Congratulations to the City of West Hollywood, for its recent win of two top awards recognizing distinction in communications by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Los Angeles Chapter, at this year’s PRSA’s PRism Awards gala on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood.
PRSA-LA conferred its highest honor, the PRism Award, to the City of West Hollywood in two categories:
The first PRism Award for Government Marketing recognizes the City of West Hollywood’s free Cityline shuttle service for its innovative branding initiative: New Transit Brand with Public Art. In 2018, the City debuted a brand-new fleet of environmentally friendly Cityline vehicles featuring a sharp new logo and a fresh look featuring the works of incredible artists. The branding initiative was a coordinated effort led by the City’s Social Services Division, Arts Division, and Communications Department. The resulting brand defines the leading-edge design of Cityline vehicles, which feature dramatically refreshed exterior surfaces with artwork from five nationally recognized artists: Ellierex, Kristin Farr, Casey Gray, Jim Houser, and Angie Wang. For detailed information about Cityline, including links to schedules and maps, visit www.weho.org/cityline.
The second PRism Award for Owned Media, Public Service Announcements recognizes the City of West Hollywood’s WeHoTV video public service announcement, Recreational Reefer Madness, which strikes a parody tone and uses a campy and over-the-top old-timey newsreel style to inform and educate community members about laws regarding cannabis use. In 2018, the City of West Hollywood became one of the first cities in the state to permit Adult-Use Retail cannabis sales. With an emerging culture shift related to cannabis, Recreational Reefer Madness and the City’s related Weed Like You To Know effort remind community members that adult-use cannabis is legal in the City of West Hollywood, but that it can’t be consumed everywhere. Information highlights the City’s support of legal cannabis consumption while also serving to clarify laws regarding consumption in public. The 90-second Recreational Reefer Madness PSA is available on the City of West Hollywood’s WeHoTV YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/lyEqfJ7PuRc.
“The City of West Hollywood continues to lead the way among municipal governments in its imaginative efforts to inform our community members in captivating ways,” said West Hollywood Mayor John D’Amico. “These PRSA Awards are the equivalent of the Oscars for the public relations industry and I’m really proud of our Communications Department, which is so much like Meryl Streep.”
Public Relations Society of America is the largest public relations organization in the world, with more than 21,000 members nationwide. The Los Angeles chapter (PRSA-LA) is the fifth largest in the country, with nearly 600 agency, in-house, and independent PR professionals across the Greater Los Angeles region. For additional information, visit www.prsala.org.
For more information, please contact Lisa Marie Belsanti, the City of West Hollywood’s Director of Communications at (323) 848-6378 or at [email protected].
