Video goes on to regional competition
In December 2024, Big Waters Land Trust, formerly the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, concluded its 20th anniversary year “with a surprise name change announcement,” the nonprofit is reminding the public.
During the Trust’s Annual Conservation Celebration, the new name was revealed via a video that celebrated “the critical importance of land conservation” and the impact that the Trust has had in the region, a news release notes. The approximately 90-second announcement closed with the revealing of the new name.
Approximately three months later, the leaders of Big Waters are “thrilled to share with the community the exciting news that the video recently received honors during the 2025 American Advertising Awards (ADDYs),” the release adds.
“Hosted by the Suncoast chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF),” the awards ceremony took place on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Ringling Sound Stages in Sarasota, the release notes.
“The ADDYs are advertising’s most widely recognized honor for creative spirit and excellence, attracting nearly 35,000 submissions yearly,” the release points out. Submissions are judged by a panel of experts, with the local winners “moving on to compete against winners from other local clubs at the District level,” the release explains. District ADDY winners — such as the Big Waters video — then are “forwarded to the national stage of the American Advertising Awards,” the release says.
“Big Waters’ rebranding reveal won a Silver ADDY award in recognition of its outstanding creative excellence,” the release notes. “The video also won the Amy Award as the highest-scoring entry in the Public Service category,” the release points out. Brad Bryan, president of BRAD!BRYAN Multimedia, who was the cinematographer/editor, and Sam Valentin, Big Waters’ director of marketing and events, who was the producer, get the credits for the video, the release says. “The two worked collaboratively to conceptualize and create the piece,” the release adds.
To view the video on YouTube, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHervBerURs.
Big Waters Land Trust has protected more than 20,000 acres across 61 different properties to date, the release points out. As the region’s only accredited land trust, its service area encompasses Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, Lee, Collier, DeSoto and Highlands counties, as well as three national estuaries — Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor — “and four significant rivers” — the Manatee, Myakka, Peace and Caloosahatchee.