Communications Nova Scotia Award Winners
An animated snowplow that teaches safety to kids, a booklet designed to help teens, and a website that keeps Nova Scotians informed about hospital wait times have all earned awards for Communications Nova Scotia.
Brian Murray, co-ordinator of motion images, and the Communications Nova Scotia audio visual team, received Telly Awards for their work in creating Sammy Snowplow.
The awards honour local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs, and video and film productions. They are judged by top advertising and production professionals and previous award winners.
"We're very proud to see Sammy Snowplow recognized." said Mr. Murray.
The team received two awards in the Safety Video category for the Sammy Snowplow DVD, designed to deliver important messages about winter safety to school aged children, and the Back in Action DVD, an awareness video about back injury prevention among Transportation and Public Works staff. The team received a third award in the Use of Animation category for Sammy Snowplow.
"We thought it would be a good idea to have an animated host deliver the message," said Daniel Mombourquette, technical producer of new media/animation. "Children listen to cartoons because its almost like communicating with a peer."
Sammy the Snowplow and Back in Action also earned the Communications Nova Scotia team two Communicator Awards for audio/visual work in 2005.
A 2006 Canadian Public Relations Society Award of Merit was awarded to Sherri Aikenhead and the mental health team at the Department of Health, for the development of a booklet to help teens cope with depression.
"Since we launched the depression materials for teens last December, there has been an overwhelming demand." said Ms. Aikenhead. "We've distributed 8,000 copies across the province to public libraries, churches, all youth health centres in Nova Scotia as well as filled orders online."
The booklet -- titled Depression Creates Moments Like This, Happiness Creates Moments Like This -- provides a variety of information, including signs of depression and when to get help. The booklet is available in English and French and is now in its second printing.
Ms. Aikenhead, along with Donna Chislett, communications advisor and Rhoula El-Diri, webmaster, received an award for the Nova Scotia Wait Times website. The team received second place in the Internet website category of the Health Care Public Relations Association Canada 2006 Hygeia Awards. The awards recognize excellence in health care communications.
"The site has about 3,000 hits a month and has been described as one of the most comprehensive in the country," said Ms. Aikenhead. The website, launched in October 2005, helps Nova Scotians view the average wait times for some surgeries and tests.
More information about Sammy Snowplow can be found on the website at www.sammysnowplow.ca/sammy.asp . An online version of the booklet for teens and a link to the Nova Scotia wait times website can be found on the Department of Health website at www.gov.ns.ca/health . For more information on the Telly Awards see the website at www.tellyawards.com .