About Us New – AAF Birmingham

About AAF Birmingham

The mission of AAF Birmingham is to promote excellence in advertising through professional education, networking, community service, ethics, quality and creativity.
AAF Birmingham plays a unique role in our local advertising community because we strive to maintain a strong network, through industry knowledge and education, creative recognition, and opportunities for idea exchange, for both the businesses and individuals who make up the advertising industry in the Birmingham area.

Mission

History

AAF was founded in 1943 as the Birmingham Advertising Club and incorporated in 1978. The name was changed in 1998 to reflect our close ties with American Advertising Federation. AAF members work in advertising agencies, corporate advertising departments, in advertising media and with suppliers of goods and services to these groups.

From the beginning, members have worked to enhance our skills, increase our professionalism and use our talents to benefit the Birmingham community.

In its earliest days during World War II, AAF sponsored events to sell War Bonds. One event attracted 19,500 people and generated more than $500,000 in bond sales.

In 1954-55, AAF volunteers set up and staffed the fundraising headquarters for what is now our city’s zoo. Our volunteers raised $24,000 to build Monkey Island. (How much would that be in TODAY’s dollars?)

In the early 1960s when Birmingham was ravaged by racial unrest, AAF developed the “favorable facts” campaign used by local media and supported by advertisers. More recently, club volunteers have donated their time and talent to help such organizations as Angel Flight, the Leeds School System and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Through its history, AAF has used speakers and programs to educate members on the latest trends in technology, creativity and marketing. Education efforts also have extended to the business community through programs at Samford University and UAB. Student programs and scholarships help ensure a continuing flow of talent to the Birmingham market. Media auctions and other special events help fund these education programs.

AAF also protects and promotes advertising at all levels of government through grassroots activities, promotes diversity in advertising by encouraging the recruitment of people of diverse cultures and honors advertising excellence through the ADDY® Awards program.

AAF is a regular participant in the AAF Club Achievement competition to recognize excellence in areas of club activity including programs, membership, communications, education, management, diversity, government relations and public service. Besides many awards in individual areas, AAF has earned national Club of the Year awards ten times since 1980.

AAF uses fundraising events – Silent auctions, TEN Awards, Design-Off, Yacht Rock, holiday raffles, Trivia Night, roof-top mixers and more to support its multiple educational activities. This money is used for professional development seminars, student workshops and portfolio reviews, scholarships and other educational efforts.

AAF Birmingham has held The American Advertising Awards since 1958. In its record-breaking 2020 year, we received nearly 700 entries and about 600 people attended the awards gala and presentation. Confirming 600

Board of Directors

Lisa Moore

President

Muhammad Al-Kalhout

President Elect

David Barry

Immediate Past-President

Michael McDonald

Secretary/Treasurer

Christina Frantom

VP, American Advertising Awards

Hailey Yeager

VP, Membership

Adelaide Matte

Director – Special Events/Fundraising

Kennedy Webster

Print/Digital Communications

Jacob Smith

Director – Programs

Caperton Gillett

Executive Director

Rashida Reese

Director – Public Affairs

Daniel Haun

Director – Student Affairs

AAF

As the “Unifying Voice for Advertising,” the American Advertising Federation (AAF), headquartered in Washington, D.C., is the trade association that represents 40,000 professionals in the advertising industry. AAF’s 100 corporate members are advertisers, agencies and media companies that comprise the nation’s leading brands and corporations. AAF has a national network of 200 ad clubs and connects the industry with an academic base through its more than 200 college chapters with more than 5,000 college chapter members.

AAF 7th District

The American Advertising Federation’s 7th “Deep South” District represents more than 3,200 individual AAF members who are affiliated with 29 local advertising federations in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana. aafdistrict7.com

Past PRESIDENTS

1990s

1989-90 Judy Fraser

1990-91 Joan Perry

1991-92 Bill MacMillan*

1992-93 Eve Davis Slater

1993-94 Jess Bullock·

1994-95 Ben McWhorter·

1995-96 Barbara Nichols·

1996-97 Jackie Tapscott·

1997-98 Rod Clark+ ·

1998-99 Linda Ponder·

1980s

1979-80 Mike Murphy·

1980-81 Annie Hall

1981-82 Lu Cruce·

1982-83 Wayne Gillis

1983-84 Jim Wilson

1984-85 Linda Garrard·

1985-86 Wanda McKoy

1986-87 Sherri Gilbert

1987-88 Bryan Chase

1988-89 Carolyn Leath*

1970s

1969-70 Mildred Son*

1970-71 Arthur E. Curl*

1971-72 Bill Dawson

1972-73 Cliff Cagle*

1973-74 Jack Hail*

1974-75 Keith Williams

1975-76 Ron Council*

1976-77 Harry Bressler

1977-78 Len Holland

1978-79 Arthur Baxter*

1960s

1959-60 Ben McKinnon*

1960-61 Frank Sego*

1961-62 Jim Chenoweth*

1962-63 Jim Crim*

1963-64 Hayden wood

1964-65 Otis Dodge*

1965-66 Rick Smith*

1966-67 Frank Lee

1967-68 Willis “Bill” Rogers

1968-69 Jim Creamer

1950s

1949-50 M. K. Erdreich*

1950-51 Jack Keegan*

1951-52 Wayne Parker*

1952-53 Ash Chambers*

1953-54 Lionel Baxter*

1954-55 William “Bill” Spoor*

1955-56 Norris Hadaway*

1956-57 Jimmy Wilson*

1957-58 Forbes McKay*

1958-59 Elden Tuttle*

1940s

1943-44 Stanley Erdreich*

1944-45 Ralph Silver*

1945-46 Eddie Hunvald

1946-47 Harry Hoile*

1947-48 Clarence Kilian*

1948-49 Helen Silver*

* Deceased
+ AAF 7th District “President of the Year”