Houston – – August, 2015: The Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame is proud to announce the inaugural recipient of its “Governor’s Award” is the prestigious ad agency GSD&M. GSD&M is one of the top agencies in the country and is based in Austin, TX.

The Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Tenth District of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), encompassing Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. The “Governor’s Award” will be presented at the ceremonial Hall of Fame induction dinner to be held in Houston on Friday, October 2, 2015, in conjunction with the Tenth District’s annual Leadership Conference.

GSD&M was founded in 1971 by graduates of the University of Texas: Roy Spence, Judy Trabulsi, Tim McClure and Steve Gurasich. They started out as AdVantage Associates, but in 1972 it re-organized with the four principals as GSD&M. In 2009, CEO Duff Stewart stepped up to lead and formed the agency’s leadership team made up of President Marianne Malina, EVP/CMO J.B. Raftus and EVP/CCO Jay Russell. GSD&M is guided by the principle of purpose-based branding and its own purpose of Ideas that Make a Difference. An impressive list of clients includes Southwest Airlines, Chipotle, the PGA TOUR, AT&T, the U.S. Air Force, Walgreens, Northwestern Mutual, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, to name a few.

The AAF Tenth District’s Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame “Governor’s Award” is presented to the advertising agency who, during its years of service, has distinguished itself through work produced on behalf of clients, who has contributed to the betterment of advertising and its reputation, and who has made volunteer efforts outside the workplace.

The honoree’s record of service reflects accomplishments made in the advertising industry in the United States and who is located in the four state area of the the Tenth District (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma,Texas).