Three Colorado political consulting firms were honored by Campaigns & Elections magazine with Reed awards this past weekend for their achievements in the industry.

Clear Creek Strategies won a Reed for a controversial direct mail package that targeted Democrat Rachel Zenzinger in one of the most hotly contested state legislative races in Colorado last year.

EIS Solutions won a Reed for the “Raise the Bar” branding campaign behind Amendment 71.

And 4degre.es took home two Reeds for a web video and online targeting campaign in support of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District tax renewal campaign.

EIS Solutions and 4degre.es were also named finalists in numerous categories.

The Reed Awards — named for the insider political journal’s founder, Stanley Foster Reed — were handed out at a conference in Las Vegas on Friday, Feb. 17.

Political veteran Rick Ridder, president and co-founder of RBI Strategies & Research, spoke at the convention and signed copies of his political memoir, “Looking for Votes in All the Wrong Places: Tales and Rules from the Campaign Trail.”

Clear Creek Strategies won “Best Mail Piece for Independent Expenditure Campaign – State Legislative” for a box sent to 5,000 Jefferson County addresses containing an edible fortune cookie — part of a campaign to tie Zenzinger to a proposal to send officials on a trip to China when she sat on the Arvada City Council — stuffed with the message, “Past actions are the best indications of future behavior, so remember Zenzinger’s actions.”

The multi-pronged attack linking Zenzinger to a supposed China junket, paid for by outside spending group Colorado Citizens for Accountable Government, scored poorly on truth tests and drew a criminal complaint from Zenzinger’s allies, although that went nowhere. Zenzinger won the Senate race, ousting state Sen. Laura Woods, R-Arvada.

Partners Michael Fortney and Andy George, along with communications veteran Matt Connelly, are behind Clear Creek Strategies, a public affairs and political consulting firm.

EIS Solutions won “Best Logo & Branding for a Statewide Campaign” for its successful “Raise the Bar” campaign, which involved a progression of images and logos meant to distinguish the measure on a crowded ballot. The branding effort was considered a big success because after the slogan went into widespread use.

The local EIS Solutions political team includes Josh Penry, who was lead strategist on the “Raise the Bar” campaign; campaign manager Kate Roberts; Rich Coolidge; Tyler Sandberg and Tim Pollard.

EIS was also a finalist in five categories: “Best Spanish language TV ad” for an ad for U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, “Country First,” shared with PATCHWORK Creative; “Best Use of Paid Field Program” for the canvass program behind Coffman’s successful reelection race, shared with EIS sister company Blitz Canvassing; “Best Newspaper Ad for Public Affairs/Issue Advocacy Campaign” for a bipartisan ad supporting Raise the Bar featuring Gov. John Hickenlooper, former U.S. Rep. John Salazar, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers and Broncos legend John Elway; “Best Radio Ad for Independent Expenditure, Ballot Initiative, or Public Affairs/Issue Advocacy campaign” for a Raise the Bar ad called “Trust”; and “Best Earned Media Around a Single Event” for the statewide launch at numerous locations of the Raise the Bar campaign.

Denver-based 4degre.es won for “Best Web Video for Ballot Initiative” for an ad featuring the paws of Popsicle the Polar Bear, the mascot of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, a metro-area taxing authority that was renewed by voters by a wide margin. The firm also won an award for “Best Use of Online Targeting for County, Local, Mayoral or Judicial Campaign” for an online campaign supporting the SCFD renewal.

Partners Zach Knaus and Dillon Doyle of 4degre.es were also finalists in six categories: “Best Website For Congressional Campaign” for Nevada Democrat Rubeh Kihuen; an overall “Best Web Video” award for the Popsicle SCFD video; “Best Online Advertising Campaign” for a campaign against Amendment 69; “Most Innovative Product Of The Year” for Project Hoover, an application that allows creation of data files from multiple platforms (the product has since been renamed Ingest Engine, Knaus says); “Best Use Of New Technology,” also for Project Hoover; and “Best Use of Technology for GOTV” for the Add Your Name to Vote No on Amendment 69 campaign.

— ernest@coloradostatesman.com