Michael Bense Wins Oink Ink's 14th Annual Dead Radio Contest

"Business Names" Script Gets Grand Prize; Spot Features Frontline's Will Lyman. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) September 20, 2011 - Oink Ink Radio, the country's only bicoastal creative radio agency, has announced freelance copywriter Michael Bense as this year's Dead Radio Contest winner.

Bense's :60 script, "Business Names," was selected as the top script in an especially competitive year that saw hundreds of entries from agency copywriters representing 5 countries. Written to promote the power of advertising via the radio medium, Bense's script is a tongue-in-cheek laundry list of imaginary businesses that could never succeed… without a strong radio presence, of course.

Ponzi & Ponzi Financial Consultants. Student Pilot Airlines. Stinky Fingers Catering. "There isn't a business out there that can't benefit from radio advertising," intones a female voice. "Including yours." The announcer names a couple more businesses with cringe-inducing names, and the female announcer assures us: "Radio. This medium is huge."

Oink Ink's Dead Radio Contest is in its 14th year. The worldwide competition is meant to give a second chance to great radio scripts that clients deemed too risky, too zany-or simply the wrong fit at the time. Oink Ink solicits submissions from writers around the world, and a panel of industry professionals judges the top spots. The grand prize winner chooses a trip to either Oink Ink's New York City or Santa Monica, California offices, where they enjoy a 2-night hotel stay and the experience of participating in the full casting and production of their winning script.

Several previous winners have seen clients change their minds about the rejected scripts upon hearing the produced spot-in some cases, actually deciding to air it. A handful of Dead Radio winners have even gone on to earn recognition at the Radio Mercury Awards and Cannes.

Winner Michael Bense and his wife traveled this month from Philadelphia to New York to collaborate on the recording and production of "Business Names." The spot features voiceover by Will Lyman, the narrator of Frontline on PBS, and Sara Van Beckum, a New York-based actor.

"Winning the Dead Radio Contest was quite a treat," said Bense. "I got to produce a spot I have a lot of heart for-a script I thought would never see the light of day. A free weekend in Manhattan ain't too shabby either.

Oink Ink also recognized Jason Niebaum (TM, Dallas; client Texas Anti-Litter Campaign) and Luke Devlin (ZGM, Calgary; client 1-800-DRYWALL) as the contest's Silver and Bronze winners, respectively.

To hear "Business Names," and for more information about Oink Ink's Dead Radio contest, visit http://www.oinkcreative.com/deadradio.php.

See us in the New York Times: http://nyti.ms/orNatp

ABOUT OINK INK RADIO

Oink Ink is an award-winning, bicoastal creative agency founded by veteran managing director and president Dan Price and his brother, executive creative director Jim Price. Oink Ink writes, produces, directs and manages radio and television advertising for ad agencies, client-direct accounts, cable network promos and special projects. Headquartered in New York, and with offices in Santa Monica, Oink Ink has been providing high-end creative for 18 years, for such notable clients as Google, AT&T, CBS Television, Coors Light, Ford, IBM, Southwest Airlines and Staples-and many more.

For more information contact Sarah Hicks, sarah ( @ ) oinkradio dot com.

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