The Extra, a free newspaper distributed by New Century Press throughout the Red River Valley area, earned several accolades at the Midwest Free Community Papers awards contest recently.
In addition to winning seven awards for ad creation, The Extra was named Most Improved Publication in 2012. Judges noted “They added a lot of color and made the front pages much nicer, sure to attract readers. More features, better layout and use of themes.” Shaun Kats, graphic artist, does layout on The Extra and designs the front page.
Melissa deBoer, graphic artist for New Century Press, was one of three people to win $100 in the ad creation contest. She designed a 5×8-inch ad for an imaginary law firm. She also created the Sunshine Foods August Tent Sale ad which took first place in the Best Grocery Ad-black ink category.
Megan Punt, graphic artist, won first place in black plus one color category for her Lois Kuehl Pampered Chef ad.
Kats took first place in the Best Self Promotion of Internet Site with his “Check us out online” ad.
deBoer won third place in the black plus one color ad category for her River Valley Players “Fiddler on the Roof” creation.
Kats took third place in the black and white small ad category with his Rock Rapids Health Centre soup supper submission. He also won third place in the Best Banner/Masthead category.
The Extra begin publishing in its current format in September 2011. It was initially distributed in Lyon County, Boyden and Hull in Iowa and Hills, Steen and Ellsworth, Minn. Distribution recently expanded to Sioux Center and Rock Valley, Iowa, and Canton, S.D.
The Extra’s sister publication, FM Extra distributed in the Fargo, N.D.-Moorhead, MN., area, took the top award in the General Excellence category. Publishers submitted entire issues from three different weeks of the year (May 14, May 21 and May 28, 2012).
The judges noted that the FM Extra has a “very consistent layout” and is an “easy to read publication. The cleanliness of the layout was throughout the publication, in the ads and editorial.” Kats also lays out the FM Extra.
Judges of the contest were those who have experience in print advertising. Over 560 entries were judged on appearance, creativity, effectiveness, following the contest rules, and mounting instructions.
The Extra and FM Extra are published by New Century Press, headquartered in Rock Rapids. Kats, deBoer and Punt also design ads for seven newspapers in Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and a third free paper owned by New Century Press and local ads which appear in Northwest Iowa Peach, Southwest Minnesota Peach, Southern Minnesota Peach and Southeast South Dakota Peach.
The Midwest Free Community Papers is an organization which represents over 120 free papers in a 10-state region that covers Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.