It’s Great to Work Here … We’re One of Florida Trend’s 2014 Best Companies to Work For!

At VSBrooks, it’s our job to be fun, creative, and an overall great place to work. Not only do WE think we’re a fantastic place to come to work every day, but recently, the popular business news magazine Florida Trend agreed with us, naming us one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in the state of Florida.

We were awarded in the Best Small Companies category (15-49 employees), in which there were 36 ranked winners. We’ll be recognized, along with the other winning companies, in Florida Trend's August 2014 issue.  

So, what does this list acknowledge, and how did we get it? Well, it recognizes companies that have built productive workplaces for their employees, strengthening their own as well as Florida's competitive advantage in the national and global arenas.

To participate, companies or government entities had to employ at least 15 workers in Florida and have been in operation at least one year. Companies that chose to participate underwent an evaluation of their workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The process also included a survey to measure employee satisfaction. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the registration, survey and analysis and determined the final rankings.


We’re especially proud of this recognition, because if our staff is happy, then our clients are happy. Plus, “happy” is just an overall good thing to be.

We Won! 31st Healthcare Advertising Awards

After 18 years in business, it’s still extremely exciting for everyone at VSBrooks ADVERTISING when we hear that we won an award. So when we recently found out that we won awards for a print campaign we created for our client CarePlus Health Plans, we were downright ecstatic.

Healthcare Marketing Report – The National Newspaper of Healthcare Marketing – awarded us and CarePlus two silver awards in its 31^st Healthcare Advertising Awards. We won for the stellar campaign we created to advertise CarePlus’ Medicare Annual Election Period (October 15 – December 7), the time when Medicare recipients over 65 can change their health plan.

The Healthcare Advertising Awards are the oldest, largest and considered the most widely respected healthcare advertising awards. A national panel of judges grants awards to entries that exemplify exceptional quality, creativity and message effectiveness.

In the statewide member testimonial campaign, we showcased today’s "senior" – not the traditional grandmother in a rocking chair of yesterday. We spent months identifying CarePlus’ members who are reinventing themselves for their next act – opera singers, dog walkers, motorcycle riders and more – to speak to their active lifestyle.

CarePlus Health Plan's award-winning print campaign.

It’s our business to create mind-blowing, unconventional ads. And we do it well. And … we love it. Not only do we wake up every day eager to develop amazing advertising for the healthcare industry, but also education, government, real estate, travel, retail and non-profit, among many others.

What will our next award be? Who knows. But we know we’ll have one heckuva great time creating the advertising to deserve it.

Yes, We Rock! Sixteen Local ADDY Awards (Our Record) from AAF Miami

Our exceptional creative juices are constantly flowing, but last week they were recognized 16 times in one evening. On March 12, at AAF Miami’s 2014 ADDY’s Masquerade Ball at Rusty Pelican in Key Biscayne, VSBrooks ADVERTISING won 16 – yes 16 – local ADDY awards for our creativity. While we have won many local ADDYs in past years, 16 at once is our record.

The event is AAF Miami’s biggest night of the year, and best opportunity to celebrate astounding creative brilliance in the Miami area. Yep – that creative brilliance includes us.

The local ADDY Awards Competition is the first of a three-tiered national competition. At the same time, all across Florida, the Caribbean and the country, local entrants are vying for recognition as the very best in their markets. Last year, there were more than 52,000 local entries. The ADDYs is the largest competition in the advertising industry, recognizing creative excellence worldwide.



Here’s where we took the gold at the local AAF Awards Competition:

·       Feeding South Florida Get Crackin' Invitation: Invitation

·       VSBrooks Holiday Video: Digital Advertising – Branded Content – More than 60 Seconds

·       VSBrooks Advertising Holiday Gift: Digital Advertising – Campaign

·       VSBrooks Website: Digital Advertising – Services

·       Internos Stationary Package: Collateral Material – Flat Printed

And where we took the silver at the local AAF Awards Competition:

·       Feeding South Florida Get Crackin': Digital Advertising – Campaign

·       Feeding South Florida Get Crackin' Invite: Direct Marketing – 3D

·       Feeding South Florida Get Crackin' Campaign: Collateral Material – Campaign

·       Feeding South Florida Get Crackin' Invite Campaign: Direct Marketing – 3D/Mixed

·       Feeding South Florida Get Crackin': Public Service – Integrated Campaign

·       VSBrooks Website Video: Digital Advertising – Branded Content – More than 60 Seconds

·       VSBrooks Holiday Gift Video: Elements of Advertising – Animation or Special Effects

·       CAC–Florida Medical Center Campaign: Sales Promotion – Campaign

·       CAC–Florida Medical Centers: Out-of-Home – Flat

·       CarePlus Health Plans, Inc. Branding TV English: Television – Services

·       CarePlus Health Plans, Inc. Branding TV Spanish: Television – Services

As a local winner, the next step is to compete against other winners within our region, the 4th District. We love what we do, and we love that AAF Miami’s judges love it, too. And our creative juices will never stop flowing. 

Want to see who got a VD at VSBrooks?

We'd wish everyone here at VSBrooks got a VD. No, not that kind of a VD! A Vivian and Diana Award of course, celebrating our unique abilities and traits. I you haven't heard about our VD awards, you can catch a quick recap here of last year's inaugural awards.

Each year, categories are chosen to reflect VSB's year in review. An emergency room theme was chosen in homage to our new Creative Triage meeting room, which will explain the doctor's lab coats and scrubs in the pictures.

Alongside the surprising (and not so surprising) wins this year, we had a special guest presenter, Ingrid. Seems like we can't get rid of her, how VD-like!

Each winner has more than earned his or her awards this year. Take a look:

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The “She just won't go away” VD goes to the person who we just can't seem to get rid of.

This year's winner: Ingrid

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The “Got #swag” VD goes to the trendsetter, the fresh dresser, the “walk the walker.” S/he got game.

This year's winner: Saul

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The “AEP MVP” VD. We wouldn’t have survived AEP without her/him.

This year's winner: Nicky

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The “Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That” VD.  This person ain’t got no problem telling you no. And will snap her/his fingers while telling you so.

This year's winner: Maria

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The “Repressed Copywriter” VD.  Not a copywriter, but apparently hasn’t gotten the memo yet.

This year's winner: Karina

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The “Jessie Spano” VD. "There’s no time. There’s never any time!!!!"

This year's winner: Allyson

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The “Can Out-Twerk Miley” VD.  Miley Cyrus has nothing on these twerking skills.

This year's winner: Alex

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The “I’ll Never Take You Home to Mom” VD.  You wouldn’t take this person home because you know that it will turn out like a scene from Meet the Fockers.

This year's winner: Claudia

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The “Tom Cruise on a Couch” VD.  This person is SO deliriously enthusiastic, s/he might just start jumping on the couches in the VSB Lounge.

This year's winner: Junior

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The “Every time you say ‘process,’ it makes me want to drink” VD. You know what we’re talking about.

This year's winner: Vivian

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The “Least Likely to get a VD” VD.  Not once did you consider this person earlier in this list. The sidelines are a safe place for her/him to watch all the madness of VSB, while trying not to make eye contact with the rest of us crazies.

This year's winner: Lisa

It’s Hard to be Ideal and Humble, but We’ll Try!

On Thursday, the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce informed us and everyone else in the room of a little tidbit that we already, kind of, sort of knew – VSBrooks ADVERTISING is an Ideal Workplace.

Like the cliché says, we know how to work hard and play hard. In the process, we have a pretty good time, take care of each other and make our clients happy along the way.

When we arrived for the 2013 Coral Gables Diamond Award ceremony, we were feeling rather nice. As finalists in the Large Business Category, we were hoping for the best and received an even better surprise. The Ideal Workplace Award is not advertised, and we were not nominated. Instead, the judges look at all the applicants’ questionnaires and select the workplace they find most ideal, based on employee benefits, training and recognition.  

The four judges selected VSBrooks ADVERTISING, Miami Children's Hospital and Tarpon Bend as their top three, and our team won. If you thought we had an Ideal Workplace before, just check us out now. There are smiles, laughter, pats on the back and hugs galore.

Yep, we already knew we worked in a cool place with awesome people, but now everyone else knows too.

Thank you, Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce for the public shout-out!