Integrated Marketing Campaign

Internal Communications

Awards of Merit:

  • Duquesne Light Company, What You Need to See at DLC
  • Oyster Creative Co., Koppers Values Launch

Media Relations

Renaissance Awards:

  • BLD Marketing, Inc., SAF Media Relations Campaign
  • BCW, PPG Color of the Year: Solidifying two brands’ color trends expertise in one announcement
  • BCW, From Slimy Pebble to Solid as a Rock: Enhancing the Reputation of One of the Region’s Leading Universities

Awards of Merit:

  • Pipitone, Eat’n Park Collaborates with Grist House for the Launch of ‘Strawberry Pie Forever’ Beer
  • Brunner, Rinnai Media Relations
  • Brunner, RWC Media Relations
  • Highmark, Highmark and Free Market Health: Transforming the Specialty Pharmacy Experience
  • BLD Marketing, Inc., NUCOR Media Relations Campaign
  • BCW, Back-to-School Season 2022: More or Less Stressful Than 2021?
  • Kirkpatrick Group, PPG Packaging 2022 Trade Media

New Products & Services

Renaissance Award:

  • BCW, Steam-Powered Affiliate Marketing Breaks Through Earned Media Clutter

Regulated Communications

Renaissance Award:

  • Gatesman, CNX Foundation: A Tangible, Impactful, Local Commitment

Reputation Management

Renaissance Award:

  • Duquesne Light Holdings, Global Clean Energy Action Forum (Best in Show)

Award of Merit:

  • BCW, From Slimy Pebble to Solid as a Rock: Enhancing the Reputation of One of the Region’s Leading Universities

Social Media Campaign

Renaissance Award:

  • Tiffany Royalty & Allegheny Health Network, AHN’s Donate Life Month

Awards of Merit:

  • Garrison Hughes & PPG, PPG Brand Awareness Social Media Campaign
  • Tiffany Royalty & Highmark, Inc., Clinical Outcomes Collaboration

Student Campaign

Renaissance Award:

  • Point Park University PRSSA, The Heart Campaign

Tactics Awards

Annual Report

Renaissance Award:

  • Oyster Creative Co., Connecting Champions Outcomes Report

Measurement and Reporting

Award of Merit:

  • Oyster Creative Co., Koppers Wrapped

Multimedia Content

Renaissance Awards:

  • Highmark Health & Highmark Caring Place, The Highmark Caring Place Children’s Grief Awareness Day video
  • Gatesman, Plus-ing Up Agency Culture: G+TV Series – On the Rocks
  • Duquesne Light Company, What You Need to See at DLC
  • Oyster Creative Co., Koppers CEO Videos — The 412 + A Conversation With…
  • Gatesman, USG’s Off The Wall Podcast

Awards of Merit:

  • Garrison Hughes & PPG, PPG Brand Awareness Social Media Video
  • Oyster Creative Co., Oyster Content: Instagram Reels

Promotional Content

Renaissance Awards:

  • Oyster Creative Co. & The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, N’Art Stickers & Maps

Written Content

Renaissance Awards:

  • Gatesman, TruHearing DE&I Release
  • BCW, Op-Eds Highlight Slippery Rock University’s Strong Position During Turbulent Time for Higher Ed
  • BCW, A Keynote to Inspire an Industry to Change
  • BCW, Putting a Stake in the Ground: Become a Leader in Calling for a Domestic EV Battery Supply Chain

Awards of Merit:

  • TrailBlaze Creative, US Polo Association Medium Form Content, Posters, Brochures, and Pamphlets

About the PRSA Pittsburgh Renaissance Awards:

Each year, the Renaissance Awards honor local organizations, agencies and businesses as well as communicators for their innovative work across all aspects of public relations and marketing communications. Recent years and unprecedented global events have required communications professionals to be at their best. That’s why we want to highlight all of the hard work and creativity you and your teams spent countless hours working on.

We’re calling on all PR pros, marketing experts and creative comms whizzes in the Pittsburgh area to submit their most innovative projects/programs for our annual Renaissance Awards.

The Renaissance Awards are open to anyone—from agencies to non-profits, as well as non-PRSA members.

Stay tuned for how to submit your work for the 2024 awards!

Questions?

If you have any questions about the event, please email event co-chairs Kaidia Pickels and Lauren Suchy at renaissance@prsa-pgh.org.