Mississippi, Believe It!™ Wins Best of Show For Second Year

The Cirlot Agency Honored by State PR Organization
Jackson, MS – The Cirlot Agency is honored by the Public Relations Association of Mississippi (PRAM) with the coveted Best of Show Award for the national launch of its Mississippi, Believe It!™ campaign. The Agency, a Mississippi-based, full-service, marketing, public relations and corporate communications firm, designed the pro bono campaign, which consists of public service announcements in the form of print ads and posters, to directly combat the negative stereotypes often associated with the state of Mississippi. The campaign’s initial statewide launch won Best of Show in 2006.
At the PRAM Awards Ceremony, held in Meridian on April 13, 2007, the Agency also received three PRism, or First Place Awards, for the Mississippi, Believe It!™ campaign. The Agency won two PRism Awards for other Agency projects, including the Trent Lott for Senate television ad entitled, “There Is A Place,” and for brochure design for Neel-Schaffer Engineering.
The PRism awards began in 2003 as a way to honor and recognize outstanding work in the field of public relations by professionals within the state of Mississippi. A panel of judges from Florida judged entries. A PRism award is not necessarily given in each category. PRisms go to works receiving 29-30 total points by the judges. Only 17 entries out of 262 entries were deemed PRism winners this year. The Best of Show Award is presented to one PRism winner that clearly leads the field in creativity, professionalism and merit.
The Mississippi, Believe It!™ campaign was designed to inform and educate the citizens of Mississippi, as well as interested parties across the U.S., about the many positive attributes of Mississippi. It includes fourteen public service announcements that have run in dozens of Mississippi newspapers. Three newly created PSAs were released for the launch to national media in late 2006.
This year, the Agency will mail out new sets of Mississippi, Believe It!™ posters to every public and private K-12 school and every college and university in the state, just as it did when the campaign was launched statewide in 2005. The campaign also includes a website, www.mississippibelieveit.com, that houses the posters in a downloadable format, as well as an online store.
Since the campaign’s nationwide launch in December 2006, the campaign has received a long line of coverage, including: The New York Times, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, International Herald Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Tribune, Associated Press, Christian Science Monitor, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Dallas Morning News, Detroit Free Press, Seattle Post, St. Petersburg Times, Nashville Tennessean, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and The New Jersey Herald News. NBC’s Today Show, National Public Radio, Fox News Radio, Voice of America Radio and numerous talk radio shows across the country have featured the campaign. To date, through the website and emails, an estimated 20 million people have seen the posters, making Mississippi, Believe It!™ a success.
The cost of the Mississippi, Believe It!™ pro bono campaign is estimated at over $365,000 to date. The Cirlot Agency has donated over $325,000 in time and resources to bring this campaign to fruition. Service Printers, Inc., of Flowood, MS, donated over $40,000 in printing services and paper costs for the posters.
The Cirlot Agency has been honored with the following awards in 2007:
Public Relations Association of Mississippi (PRAM) Awards
Best of Show
Mississippi, Believe It!™  Campaign National Launch
PRism 
Total Public Relations Program – Over $10,000
Mississippi, Believe It!™ Campaign National Launch
Special Public Relations Program Over $10,000 – Long Term
Mississippi, Believe It!™ Campaign National Launch
Public Service – Long Term
Mississippi, Believe It!™ Campaign National Launch
Video Program/Production – Advertisement
Trent Lott For Senate “There Is A Place” TV Ad
Brochure, Over $1,000
Neel-Schaffer Engineering
Award of Excellence 
Print Advertising, Over $500
St. Dominic Hospital “Compassion, Our Passion”
Print Advertising, Over $500
St. Richard Catholic School
Video Program/Production-Advertisement
St. Dominic Hospital “Compassion, Our Passion”
Web Site, Over $1,000
Medicaid Planning Specialists
Certificate of Achievement 
Audio Program/Production-Advertisement
St. Dominic “Compassion, Our Passion” Radio Ad
Audio Program/Production-Advertisement
Trent Lott For Senate “There Is A Place” Radio Ad
Logo Design, Over $500
St. Richard Logo
Web Site Over $1,000
YoungWilliams Web Site