TUSCALOOSA, Ala -- Three University of Alabama advertising competition teams recently took top awards at a national competition sponsored by the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF) -- part of the Direct Marketing Association.

Participating in the annual Collegiate ECHO Competition, UA fielded five individual teams under the direction of Dr. Yorgo Pasadeos, professor of advertising and public relations in UA's College of Communication and Information Sciences (C&IS). Out of five honors bestowed by DMEF, UA was joined only by The University of Florida, as the two universities swept the competition fields.

There were 124 entries from 23 schools in this year's competition. More than 500 students worked on integrated marketing communication campaigns for DMEF. As the corporate sponsor, or the "client," DMEF developed the assignment. Entries were evaluated by experienced direct and interactive marketing professionals on marketing strategy, media plan, creative execution and budget.

"This is another great honor for the department of advertising and public relations," said Dr. Bill Gonzenbach, department chair. "Last year our AdTeam was national champion in another prestigious competition. And this year, under the direction of Dr. Pasasdeos, UA teams competing in this national event have won the gold, silver and bronze trophies. We owe a special debt of thanks to Dr. Pasadeos and the exceptional team members."

The following awards were presented to UA:

Gold ECHO: Team members consisted of graduate students John Bagby, Tim Bentley, Emily Gong and Elizabeth Shelton.

Silver ECHO: Team members consisted of Whitney Allen, Amanda Case and Amy Whittemore.

Bronze ECHO: Team members consisted of Marta Bryant, Samuel Beall and Shama Bushree.

To attract new talent and to strengthen direct and interactive marketing education, the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation holds 15-20 programs a year for students and professors. The Foundation publishes teaching resources, career information, and an academic research journal. DMEF was established 35 years ago by the DMA and is supported by tax-deductible contributions.