Eradicating malaria, fighting hunger and outfitting classrooms while contributing to the bottom line are among the many challenges tackled by the winners of the eighth annual Cause Marketing Halo Awards.

Twenty-two category-specific awards were presented by the Cause Marketing Forum at its annual conference at the Westin Chicago River North on Thursday, June 3 to campaigns that occurred in whole or in part in 2009. Feeding America and Macy's were singled out for Cause Marketing Golden Halo Awards for their leadership in the field of doing well by doing good.

The most honored campaigns were:

• "Send a Net. Save a Life. See a Game." (two awards) an NBA program that offered consumers free basketball tickets for donating $10 to the United Nations Foundation to buy antimalaria bed nets.
• "Iams Home for the Holidays" (two awards) which encouraged consumers to adopt shelter pets through a partnership between Iams pet foods and the Helen Woodward Animal Center.
• "SunChips: Building a Green Brand" (three awards) a campaign by Frito-Lay's SunChips brand announcing the launch of its compostable packaging and encouraging consumers to take small steps to help the environment.

"The Cause Marketing Halo Awards demonstrate the good that can be done when companies embrace causes," said Cause Marketing Forum President David Hessekiel. "It's a competition in which we all win."

"In 1990 cause marketing spending was a bit more than $100 million - this year it is forecast to reach $1.61 billion," said Hessekiel. In addition to its conference and awards program, CMF helps businesses and nonprofits succeed together by producing workshops, teleclasses and causemarketingforum.com, a website rich in case studies, best practices and other resources.

The winners include:

Best Digital Marketing Campaign
Gold: "Pink Together", General Mills and Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Silver: "Join Shaq Give Back", Toys "R" Us and Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
Media Contact: David Hessekiel (914) 921-3914

Best Environmental/Animal Campaign:
Gold: "SunChips: Building a Green Brand", Frito-Lay's SunChips brand
Silver: "Reclaim Partnership", Spring, Samsung and The Nature Conservancy

Best Health Campaign:
Gold: "Send a Net. Save a Live. See a Game." National Basketball Association and United Nations Foundation
Silver: "Cybex Pink Ribbon Run" Cybex and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Best Social Service/Education Campaign:
Gold: "Pound for Pound Challenge" General Mills, The Biggest Loser and Feeding America
Silver: "Focus on Baby Safety" Toys"R"Us and The Home Safety Council

Best Message Campaign
Gold: "Ben & Jerry's Hubby Hubby" Ben & Jerry's and Freedom to Marry
Silver: "Iams Home 4 The Holidays" Iams and Helen Woodward Animal Center

Best Print Creative:
Gold: "Sweethearts Red White and You" New England Confectionary Company and USO
Silver: "SunChips: Building a Green Brand" Frito-Lay's SunChips brand

Best Transactional Campaign:
Gold: "eBay Giving Works" eBay and MissionFish
Silver: "Send a Net. Save a Live. See a Game." National Basketball Association and United Nations Foundation

Best Cause Marketing Event:
Gold: "Drive Out Hunger Tour" The Cheesecake Factory and Feeding America
Silver: "Hear The World" Phonak and Hear The World Foundation

Best National/Local Integration
Gold: "New Balance/Komen 20th Anniversary" New Balance and Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Silver: "Lose for Good" Weight Watchers and Share Our Strength

Best Online Video
Gold: "SunChips: Building a Green Brand" Frito-Lay's SunChips brand
Silver: "Boxtops for Education: Power of One" General Mills

Best Broadcast Video
Gold: "Iams Home 4 The Holidays" Iams and Helen Woodward Animal Center
Silver: "Limeades for Learning" Sonic Corp. and DonorsChoose.org

Engage for Good

Engage for Good

Engage for Good (formerly the Cause Marketing Forum) helps business and nonprofit executives succeed together by providing access to actionable information, valuable contacts and recognition for outstanding work through conferences, distance learning, online resources and customized services.

More from Engage for Good