WASHINGTON, DC—On April 19, the national Office of Communication accepted first place in the Print Piece or Collection category of the National Association of Government Communicators Blue Pencil and Gold Screen Awards for its Confronting the Wildfire Crisis Strategy publication. 

Developed by a core team and using in-house cost-saving measures, the wildfire crisis interactive publications successfully and elegantly relayed messaging from a scientific-based strategy to information that can be understood and embraced. Our collective efforts helped build support for the work we need to do on the ground toward improving forest health and resilience and protecting communities.

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this entry. This campaign was so impressive. Not only are the print materials clear, concise and made for the target audience, the links to videos and other information are so engaging. Very nice work—very impressive! – Awards Judge

The Print Piece or Collection category recognizes excellence for a collection of printed documents meant to convey public messaging around a topic. The publication was judged content quality, from photos and graphics to grammar and spelling, clear purpose and objective, clear intended audience, implementation strategy, outcomes, effectiveness, return on investment, creativity and wow factor. The annual awards program recognizes superior government communication products and those who produce them.

The layout and design of the materials were crisp and eye-catching with photos that provided a powerful visual element to complement the information being presented. The social media engagement was exceptional, as was the more than tenfold increase in website views. Excellent use of stakeholder outreach to get partner participation and engagement in this effort. And, importantly, this effort and the limited budget used, helped to attain billions in funding for this important public safety effort. Very impressive campaign overall. Congratulations to the team.

Cleverly crafted, thoroughly design, this campaign maintained a recognizable identity while communicating critical information. Well done! – Awards Judge

Execution of this campaign at the level and success demonstrates the team effort and skill at creating high-level and creative content. The recorded success also built support for further expanding the team, while the overall campaign effectively outlined the call to action and built support.