Award-Winning Creative Work Advances to National Competition

Swanson Russell earned four distinct honors at the 2025 AAF District 9 American Advertising Awards — advancing a spectrum of standout work to the national stage of the industry’s largest competition.

Hosted by the American Advertising Federation, this most recent round of judging evaluated nearly 180 of the top entries from Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. A panel of elite creative professionals judged the submissions, selecting just 37 to receive Gold or Silver awards — including four from Swanson Russell.

DISTRICT GOLD AWARD: Honoring the highest standard of creativity.

• Humminbird — XPLORE + MEGA Live 2 Photography
• Textron Aviation — 2024 CMA Awards 

DISTRICT SILVER AWARD: Recognizing outstanding creative work.

• Arctic Cat — Model Year 25 Campaign
• Swanson Russell — Snowball Slingshot for Good Campaign 

Each entry will now advance to compete at the final and most prestigious tier of the competition. National winners will be announced at the 2025 ADMERICA Conference in Pittsburgh, PA, on June 6. 

“To have our work selected among the best in the region is an honor. And now, to see it move on to the national level is even more special,” said Brent Schott, CEO of Swanson Russell. “This recognition speaks to the creativity of our teams, the collaboration with our clients and partners — and the power of ideas executed with great purpose.”

The American Advertising Awards is the industry’s largest and most representative competition, attracting more than 25,000 entries annually through local club competitions. As one of the signature events of the AAF, the program exists to recognize and reward the creative spirit of excellence in the art of advertising. Established in 1905 as the “Unifying Voice for Advertising,” the American Advertising Federation connects more than 150 local clubs and nearly 35,000 members nationwide, championing professional growth, creative innovation and industry leadership at every level.