The 2010 Eddy Award winners

It's funny how little things can make a difference. While judges appreciated Mustang's consistently used “journey” theme, what they liked best was the liberal white space – much more than in a typical brochure. That white space helped make the materials easy to read and digest. Another plus: excellent charts and tables.

Service provider: The Hartford

CTG, an information technology firm, used a number of themes and devices to tie the materials together and to the plan sponsor. The “home” theme, for example, featured the home button on a computer; the tagline was “Get connected, stay connected.” Judges especially liked the portfolio-like folders that held the materials.

Service provider: The Hartford

This “go green” theme featured terrific giveaways such as a recycled tote bag awarded to employees who enrolled or increased their contribution, and a packet of seeds. Everything was customized and fit into a broader corporate “green” campaign. The topic was extremely relevant, the message was very simple and the project itself was wonderfully creative.

Service provider: The Hartford, PartnerComm

What makes this a winner is comments like this from one judge: “If it came in my mail, I'd open it and read it. ” The theme, “Where will retirement take you?” was consistently and cleverly carried out through travel-related graphics, such as a suitcase and a map. A real luggage tag was enclosed in the packet.

Service provider: Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust

Using the theme, “Do something good for your retirement savings today,” Ingram showed the company was still committed to helping employees save for retirement, despite the nation's economic crisis. Mailings were targeted by age, and featured easy tear-off enrollment cards. Those who attended 401(k) Day got a free notebook.

Service providers: New York Life Retirement Plan Services, Roycroft Design

A series of postcards featuring the biggest Nintendo “stars” – including Donkey Kong, Luigi, and Wario – was incredibly simple and creative. All were targeted, including one for participants who could take advantage of the age 50 catch-up contribution and another sent to coincide with company raises, urging employees to enroll or increase their deferrals.

Service provider: Diversified Investment Advisors

Excellent branding was the hallmark of Kawasaki's campaign to get participants to increase their deferrals. The photos of people riding motorcycles and jet skis manufactured by the company were bold and beautiful. One unusual feature: a postcard with a detachable magnet directing employees to the plan's website.

Service provider: The Principal Financial Group

“Find out what all the cow-motion is about,” said one in a series of five monthly postcards and matching posters designed to increase participation rates at 12 locations. Judges especially liked National Dairy's emphasis on encouraging young employees to begin saving now for retirement.

Service provider: The Hartford

“Plan your happily ever after” used multiple mailings and postcards with such fairy tale characters as the big bad wolf of inflation and Sleeping Beauty with the introduction: Even if you don't prick your finger on a spindle and fall asleep for 100 years, you might fall asleep on your investments.” Everything was branded for Ventura, with no provider mentioned.

Service provider: Fidelity Investments

When Bailey decided to provide ongoing investment education to participants between ages 50 and 64, it launched its “nearing retirement” program. Not surprisingly (since Bailey is a plant nursery), the graphics were beautiful. The materials, offered in both English and Spanish, were easy to read and digest.

Service provider: The Principal Financial Group

This was a classic ongoing education campaign spread over six months through posters, postcards, e-newsletters and table tents. Using a physical fitness theme with good photos, the materials themselves gave “fiscal training tips” on such topics as increasing contributions, making best use of the company match, increasing employee deferrals and handling a down market.

Service provider: The Hartford

Contran's desire to stress the importance of diversification featured mailers to participants invested only in the stable value/money market fund and those invested in fewer than three mutual funds. The graphics were excellent — the classic “don't put all of eggs in one basket” message — and the messages clear and simple.

Service provider: Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust

This ongoing education campaign had a catchy theme — stick.to.it — and clever, clean and clear graphics. Each piece was short and to the point. One explained how the employer contribution works; another discussed automatic rebalancing and deferral increases; a third provided basic investment education on asset allocation and asset classes. All were English and Spanish.

Service provider: Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust

This entry was well- tailored to the company's line of business — women's clothes. Talbots had two goals: to increased participation rates at Talbots and J.Jill; and to increase deferrals. some 5.4% of Talbots' employees joined, and 4% of J.Jill's joined. New deferral rates averaged 7.4% and 6.6%, respectively.

Service provider: Wachovia, a Wells Fargo company

Judges liked this entry because it used photos of New Jersey landmarks and a catchy sunburst discount sign (commonly found in retail ads) that referred to pre-tax contributions and said: “Take advantage of 25% off retirement savings.” The purpose of the campaign was to increase deferral rates, and the results were impressive: Some 38.5% of participants upped their deferrals.

Service provider: Prudential Retirement

Newsletters have been a tried and true way to provide ongoing investment education, and Los Angeles' were a cut above the rest. They were very customized, colorful and graphically appealing, and presented good information on such topics as target-date funds, contributions and investment advice.

Service provider: Great-West Retirement Services

Trinity Health's ongoing education materials wisely used the cute and easily identifiable “Sticky” character and “Stick with the Plan” theme the health-care provider has used in other campaigns. Trinity's flyer on its asset allocation service and newsletter explaining fund changes were graphically appealing and easy to read.

Service provider: Diversified Investment Advisors

Gorgeous pictures of the Met's soaring architecture graced the front and back of the education materials. The campaign addressed multiple topics, such as fund enhancements, the importance of continuing to save during an economic downturn and the need to follow loan repayment schedules.

Service provider: Diversified Investment Advisors

This was a visually appealing entry whose theme matched the business of transportation by using photos of Veolia buses and trains on posters and brochure covers. The use of color was excellent, even though it was a four-color process, rather than the more expensive full-color alternative. The brochure was unusually well organized with the smart use of tabs.

Service provider: New York Life Retirement Plan Services

CHS did what other entrants didn't: used a separate brochure to list actions that needed to be taken during the conversion, rather than burying that information. The pictures of health-care professionals helped brand the materials, which clearly had been well thought out. The quizzes were another plus.

Service provider: The Principal Financial Group

Anyone familiar with Staples knew about the easy button, and the company made good use of its corporate branding. Judges especially liked the employee photos and a flip chart table tent. The information in the brochures was easy to read, helped by a larger type font than is typically used.

Service providers: New York Life Retirement Plan Services, Marcia Felix Design

Great photos of Chicago at night — lights blazing everywhere — were the perfect images for electrical workers. The materials were well put together, with a good mix of types of materials, ranging from postcards to booklets to a wallet card. The identification with the plan and its participants, rather than with the service provider, was top notch.

Service provider: Mercer

Identification with the plan and consistency were what made this entry a winner. All materials featured silhouettes of employees at work and the same design and colors. Each also contained a different “financial safety tip,” modeled after the UPS safety tips employees were used to seeing in other communications.

Service provider: Prudential Retirement

A series of five letters from the CEO, sent over 10 days, addressed employees' fears about the economic crisis. One was on the 401(k) plan. The message was simple and clear: “The key is not to panic or make any rash decisions.” Another words, stay the course. Judges said they wished more companies had done what Southwest Gas did.

“Your Money Matters” newsletters, targeted for people over 40 participating in CalSTRS' Pension2 plan, contained short snippets that grabbed your interest. One issue explained the mortgage crisis. Another publication, “Retired Educator,” talked about investing in a troubled market, and assured participants their investments were OK.

Service provider: TIAA-CREF

The title of New Jersey's easy-to-read brochure, “Stay the course,” says it all. The goal was to calm participants' fears as they watched the markets – and their account balances – drop. New Jersey officials measured their participants' behavior against a Mercer survey and found, for example, that far fewer participants moved to stable value than in the survey.

Service provider: Prudential Retirement

LifeBridge used a series of messages to educate participants during the first quarter of 2009. One piece said: “Stop worrying about what you can't control and take some positive action (toward) greater financial security and a comfortable retirement.” Another discussed diversification, dollar-cost averaging, the danger of inertia and other investment concepts.

Service provider: Diversified Investment Advisors

Creative, bold and eye-popping describe Omni Hotels' winning entry that used the theme, “How Much?” and featured a series of questions. Everything connected to the training materials for the EZ Enroll Program was in pink and black. Trainers got some fun giveaways (in the same colors, of course) such as a spiral notebook and buttons. The hotel chain used colorful Popsicles as its graphic element.

Service provider: Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust

Cabin Fever, an interactive, participatory CD-based game for new hires, was a blast. It emphasized important points - such as the company match and other financial and investment information - in a painless way. The goal of the game was to build a retirement home, a perfect fit for this construction company. Judges remarked they played the entire game, which they didn't expect.

Service provider: goBig Communications

The fee disclosure flyer in ING's materials for Nestle was the best judges saw among all entries in all categories. The investment and enrollment information was comprehensive, yet in an easy-to-read format. Another indicator of success of the redesigned program: The cost to print and mail each kit was dramatically reduced.

Client: Nestle USA Inc.

It's funny how little things can make a difference. While judges appreciated Hartford's consistent use of the “journey” theme, what they liked best was the white space – much more than in a typical brochure. That white space helped make the materials easy to read and digest. Another plus: excellent charts and tables.

Client: Mustang Engineering

Using pictures of South Carolina natural areas was a good idea, but using photos taken by state employees was a great idea. There was a ton of information in the booklet, yet ING managed to make it readable. One idea others might want to copy: a handy notes section for employees to use as they pour through the information.

Client: South Carolina deferred compensation program

This “go green” theme featured terrific giveaways such as a recycled tote bag awarded to employees who enrolled or increased their contribution, and a packet of seeds. Everything was customized and fit into a broader corporate “green” campaign. The topic was extremely relevant, the message was very simple and the project itself was wonderfully creative.

Client: MGM Mirage

No glitz, just a simple and terrifically executed concept by T. Rowe Price: Send cards to non-plan participants that said, “Happy one-year anniversary with M&T Bank. Now you can reap the rewards of savings with free money for your future.” Results were fabulous: 40% of non-participants enrolled.

Client: M&T Bank Corp.

Using the theme, “Do something good for your retirement savings today,” New York Life helped Ingram show the company was still committed to helping employees save for retirement, despite the nation's economic crisis. Mailings, targeted by age, featured easy tear-off enrollment cards.

Client: Ingram Industries Inc.

Judges lauded this entry for its warm color scheme, attractive layout and unusual theme. The Hartford used bold photos of bulls and matadors to illustrate the concept of getting ready for the return of the bull market. The materials also did a good job with charts and tables on subjects usually reserved for more sophisticated investors.

“Beyond Investment Illusions: When it comes to your financial future, perception is everything” was powerful because it confronted myths head on. That's something investment education doesn't usually deal with. The graphics are delightful: Who can resist looking at cool illusions? The materials covered important topics such as market timing and risk in an easy-to-understand way.

“There's no such thing as a retirement genie…a retirement bunny…a retirement fairy…a retirement (frog) prince” were separate components of Diversified's special project to draw attention to 401(k) Day. The posters and postcards were a delightfully funny and creative way to educate people that their savings won't magically appear.

T. Rowe's work for Southeastern was all about tying the materials to employees' jobs so non-participants would read and take action. In newsletters, flyers and postcards, gorgeous photos, for example, depicted scenes truckers would see while driving and taglines like “get in the fast lane” were used. Results were impressive: 4.2% of nonparticipants enrolled in the plan.

Client: Southeastern Freight Lines

This was a classic ongoing education campaign spread over six months through posters, postcards, e-newsletters and table tents. Using a physical fitness theme with good photos, the materials themselves gave “fiscal training tips” on such topics as increasing contributions, making best use of the company match, increasing employee deferrals and handling a down market.

Client: Plexus Corp.

A calendar for employees was a big hit with judges because each month featured information about Watlow's 401(k) plan. They also liked the imagery not just on the calendar, but also on all investment education materials.

Client: Watlow Group

Stunning action photos of amateur sports helped make this entry a winner. The series of flyers, postcards and other materials discussed participation, asset allocation, increasing deferral rates and retirement planning. Under the theme, “peak performance,” photos featured a mountain climbers, hikers, golfers, snowmobile riders skiers and runners.

Bank architecture photos and rich, but appropriate, tones and colors set the stage for this well-branded campaign. Judges especially like ING's use of segmenting, sending different information to different employee populations, and its “just-intime” approach to determine when to disseminate the various materials.

Client: Bank of New York Mellon Corp.

“Feed your dreams” was the tagline, building on the company's theme, “Ingredients for Life.” J.P. Morgan did a great job tailoring the materials to the company and its participants. All were colorful with terrific photos and included a buffet of easy-to-understand tools. All materials contained the logo “Aisle one, take charge of your tomorrow.”

Client: Safeway Cos.

Extending the corporate branding to Hanes' savings plan was smart. Plus, the entry used clothing-related devices, such as price tag-like graphics with the motto, “For a retirement that fits.” One of those price tags made a great, but inexpensive giveaway – a magnet with plan access information.

Client: Hanesbrands Inc.

Lovely outdoor photography combined with strong identification with the plan sponsor made T. Rowe's work for Dow Corning a winner. A host of brochures, posters and postcards gave lots of information while reiterating the theme: “Wealth matters. Plan well. Invest well. Live well.”

Client: Dow Corning

Solid, well-presented information with good charts helped this entry stand out. The materials looked well thought out. Although there were several different pieces, they didn't seem overwhelming and each had a specific purpose, such as a transition booklet and a guide to using the plan's website and information line.

Client: Virginia Retirement System

Judges liked ING's work for Minnesota because the provider used employees in photos and designed the information in such a way that it was tied into who the participants are. The materials also did a good job of explaining the plan and its changes.

Client: Minnesota State Retirement System

When Nestle officials said, at the beginning of 2009, that they wanted to remind participants of the importance of taking a long-term perspective when times were tough, ING used muted colors and simple tips that judges found soothing and easy to grasp. The initial communications were followed by a successful campaign to increase deferral rates: 35% increased to the full match rate.

Client: Nestle USA Inc.

Quarterly newsletters to participants in Massachusetts' SMART Plan featured articles on such topics as staying invested and rebalancing. Each had a front-page letter from the state treasurer referring to the economic crisis while reminding participants to stay focused on their goals and the basic principles of investing.

Client: Commonwealth of Massachusetts

“Questions Answered” cleverly used big, eye-catching question marks to tie all of the materials together. Wells Fargo chose the questions used in the monthly Q and A from those call center reps and retirement educators said were the most frequently asked by participants. Plus, the campaign targeted three age groups with separate mailings and posters.

A variety of messages, featuring excellent photos, included one that said: “How to stay focused on saving for the future when bills go up and the stock market goes down.” The materials addressed participant concerns, but also reinforced many basic investment education concepts.

Principal began addressing the economic crisis in its participant statements dated Dec. 31, 2008, and continued into the next year with a series of articles available in statements, online and through direct mailings. Each piece was two to four pages, written clearly and laid out cleanly.

Great-West used state employees in a video explaining the benefits of Indiana's deferred compensation plan, the Hoosier S.T.A.R.T. plan. The result was an ondemand source of information with which employees could identify. The video touched on enrollment, deferral rates and investment topics like asset allocation and risk.

Client: State of Indiana

An e-postcard directing people to a website was a simple, but effective, way to get employees of a newly merged company to get the lowdown on the plan conversion. Judges liked the bite-sized pieces of information given, the full branding and the way the medium was used to reinforce print messages.

Client: Bank of New York Mellon Corp.

Targeting its message generationally, J.P. Morgan's “The Way Forward” micro site used conversations between regular people, including older friends having lunch in a restaurant, about investments and how to cope with financial turmoil. This was a welcome departure from the traditional talking heads presenting a tightly scripted monologue.

Hewitt provided online investment education through its personal finance center. The site featured conversations with a money management executive, an approach not found in the other entries. A ton of information was spread across different areas of the site, but all was given in manageable chunks.