Local advertising school Creative Circus is beaming in the center ring, after taking top awards in two separate contests. Students swept the 2000 Cisco Systems Create-A-Poster student competition. Art Directors Mark Sorensen and Michael Butterworth shared the $1,000 first prize for their poster, which features the remains of a cardboard box amid a messy dorm room. The box, labeled “College Stuff,” is marked out and replaced by “Office Stuff.” Second place and $500 went to Art Director Jay Benjamin and Copywriter Eric DeLeo for “Cisco Jeans.” The poster shows the back of a pair of jeans with the Cisco logo stitched on the pockets. A 3 x 5 notecard stuffed in one reads, “Important, self-evident, truth: Playing dress up is a child’s game.” The leather belt label promotes “Cisco Equipment” and “flexible schedule, “free ice cream” and “relaxed environment.” Copywriter Evan Noveck and Art Director Will Cauthen took third place honors and $250. An additional three Circus students were named runners-up. Winning posters will be used in Cisco’s employee recruitment campaign geared toward college students.

Soon after taking the Cisco competition by storm, Circus students staked their claim at the Atlanta Ad Club’s 1999 Atlanta Advertising Awards Student Competition. Art Director Dean Shavor and Copywriter Natalie Kaufman won best of show for their fictitious Thermos ad. The ad shows two men holding one of the insulated beverage holders on top of a snowy mountain. “I think I burned my tongue,” reads the headline. Art Directors Jewell Rutledge, Michael Butterworth, Greg Wyatt, and Michelle Fiero took home Gold ADDY awards, along with Copywriters Erick Proulx, and Paul Johnson. Silver ADDY’s went to Art Directors John Shannon, Steven Hollis, and Charlotte Dillion and Copywriters Jonathan Ozer, Stephanie Santore, Alex Russel, and Schuyler VandenBergh. Art Directors Cika Sparck and Dean Shavor received citations of excellence, along with Copywriters Matt LeDoux, Peter Shamon, Mike Ward, and Kevin Griffin.