Wow. Baltimore’s ADDY-winning creative agencies are really doing work

Award season came to the Baltimore advertising industry on Thursday.
A collection of the city’s agencies gathered at the American Visionary Art Museum for the ADDYs. Storyfarm, a Fells Point video firm and award winner on the night, event added a “James Bond” theme to the proceedings.
In a sign that digital is an important part of running an ad agency in 2017, many of the award winners are among the city’s noteworthy employers of tech talent, and a couple are housed in incubators. Much of the work was also for tech-oriented clients, with startups, events like Gamescape and plenty of websites taking home awards.
Organized by the American Advertising Federation of Baltimore, the local ADDYs are considered a district-level competition. Winners earn the chance to compete regionally, then in the National American Advertising Awards Competition. Local organizers said they received 371 entries, which is up 28 percent from last year.
In all, 98 awards were handed out in gold and silver categories. Here are the tech-related awards we spotted on the list. Let us know if we missed one:

• In a year in which it moved to Key Highway, Planit was recognized for 13 awards incluidng Best in Show for its “Order and Chaos” campaign. The agency also won gold-level awards for its work on the Sagamore Spirit website, Untangle Beauty app, Americano and Incorporate.com.
• ETC-based Early Light Media won the Special Judge’s Award for Storytelling for Throw, the documentary short that follows the yo-yo punks of East Baltimore.
• Frank Strategic Marketing won an award for Best Concept for work on the reopening of Ellicott City, where it is based.
• Middle River’s Renegade Communications won a gold award for the Real Housewives meme generator.
• Woodberry-based idfive won gold for the Johns Hopkins CTY and work with University of Baltimore’s Gamescape.
• Owings Mills-based MGH won nine awards for work with Old Bay, Pretzelmaker and others.
• Downtown digital marketing firm Havas Helia picked up silver awards for design of the Ragu website and the politics podcast Data Defeats Truman.
• Brian Schneider Photography won for photography campaign for work with Maryland startup Grip Boost and Lawnmower Racers, and gold for work with lululemon, and Invictus 344.
• TBG won a gold award for work on the portfolio website of the Baker Artist Awards.
• Canton digital marketing agency Alexander & Tom won a silver award for work on the PWCI website and a virtual reality website.
• Blue Water won for work on the Google Transparency Project.
• ETC-based Kapowza won for work with startups Whitebox and Point3, along with its air filter commercial for FilterBuy.
• TBC picked up a gold award for work with Visit Baltimore, and silver awards for work with Atlas Restaurant Group, Price Modern, Smyth Meadow and My Bmore.
• Groove won for website work with Madd Dogg Athletics, Ops-Core and Natori Fashion.
• Sparks-based imre won a gold award for work on “Dickies: Off Centered Ales for All.”
• Mt. Vernon-based Blakeslee won for its work on the “iTero Element See the Fit” campaign.
• Hampden-based 15Four won four awards for work on disruptive tech videos and a new company website.
• Harvey Agency won for work with City Garage-based Treason Toting Company.
• Columbia-based Merkle won for a USAA Holiday Quiz.
• Fells Point-based HZDG won five awards, including for the Hooper’s Catering website.
• Marriner Marketing won six awards, including for work on Gehl’s Voice Guidelines.