Sea Ray Boats has won two Gold Mercury Awards, one for its stunning full-line product catalogs and another for its outstanding multi-channel advertising campaign promoting AquaPalooza 2007, the world's largest on-water celebration. The news was announced in a press release from the Knoxville, Tenn.-based company. The Gold status makes each entry eligible for the Best of Category and Best of Show awards; both will be announced in mid-March.

The Mercury Awards, now in their 21st year, were established to advance high standards of achievement in professional communications. They are administered by MerComm Inc., the world's only independent awards organization. This year's competition received nearly 1,000 entries from 23 countries, including Australia, Belgium, Germany, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Sweden, South Africa, Spain and the United States.

"We're excited and proud that our catalogs have earned top honors," said Rob Noyes, vice president of marketing for Sea Ray. "Our catalogs are the ideal representation of what catalogs should be — compelling photos by some of the best photographers in the industry, the right information to assist consumers in their buying decision, all wrapped up in a visually appealing package. They're the ultimate sales tools."

AquaPalooza 2007, originally created as a Sea Ray Owners Club (trademark) event, drew more than 10,000 boats and 30,000 guests worldwide to 120 local events. "The combination of AquaPalooza and the Sea Ray Owners Clubâ„¢ has assisted us with providing the ultimate consumer experience," said Noyes. "The comprehensive marketing and advertising campaign to support AquaPalooza, developed by The AVALA Marketing Group based in St. Louis, deserves a lot of credit for informing Sea Ray owners and further enhancing their time on the water."

Judges for the awards represented the most creative professionals in the public relations, marketing and advertising industries — more than 100 individuals from dozens of distinguished agencies worldwide. Some of the elements considered in the judging process were how effectively the material met the stated objectives; how well the material was communicated to the designated audience; use of imagination and original solutions; and the overall expression of the message.

"To be selected by some of the world's best communications specialists as the top work in public relations is a real honor, especially considering the hundreds of fine agencies, corporations and non-profit organizations eligible for the awards," said Reni L. Witt, Mercury Awards president and founder. "The honor of the Mercury Award is a wonderful credit, a distinction to be proud of. Your success deserves to be lauded!"