The PR Club returned to an in-person event to celebrate the excellent work of the industry, and recognized Kelley Chunn with the John J. Molloy Crystal Bell Lifetime Achievement Award

After two years of virtual ceremonies, on June 16, the PR Club brought public relations and communications professionals from across New England back together in person for the 54th annual Bell Ringer Awards. 

The PR Club welcomed host Brianna Borghi, On-Air News Reporter for NBC5 of Burlington, VT, to announce the winners of the single-item categories and campaign winners. Additionally, the PR Club announced the winners of the Striker and Ringer professional awards, along with the John J. Molloy Crystal Bell for lifetime achievement and the Platinum Super Bell. This year, the event featured a new format that maximized networking time for attendees to meet and celebrate together. 

The PR Club awarded the prestigious Platinum Super Bell Award for the top PR campaign to 360PR+ for its executive thought leadership campaign, “Elevating The Wanderlust Group’s Four-Day Work Week Through Executive Thought Leadership.”

Kelley Chunn earned the PR Club’s John J. Molloy Crystal Bell Lifetime Achievement Award. Kelley is the principal of Kelley Chunn & Associates (KCA), an award-winning 29-year-old state-certified consultancy which specializes in multicultural and cause-related public relations and marketing. In addition, Kelley has served as an assistant professor of public relations and marketing at Northeastern University and at Simmons University. She has guest lectured at several schools including Brandeis University’s Heller School, American University in Rome, and Jos TV College in Nigeria. In total, she has educated more than 1,000 students in her tenure. Kelley has worked as a news and public affairs writer and producer at TV stations 4, 5, and 7 in Boston. She served as media consultant to the Nigerian government’s National Television Authority in West Africa and worked as a senior communications specialist for the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency.

The PR Club presented Jennifer Susca from Matter Communications with the 2022 Striker Award, recognizing the practitioner who demonstrates an early passion for public relations, a dedication to their career, and a superior work ethic. Bianca Chaer of Sullivan Marketing Communications won the 2022 Ringer Award, recognizing the mid-level practitioner who has demonstrated steady and significant progress in impacting their agency, company, or practice, and the New England PR community since entering the field of public relations.

John Guilfoil Public Relations was this year’s top winner with 14 awards. Also earning strong acclaim from Bell Ringer judges were Duffy & Shanley and 360PR+ with 13 awards each, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute with six awards. To learn more about the winning entries, click here for the winner’s showcase. 

“The excellence of our New England PR community shines through in this year’s Bell Ringer Award winners,” said Amanda Fountain, PR Club president and digital engagement lead at LEGO Education. “This year feels extra special as we returned to celebrating the incredible work and professionals in-person after two years of virtual events. The format of the Bell Ringer presentation may have adapted to the times, but the quality of the work and dedication of the individuals who do it is consistently impressive.” 

In keeping with tradition, the PR Club will once again donate to the nonprofit organization of our host’s choice. This year, in honor of Brianna Borghi, the PR Club raised and donated $1,035 to Dress for Success Boston. This organization helps women break out of poverty and become financially independent by providing them with professional attire to instill confidence within and help secure employment.

PR Club also would like to thank its 2022 Bell Ringer Award sponsors, Talkwalker, AccessWire, Business Wire, Boston University College of Communication, and Cobrandit, for their contributions to this year’s awards ceremony, as well as World Trophies and JTC Printing for their continued ongoing support of the PR Club.

2022 Bell Ringer Award Winners

Professional Awards

Striker Award – Industry Newcomer:
Jennifer Susca
Senior Account Executive, Matter Communications

Ringer Award – Mid-level Practitioner:
Bianca Chaer
Communications Strategist, Sullivan Marketing Communications

John J. Molloy Crystal Bell for Lifetime Achievement:
Kelley Chunn
Principal and Founder, Kelley Chunn & Associates

Platinum Super Bell

360PR+ for Elevating The Wanderlust Group’s Four-Day Work Week Through Executive Thought Leadership – Executive Thought Leadership Campaign

Single-Item Entries

CONTENT MARKETING:

Agency Citizenship or Pro Bono 

• Merit:  PRLab at Boston University for PRoBono 2021
• Silver Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for East Boston Artists Shine Light on Ocean Advocacy During Weeklong Mural Celebration 

Digital/Printed Collateral

• Merit: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for the 2021 Honor Roll of Donors
• Bronze Bell: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for The Imagine Display

Diversity Initiatives

• Gold Bell: Issues Management Group with CIC Health for Supporting CIC Health as They Provide Equitable Testing/Vaccination Services During COVID19 Pandemic 

 Paid Media

• Merit: C+C on behalf of Massachusetts Department of Mental Health for Giving Parents the Tools They Need
• Bronze Bell: Duffy & Shanley for “Driving it Home” – BJ’s Home Improvement Services Campaign 
• Silver Bell: Duffy & Shanley for Joining the Excitement of Best Colleges

Podcast

• Silver Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for Mansfield Public Schools Launch the “Hello Hornets” Podcast to Start the 2021-2022 School Year 

Video – Single Video

• Silver Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for East Kingston Fire Department Seeks New Volunteer Members

Video – Series

• Merit: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio Telethon “I Am Jimmy” Videos
• Bronze Bell: SHIFT Communications with Dan Milnor of Blurb for #FromTheVanWithDan: Reaching Creators Through Visual Storytelling
• Gold Bell: 360PR+ for Tommee Tippee for Tommee Tippee Spills the Milk on the Raw Realities of Parenthood

MEDIA PLACEMENTS:

 Media Placement – National

• Merit (tie): John Guilfoil Public Relations for North Attleboro Firefighters Perform Life-Saving Rescue From 30,000 Feet
• Merit (tie): Porter Novelli with Pan-Mass Challenge for The Incredible Reason Peloton’s Emma Lovewell Rode Her Bike 80 Miles
• Bronze Bell: Issues Management Group with CIC Health for Bloomberg CityLab Highlights CIC Health’s Mass Vax Efforts at State’s Top Sports Venues
• Silver Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations forTown of East Bridgewater Celebrating James Ingargiola’s Successful Battle Against COVID-19
• Gold Bell: Tier One Partners for Overdraft Fee Elimination: A Wall Street Journal Exclusive

Media Placement – Regional or Local

• Merit: Duffy & Shanley for Building the Credibility of the Cannabis Industry, One Sample at a Time
• Bronze Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for “We Trained For This”: Firefighters Aid in Emergency Baby Deliveries
• Gold Bell: Duffy and Shanley for its Boston Globe placement: Dunkin’ Iced Coffee Day Nets $140K, 82 COVID-19 Vaccines

 Media Placement – Vertical or Trade 

• Bronze Bell: V2 Communications for Reshaping the Nielsen Narrative
• Silver Bell: 360PR+ for Bagging a Big Trade Story for a New Canned Cocktail Line

Media Placement – Series of Placements

• Merit: Duffy and Shanley for Building the Credibility of the Cannabis Industry, One Placement at a Time
• Bronze Bell: 360PR+ for Helping Local Communities Access Covid Vaccinations Through Effective Regional Media Placements
• Silver Bell: Ball Consulting Group for Calling Attention to the Human Services Workforce Crisis in Massachusetts
• Gold Bell: InkHouse with PUMA for Unveiling PUMA’s North American Headquarters During COVID-19

 Television News Placements – National

• Silver Bell: Duffy & Shanley for CNBC Squawk Box placement: Hanesbrands Gets Back in Shape
• Gold Bell: Duffy & Shanley for its segment about Earth Day at America’s First Offshore Wind Farm with CBS Morning News

Television News Placement – Regional or Local

• Merit: John Guilfoil Public Relations for Everyone Loves Waffles: Tewksbury Police Show Off New Comfort Dog
• Bronze Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for Two Taunton Police Officers Buy Bicycle for 6-Year-Old Boy After His was Stolen Twice 
• Silver Bell: 360PR+ for UNFI: Now Hiring with 360PR+

Bylined Article 

• Silver Bell: V2 Communications for Establishing Climate Credibility: Byline Fuels Successful Visa Application 

 Op-Ed 

• Silver Bell: Issues Management Group with Perkins School for the Blind for its Op-ed in The Boston Globe: What TikTok Users Who Doubt Helen Keller Can Learn This Oscar Season 

Response to Breaking News 

• Merit: Back Bay Communications for Highlighting Karen Clark & Company’s Catastrophe Modeling Expertise
• Bronze Bell: Walker Sands with Sophos for Increasing Top-Tier Coverage for Sophos With Rapid Response Around Log4j Exploit 
• Silver Bell: Red Lorry Yellow Lorry for the CertiK Project for its Breaking News Rapid Response Program for the Win!
• Gold Bell: Three Rings for REvil Ransomware Group Unexpectedly Shuts Down

EVENTS:

Media Events

• Merit: Matter Communications for Hydroxycut with Hydroxycut Scores on Football’s Biggest Weekend
• Bronze Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for Armstrong Paramedic Reunites With Couple After Life-Saving Response
• Silver Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for the Town of Scituate Hosts “Save Our Station” Rally to Preserve Regional U.S. Coast Guard Station
• Gold Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for Randolph Police, ARL Boston Find Homes for Dogs Rescued From Squalor

One-Time Special Event

• Merit: RDW Group with Rhode Island Medical Imaging for Rhode Island Medical Imaging and Providence College Basketball Pink Out Friartown
• Bronze Bell: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute with OPUS Agency for the Dana-Farber Campaign Announcement Event
• Silver Bell: Duffy & Shanley for History in the Hamptons! New York’s First Offshore Wind Farm Breaks Ground
• Gold Bell: 360PR+ on behalf of illycaffè North America for Welcome Back to NYC: This One’s On Us

Campaigns

INFLUENCER CAMPAIGNS:

Micro Influencer Campaign

• Merit: Matter Communications for Hood Ice Cream: Summer of Smiles 2021
• Bronze Bell: Duffy & Shanley for Let’s Talk College – Helping Parents Navigate the Unknown Through the Power of Influencing
• Silver Bell: Takeda Pharmaceuticals with Edelman for Takeda Games Encourages Physical and Emotional Well-Being for Bleeding Disorder Patients

 Mega Influencer Campaign

• Merit: 360PR+ for the Sunny D Sweetest Summer Yet Hashtag Challenge
• Bronze Bell: RDW Group with Ageless Innovation for Social Media Influencers Help Raise Awareness of Joy for All Companion Pets
• Gold Bell: 360PR+ for Little Northern Bakehouse Hits the Right Note with Musical Influencer

COVID-19 RELATED CAMPAIGNS:

COVID-19 Product or Service Campaign

• Bronze Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for Leading the Way with Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics 
• Silver Bell: Tier One Partners with Keyser Public Strategies for Answering the Nation’s Call for US-Made PPE

COVID-19 Response Campaign

• Merit: Matter Communications for Lovesac + Harman Kardon for Lovesac X Harman Embedded Audio: Debuting a Couch Like No Other
• Bronze Bell: Issues Management Group with Commonwealth Care Alliance for Commonwealth Care Alliance’s Efforts to Vaccinate Homebound Individuals with Significant Needs
• Silver Bell (tie): C+C with Washington State Department of Health for Vaccinate WA
• Silver Bell (tie): Issues Management Group with CIC Health for CIC Health’s Efforts to Reach Communities Hit Hardest During the COVID-19 Pandemic

COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGNS:

Brand Building or Re-Branding – Business-to-Business 

• Merit: Brodeur Partners for Launching a Sustainable Future for Cannabis Packaging
• Bronze Bell: V2 Communications for Creating the Next Data Lake Darling: ChaosSearch
• Silver Bell: LaVoieHealthScience on behalf of Outlook Therapeutics for Reputation Building and Market-Shaping for an Approved Ophthalmic Bevacizumab in Retinal Disease
• Gold Bell: SHIFT Communications for Closing the Skills Gap That Keeps Americans Underemployed and Underpaid

 Business-to-Business Social Media 

• Silver Bell: Red Lorry Yellow Lorry for Valora for The Power of Celebrity and Social Media for an Incredible Series A+!

Business-to-Consumer Social Media Campaigns

• Bronze Bell: RDW Group with Ageless Innovation for Supporting Caregivers and Older Adults Through Social Media
• Silver Bell: RDW Group with Rhode Island Medical Imaging for Sharing the Unseen Through Social Media 
• Gold Bell: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon Social Media Campaign 

Cause Marketing Campaign 

• Silver Bell: Tier One Partners on behalf of Ally Financial for Big Sean, HBCUs & Ally Teach Kids About Money in Minecraft

Content Marketing Campaign

• Gold Bell: Duffy and Shanley for It Starts With a Click: Using Content to Kick Off the Customer Journey

Corporate Culture/Internal Communications Campaign 

• Bronze Bell: Rocket Social Impact with NCR for NCR Foundation’s Road Trip for Good

Crisis Communications

• Merit Award: ML Strategies for Fire Eating Dragon to Toothless Tiger in California’s Cannabis Industry
• Silver Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for Winthrop Police Respond to Mass  Shooting and Hate Crime, Work to  Support Community in Aftermath 
• Gold Bell and Super Bell Finalist: Red Lorry Yellow Lorry for Brightcove, Inc., for Overcoming Cyberattack Misinformation

Executive Thought Leadership

• Bronze Bell: Matter Communications for Hospital IQ for Hospital IQ: A Leading Voice Through Healthcare’s Staffing Crisis
• Silver Bell: Red Lorry Yellow Lorry for Blockchain Intelligence Group for Building Thought Leaders With a “BIG” Presence
• Gold Bell and Super Bell Finalist and Winner: 360PR+ for Elevating The Wanderlust Group’s Four-Day Work Week Through Executive Thought Leadership

External Spokesperson 

• Gold Bell: 360PR+ for Harpoon Brewery – Building Hometown and Home Team Pride With Team Mew-S-A

Fundraising

• Bronze Bell: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon Direct Mail Campaign
• Gold Bell and Super Bell Finalist: Duffy and Shanley for “All in One Shot” – Dunkin’ Iced Coffee Day 2022

Integrated Marketing Communications 

• Merit: V2 Communications for Evolving Rocket Software’s EVOLVE Conference Marketing Strategy
• Bronze Bell: C+C with the Washington State Department of Health for Vaccinate WA
• Gold Bell and Super Bell Finalist: 360PR+ for Tommee Tippee Spills the Milk on the Raw Realities of Parenthood

On-a-Shoestring

• Merit: Allison+Partners with Get Maine Lobster for How a Cotton Candy Lobster became a Viral Sensation

INDUSTRY CAMPAIGNS:

Business-to-Business 

• Merit: V2 Communications for Navigating the Changing Role of the Enterprise Supply Chain with Kinaxis
• Bronze Bell: Brodeur Partners for Launching a Sustainable Future for Cannabis Packaging
• Gold Bell: SHIFT Communications for Building a Fair Future

Consumer Campaign

• Merit: Duffy and Shanley for Loan-ly No More: Navigating the Financial Road to College
• Bronze Bell: 360PR+ for Spreading “Words of Encouragement” this Valentine’s Day Season
• Silver Bell: 360PR+ for Tommee Tippee Spills the Milk on the Raw Realities of Parenthood

Government/Public Affairs 

• Silver Bell: Duffy and Shanley for Winds of Change for New York’s First Offshore Wind Farm

  Healthcare

• Merit: Matter Communications for Vicarious Surgical: A Sprint to Merger
• Bronze Bell: RDW Group with the Rhode Island Department of Health for the Rhode Island Dept. of Health Substance Exposed Newborns Campaign
• Silver Bell: C+C with the Washington State Department of Health for Vaccinate WA

High Tech 

• Bronze Bell: Walker Sands with Affectiva for Affectiva Acquired: A PR Journey to M&A
• Gold Bell and Super Bell Finalist: Three Rings for Turning GroupSense Into a Media Superstar

Hospitality, Travel, and Entertainment 

• Bronze Bell: Hollywood Agency on behalf of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce for Hello! South Shore, @SouthShoreBear Joins Twitter
• Silver Bell: Allison+Partners and SKDK for Kimpton and Talkspace for Making Mental Health More than Just a Guest Amenity
• Gold Bell: 360PR+ for Giving U.S. Travelers a New Runway to Love

 Nonprofit

• Bronze Bell: John Guilfoil Public Relations for its Media Campaign that Shines Light on East Boston Arts Nonprofit’s Ocean Advocacy Efforts
• Gold Bell: Porter Novelli with Pan-Mass Challenge for PMC 2021 – Back on the Road

For a printable winner’s list, click here.