Des Plaines, IL - Schawk, Inc., a leading provider of brand development and deployment services enabling companies of all sizes to connect their brands with consumers, announced today that its retail marketing group, Schawk Retail Marketing, has been recognized with one Gold and two Bronze RACie (Retail Award for Creativity, Innovation and Excellence) Awards in the 2011 RAMA (Retail Advertising & Marketing Association) competition.

The RACie Awards honor creative excellence and effectiveness in retail marketing. A panel of advertising, marketing and branding executives in the retail industry selected the finalists and winners across categories including Broadcast, Print, Digital, and Campaigns/International. Each piece of work was judged on creativity, strategy, results and innovation. The annual competition is sponsored by the NRF (National Retail Federation).

"What I value most about the RACie Awards is their focus on performance," stated Michael Komasinski, president, Schawk Retail Marketing. "Recognition in this space means we did our jobs well and aided our retail partners in achieving their program objectives."

Added Komasinski, "I am also proud that in a retail climate that requires our clients to be more judicious with their marketing spend, we were able to create award-winning work across tactics from print to in-store to social commerce, all based on our belief that retail marketing is ultimately not about the media but rather about executing a strategy that helps turn shoppers into buyers."

Leading the Direct Mail Category, Schawk earned a Gold Award for Lord & Taylor's Christmas "Share" Catalog. Focusing on sharing the joy, gifts and love of the season, the engaging photography and design elements from the direct mail catalog were also carried over into store signage, Christmas windows, the web, and newspaper advertising for a fully integrated seasonal look and feel.

A Bronze in the Social Commerce category was awarded to Schawk for the Kmart Fall Apparel Video. Tied into a Vogue magazine print spread, the video helped attract a more contemporary female customer to Kmart this fall, which contributed to a nine percent lift in apparel sales. The video has received more than 365,000 views on YouTube.

In the In-store Collateral Category, Schawk earned a Bronze Award for The Home Depot Martha Stewart Living Paint Guide. This piece brings together the greatest brands in home improvement with insightful tips from Martha Stewart and the value of The Home Depot's shopping experience. Developed as part of the Martha Stewart Living Paint launch, the guide helped this new product outperform sales expectations.

"It was a great honor to accept this year's RACie awards on behalf of the Schawk team," stated Frank Tartaglia, executive creative director, Schawk Retail Marketing. "We challenged ourselves to find new inspiration to help drive our clients business and support these amazing brands. I am really happy that a panel of seasoned industry leaders recognized the value of our work."

High resolution files of Schawk Retail Marketing's winning entries are available upon request. You may view all winning work at: http://www.nrf.com/racies11/index.html