SPARK Publications, a Charlotte-based creative firm celebrating its 16th year in business, racked up design awards in two recent national competitions, including three 2014 APEX Awards for Publication Excellence and two 2014 Communicator Awards.
SPARK Publications was honored with an APEX Grand Award in the “print media – books” category for the design and production of It Is What It Is … And The View Is Great and two Awards of Excellence in the “magazines, journals and tabloids” category for the design and production of Ballantyne Magazine and Inside Tailgating magazine. Now in its 26th year, the APEX Awards for Publication Excellence is an international competition that recognizes outstanding publications from newsletters and magazines to annual reports, brochures and websites. According to the APEX 2014 judges, “The awards were based on excellence in graphic design, quality of editorial content and the success of the entry in conveying the message and achieving overall communications effectiveness.”
In the 20th Annual Communicator Awards competition, the firm was once again honored for its work on Ballantyne Magazine with an Award of Distinction. It also received an Award of Excellence for its work on Millennial magazine. With over 6,000 entries received from across the U.S. and around the world, the Communicator Awards is the largest and most competitive awards program honoring creative excellence for communications professionals. The competition is judged and overseen by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), a 600+ member organization of leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts dedicated to embracing progress and the evolving nature of traditional and interactive media.
About the Award-Winning Publications
Ballantyne Magazine is an upscale quarterly lifestyle publication that delivers the latest news, enriching feature stories and powerful profiles that capture the complete Ballantyne-area experience. Inside Tailgating is a quarterly enthusiast publication that promotes and enhances the tailgating experience. It Is What It Is … And The View Is Great by Sherry Harris is a humorous account of the author’s experience relocating to paradise complete with beautiful photography. Millennial is the official publication of the Charlotte Research Institute at UNC Charlotte.