Magazine and CD Designed by Silver Oaks Earn Best of Show Awards

The Modern Woodmen magazine, designed by Silver Oaks Communications, Inc., has earned a Best of Show award in the annual Insurance & Financial Communicators Association (IFCA) communications competition.

The entry, the Winter 2005 issue, was judged as the top winner in its category. The competition was open to all firms and associations in the insurance and financial services industries.

“We’ve submitted the magazine before, and we’ve always earned good strong scores with honorable mentions and awards of excellence. But we’ve never achieved the big award!” said Sharon Snawerdt, public relations coordinator for Modern Woodmen. “We’re thrilled. It’s judged by our peers within the life insurance and financial services industry so it’s very specific. They know what we’re trying to do, and they respect our work. You can’t ask for anything more than that.”

Modern Woodmen, founded in 1883 as a fraternal benefit society, offers financial services and fraternal member benefits to individuals and families throughout the United States. The Modern Woodmen magazine is mailed to 400,000 member households across the United States. Silver Oaks has provided the design and graphics for the magazine since 1994.

One IFCA judge commended the “creative execution” of the magazine, while another noted its excellent design and graphics.

“We are proud to be recognized for developing impressive communications for organizations such as Modern Woodmen of America,” said Greg Scott, president of Silver Oaks.

Also earning a Best of Show award was the Modern Woodmen “DRive” CD, a quarterly audio magazine for district representatives to hear in their cars. One judge wrote that the CD, which was recorded and edited at Silver Oaks, has “intriguing sound effects.”

Winning entries were displayed at the IFCA’s annual meeting Sept. 10-14 at the San Francisco Fairmont, where Best of Show trophies will be distributed during an awards ceremony.

Silver Oaks, in its 22nd year of business in the communications industry, is nationally recognized for creativity and technical excellence in print, video, interactive media and Web services.