Advertising Week Icon Voting Updated

As Advertising Week approaches, officials released Icon/Slogan standings and unveiled banners for 2004 winners.

2005 Icon/Slogan icon vote standings:

• At a press briefing in front of 437 Madison Avenue, Advertising Week officials announced the leading vote getters so far in the Advertising Week 2005 America's Favorite Icon and Slogan public vote.
• Juan Valdez, of the venerable Colombian Coffee Federation, has a commanding lead in the 2005 icon voting, followed by the Geico Insurance Gecko. Leader in the 2005 slogan race is Hallmark's "When you care to send the very best," followed by "We deliver for you" from the US Postal Service.
• Roughly 500,000 people have voted so far this year. Voting runs through September 23 via www.advertisingweek.com or www.advertisingweek.yahoo.com with winners announced on September 26, the opening day of Advertising Week.

Banners along Madison Ave honoring 2004 Icon/Slogan winners
unveiled:

• In addition, banners honoring the top five icon and slogan vote-getters in the 2004 race were unveiled on buildings along Madison Avenue from 42nd St to 50th St, where they will remain for a year.
• The 2004 winning icons were M&M's brand characters, AFLAC Duck, Mr. Peanut, Pillsbury Doughboy and Tony the Tiger.
• Winning slogans were "Melts in your mouth, not in your hands." (M&M Candies); "Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t." (Almond Joy, Mounds Candy); "Where's the beef?" (Wendy's); "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." (United Negro College Fund); and "Can you here me now?" (Verizon Wireless.)