obs-Awards 2009: Panasonic Marketing Europe wins best PR photo of the year

HAMBURG, Germany, December 1 /PRNewswire/ — The dpa subsidiary, news aktuell, announced that Panasonic Marketing Europe GmbH has won the best PR photo award of the year. The company won first place in the industry's 2009 obs-Awards for its "Panasonic Toughbook CF-30" picture. Its entry, submitted in the product photo category, shows a laptop withstanding harsh outdoor conditions. This is the fourth year the dpa subsidiary news aktuell has run the competition for the best PR photos from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Frank Stadthoewer, news aktuell's Chief Executive, was delighted with the large number and the high quality of the entries and stressed the effectiveness of pictorial communications: "The standard that PR photography has reached in recent years is demonstrated by the 1,300 entries to our awards. Companies are aware that pictures are a highly useful PR tool, particularly in a world of internet communications, but also in the traditional media. Users and clients now expect companies to provide material that they can use for their blogs or Facebook profiles.

The dpa subsidiary, news aktuell, started the sector awards in 2006. The name of the successful competition originates from the German title meaning "original picture service" (abbreviated to "obs"). Businesses, organisations and PR agencies submit photos that they have offered free of charge for media use. The trade magazine "pressesprecher" is the media partner. Canon and PCP Partner supported the sector awards. For the first time, submissions were invited from three countries - Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The Austrian partner was APA-OTS Originaltext-Service GmbH and the Swiss partner news aktuell (Schweiz) AG.

Winners of the 2009 obs-Awards:

1st prize and winner of the main award "Best 2009 PR photo": Panasonic Marketing Europe GmbH, "Panasonic Toughbook CF-30"

Corporate communications category

1st prize: Publicis GmbH, "Light for Africa" (Subject: Lake Victoria)
2nd prize: Publicis GmbH, "Light for Africa" (Subject: Woman)
3rd prize: Neue Aargauer Bank AG, "2008 annual report"

Events and campaigns category

1st prize: Hornbach Baumarkt AG, "Swimmer/picture"
2nd prize: Greenpeace e.V., "Greenpeace at Deutsche Bank"
3rd prize: Erlebnis-Zoo Hanover, "Flamingo chick at Erlebnis-Zoo Hanover"

Product photo category

1st prize: Panasonic Marketing Europe GmbH, "Panasonic Toughbook CF-30"
2nd prize: Jahreszeiten Verlag GmbH, SELBER MACHEN Editorial Department, SELBER MACHEN calendar
3rd prize: Publicis Consultants Deutschland PRCC Germany GmbH, "Cointreau Teese"

Portrait category

1st prize: Palfinger AG, "Zehnder/Hard Times"
2nd prize: Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, Adelbert-von-Chamisso Award - Robert Bosch Foundation 2009: promotional prizewinner, María Cecilia Barbetta
3rd prize: Stiftung Jugend forscht e.V., 44th "Jugend Forscht" Competition

Programme listings and magazine photography category

1st prize: CNN International, "Buddha's Warriors"
2nd prize: St. Pauli Nachrichten - Das Kiez-Magazin, "Hotdog with mastiff"
3rd prize: Sony Pictures Television International Deutschland GmbH, "AXN celebrates a German TV premier, Breaking Bad"

NGO photo category

1st prize: Kindernothilfe, "I'm changing the world"
2nd prize: Aktion Deutschland Hilft e.V., "Tsunami: devastation on coastal road"
3rd prize: Adveniat, "Restavèks': Child labour in Haiti"

2009 obs-awards specialist jury:

Bernd von Jutrczenka, Chief Picture Editor, dpa
Marc-Oliver Voigt, Editor in Chief, pressesprecher
Jürgen Dürrwald, Head of Photographic Division, WDR
Doris Fanconi, Photo Team Manager, Tages-Anzeiger
Christian Guth, Deputy Editor (Visual), BUNTE
Harald Schneider, Head of Picture Library, APA
Frank Syré, Deputy Editor, bild.de
Frank Schleicher, obs Product Manager, news aktuell

Voting procedures: A specialist jury of photo journalists and communications professionals drew up a shortlist of 60 of the best photos from a total of almost 1,300 entries. Photo journalists, press officers and PR professionals from Germany, Austria and Switzerland voted publicly for the best press photo.

For full details of the 2009 obs-awards
The specialist 2009 obs-awards jury
obs
All the current obs photos