PLEASE READ AND PRINT THIS PAGE BEFORE DOWNLOADING THE 2006 ECHO ENTRY FORM

About the ECHO Entry Form: This electronic form cannot be altered or modified in any way. No other form or substitution will be accepted. Please provide all required information. Failure to provide complete information will be subject to disqualification.

WARNING: This entry form was created in Microsoft Word and is compatible with Word 97 or greater (i.e., Word 2000 for PC and Word 2000 and 2001 for Macintosh). Before you download the form please print out and read the rules and business/media category descriptions.

Instructions for Completing and Submitting Entry Form

1. Once you have downloaded the entry form, launch Microsoft Word and select file document ECHOForm2006. Select file SAVE AS and rename your document with a new name (i.e., ECHO1 or ECHO2). We recommend you print a blank copy of the form and collect the required information before completing the form entirely.

2. To enter data into a text field click on the field. To move to the next field press the TAB key. To move back to the previous field press SHIFT-TAB.

To select a check box, simply place your mouse in the check box and click. Please note that some sections of the form require single selections and others allow for multiple selections. Follow the instructions on the form.

When moving from one text field to the other DO NOT use the RETURN key. You must use the TAB key to move from field to field.

3. There are character and word limitations on each field. You will also need to minimize your use of carriage returns. Also, the form contains help texts for some fields, located in the lower left-hand corner of your screen.

NOTE: Special symbols (i.e., á, õ, œ) cannot be typed directly into the text fields nor can spell check be used. In order to insert symbols and use spell check, you must create the text copy in another MS Word document and then cut and paste into the text fields in the application.

4. Please do not try to submit your entry application electronically via e-mail or fax to the DMA -- it will not be accepted.

5. You must submit a printed copy of the completed entry form and an electronic copy on disk or CD-Rom. Diskette must be 3 1/2-inch for either PC or MAC. Please label your disk or CD as to which format you're using. Both the hard copy and disk must be sent in the same package along with your entry fee and creative sample(s) to the 2006 DMA ECHO Awards. Creative material must be sent on a separate disk or CD. (See last page for address details.)

General Rules

Provide a clear, concise, and logical response to each and every question that is applicable to your campaign. All entries must be typed, not hand written, using 10-point type. Please do not exceed the spacing available on this form or include any supplementary pages. Additional pages will be discarded upon receipt. Entries that exceed space restrictions and those submitted without results information will automatically be disqualified.

Entries must be mailed with 1 creative sample and payment. The DMA reserves the right to reassign entry categories that are deemed incorrectly entered. Entry forms and samples cannot be returned. Entry application should not exceed 5 pages. Please retain a photocopy of your entry application with sample(s) for your files.

What's Eligible?

To be eligible:

1. Campaigns must employ direct marketing and must have been produced, printed and/or aired, and had response results tabulated between January 1, 2005 and March 31, 2006.

2. You can only enter the campaign/program once into the competition. Because ECHO Awards are judged by business category, submitting the same piece as an individual entry and as part of a campaign represents a duplication of effort, and one of your entries will be disqualified. Please choose the business category that most accurately describes the product or service. Please see category descriptions for details.

3. All entered work must be done in the normal course of business. Any advertiser, agency, client, consultant, or producer may submit an entry, provided each qualifies within the definition of the category entered. All entries must be approved by advertiser/client for submission in the 2006 DMA International ECHO Awards Competition.

Fees and Deadline

Deadline – April 24, 2006.  Fee is $300 per entry.  Save 25% off of your entry fee.  Enter by April 14th and pay an entry fee of $225 per entry.  All entries must arrive at the DMA office in New York or at the ECHO Copenhagen or Melbourne offices by April 24, 2006.  Entries received after April 24th will not be eligible for the competition.

All entry fees should accompany your entry forms and creative samples. Fees are not refundable under any circumstances. If you are submitting more than one entry, send only one payment for the total amount of fees. Checks must be submitted in US Dollars (drawn on a US bank), payable to 2006 DMA ECHO AWARDS. Or you may wire payment directly to our bank:

JP Morgan Chase Bank
1166 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
A.B.A. #021000021
DMA Account #033-1-020552
Swift Code: CHASUS33

All originating bank charges must be prepaid. Add $35 to cover intermediary bank processing fees. Make sure the amount being transferred is in US Dollars and covers the full amount of the entry fee(s). Attach a photocopy of your bank wire transfer confirmation to your entry form as your form of payment.

If paying by credit card – VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover – please complete the appropriate information on page 6 of the Entry Form.

Preparation of Materials

Submit 1 printed copy of the entry form and an electronic copy (on diskette or CD-Rom) along with payment and 1 complete set of creative sample(s). Please submit the entry form and creative on two separate CDs or disks. Do not mount samples on boards. All mounted materials will be disqualified. All broadcast (TV or radio) entries must be submitted on CD-Rom in one of the following formats: QuickTime, RealMedia or Windows Media Player. Do not send videotapes, audiocassettes or DVDs. Do not place an insured value on the contents of your entry shipment. Send all materials via Air Priority Mail or special courier (i.e., Federal Express, UPS, or DHL). Do not send via an airline or agent, as we are unable to collect from the airport or customs. Also, should you need to confirm delivery of your entry package, please check with your courier for delivery confirmation.

Please keep a copy of your entry application. Should your campaign entry advance to Finalist, you will be asked to resubmit your entry and creative components mounted in a portfolio that will become property of the DMA. Please note that the contact person named on the entry form will be advised of the competition results. Semi-finalist entrants will be notified of the status of their campaign via air-courier on or about June 30th. Finalist notifications are mailed in mid-August and ECHO winners will be announced at the 2006 ECHO Awards Ceremony to be held during DMA06 Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco.

Program Details

Entrants are required to answer all questions in the three main areas – Strategy, Creative, Results. Each question has subheadings indicating the kind of information that should be included. (Note: not all information will apply to all campaigns.) Please be as specific as possible. And please be concise: the better written your entry, the more likely you are to win.

To protect the integrity of the judging, do not include the agency name except where asked on page 6 of the entry form.  Any mention of the submitting agency in the body of the entry form is grounds for disqualification.  The only exception would be for agency self-promotion campaigns. Also, please avoid any markings on samples that could identify the creative group or agency, such as addresses, labels, credits in the code of digital entries, or leads on CD-Rom submissions.

Clear translations must be provided for all work not in English. Broadcast entries may be dubbed or subtitled in English or include a complete written translation. Local idioms that may not be understood in the U.S. must be explained. Entries not accompanied by adequate translations and/or explanations will not be judged!

Where you should send your entries, payment and creative sample(s)

For North America (This includes the United States, Latin/South America and Canada)

Send Entries to:

2006 DMA International ECHO Awards
1120 Avenue of the Americas, 14th Floor
New York, NY 10036-6700
Telephone: 212-790-1450
Fax: 212-302-6714

For Europe, Middle-East and Africa

Send Entries to:

Finn Overgaard, ECHO Chair of European Judging
GEKKO
Vermundsgade 40 A, 5. sal
DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
Telephone: 45-39-102-000
Fax: 45-39-102-010

For Asia Pacific, Australia and New Zealand

Send Entries to:

Malcom Bristow , ECHO Chair of Australian Judging
Leap Agency
47 O'Grady Street
Albert Park
Melbourne
3206, Australia
Telephone: 61-3-9688-3755
Fax: 61-3-9686-3630

Any questions? Call the ECHO Department at 212-790-1450 or e-mail echo@the-dma.org.