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MOST FUN CAPTURED IN A SPREAD: HIGH CASCADE

High Cascade Snowboard Camp’s advertising, aimed at attracting guests to its summer program, is not unlike that of mountains that operate in winter. Its ad campaign this past season focused on the Summer Snowboard Party, in which campers can strap in alongside their favorite pros. The campaign highlighted the child-like excitement we all feel when rubbing elbows with those who inspire us. It’s hard to make snowboarding in the summertime look bad, but High Cascade took the fun to the next level. Seeing them mid-winter made me want summer to start early. —M.W.

BEST USE OF ILLUSTRATION: MT. BACHELOR, ORE.

The Dirksen Derby is a banked slalom that takes place at Mt. Bachelor every December. It is one of the most community-oriented weekends of snowboarding, celebrating Bend locals and those who travel from around the world to compete, support, and reunite with friends. The race spans across demographics, engaging families, professionals, park rats and powder hounds. This year, Bachelor promoted the beloved event with a beautifully illustrated print ad paying homage to the multiple disciplines—snowboard, splitboard, and sit-ski—that cruise through the course. The ad acknowledged not only the Derby itself, but the solidarity it creates on the trails of the mountain. —M.W.

BEST USE OF A BOARD GAME: BEAR MOUNTAIN, CALIF.

Bear Mountain in SoCal has long had a team of riders that are some of the best of any resort. To reinforce the good times that can be had by everyone who makes turns down Bear’s trails, the resort displayed the serious snowboarding skills of its team in a lighthearted manner. Its ad showcases Joe Sexton, Scott Stevens, Brandon Hobush, Jordan Small, and others as trick-related spaces on a snowboarding board game. The motif of proper images and legendary pros combined with the illustrated game squares works—because what is snowboarding if it isn’t fun, right? —M.W.

BEST BRANDING IN OTHERS' ADS: TIMBERLINE, ORE.

The art of getting your brand natively placed in editorial typically sits with public relations, not advertising, but the strategies are similar for gaining brand impressions in advertising that isn’t yours. Timberline, Ore., has this game down to a science, thanks to its close proximity to a bunch of gear manufacturers and position as ground zero for pros using its parks for year-round training and filming. With all those cameras around, Timberline positions its logo on features, banners, etc. The result? Its logo is splashed all over print ads, ski movies, and more … and the resort doesn’t pay a dime for the exposure. Hosting some athletes or a brand for a photo shoot, and need some tips for how to maximize your exposure without getting in the way? If you quasi-copy Timberline’s onhill signage, you’ll be fine. —A.K.

BIGGEST MISSED OPPORTUNITY: ASPEN SNOWMASS, COLO.

“Hey, we need a two-page spread for Freeskier! Let’s use a ‘guy in the sky’ park shot of a skier doing a mute grab. Just make sure he’s not one of our nationally known athletes, and make sure we give the audience zero perspective on the fabulous park he’s actually skiing. Then, let’s link to a played-out campaign that we launched last season.” Really? All of those factors make this ad feel a bit “mailed in.” The parks, park scene, and park investment at Aspen are worthy of much better. —A.K.

BEST USE OF THE OBVIOUS: BIG SKY, MONT.

For at least the second year running, Big Sky used its visually stunning trail map in its large magazine spreads. Why not? Skiers love trail maps. They stop and look at them. Trail maps provide extra value on a page people often turn right past. In previous seasons, the entire two-page spread was Big Sky’s trail map with a bit of extra copy. This year, it was inset on a grander photo, but the effect is the same—it stops page-turners. Anything that gives your message a higher chance of being viewed slowly is a tool worth using. Trail maps add instant value to your ad creative, for first time and repeat visitors alike. —A.K.

WORST USE OF A FACE SHOT: CRESTED BUTTE, COLO.

Pow photos with no visual context are EVERYWHERE. It’s the amateur special. Twenty years ago, a photo like this might have been interesting. Nowadays, it’s just noise, akin to bad POV video. It has no reason to exist and is lost in a world full of more relevant content. Sorry, Crested Butte, you have far too much going for you to waste a page and a half spread on a photo void of identifiable perspective. You have an iconic mountain and an iconic town. You have eccentric people. You have an OMG trail map. You have direct flights. You don’t have I-70. Show me any of that, not your latest branding treatment on a photo that could have been shot at Holiday Valley, N.Y. (most years, anyway). —A.K.

TASTIEST CROSS PROMOTION: JAY PEAK, VT.

I’m flipping the pages of my local alt-weekly and, oops! Out falls a supermarket circular for Vermont’s trendiest grocer. Then I realize it’s promoting a new line of sandwiches named after popular trails at Jay Peak Resort. As we speed into the noisy “post-ad” world, this sort of tasty cross promo is what will keep its brand front of mind while maintaining pure word of mouth type credibility. And one of the sandwiches was a buffalo chicken, blue cheese, bacon combination. So there’s that. Hard cost? Likely zero. Stores like to sell sandwiches. This also fits with Jay’s theme of integrating with local partners in a chummy way rather than buying spots. —A.K.

BIGGEST SMALL OVERSIGHT: VAIL RESORTS

Lindsey Vonn is the biggest star in downhill skiing. She dated Tiger Woods, she’s been in the SI Swimsuit Issue, she has adoring fans. Some of those fans would love to have her phone number, for any number of reasons. Thanks to Vail Resorts’ Epic Life Magazine, they did (briefly). The table of contents features a full-page photo of Vonn snuggling her dog Leo, which is cute. In the photo, Leo’s dog tag is clearly visible. So visible you can make out Vonn’s phone number on it. The eraser tool would have come in handy here. But hey, props for being a responsible dog owner, Lindsey! —D.M.

BEST OMISSION OF A POWDER SHOT: ALTA, UTAH

Alta’s “Snow and…” print campaign is one of my favorites of the year. It highlighted what separates Alta and what makes skiers return each year. My favorite is the “Snow and Family” ad, where Lee and Sam Cohen are standing with arms around each other’s shoulders. The quote says, “I pulled into the parking lot at Alta for the first time 36 years ago … I stayed because Alta became my family.” Alta has always been known for legendary deep snow and a unique vibe, and this ad—sans powder shot—shows how happy folks are just to be there and underlies that sometimes, development and change aren’t necessary for success. —E.C.

BEST 50TH ANNIVERSARY CAMPAIGN: WHISTLER BLACKCOMB, B.C.

To celebrate Whistler Blackcomb’s 50th anniversary, the resort adorned most ski magazines with its 50 Years of Icons and Legends. The two-page spreads showcased Wayne Wong, Jim McConkey, Mike Douglas, Eric Hjorleifson, Eric Pehota, Olympic Gold Medalist Ashleigh McIvor, and many more, sitting in a gondola loading station. The collateral promoted its movie, 50 Years of Going Beyond, and emphasized that these pioneers, champions, and renegades were drawn to Whistler and helped shape the resort into what it is today. Bravo, Whistler, for recognizing the influential people who helped mold the resort and community. —E.C.

WORST 50TH ANNIVERSARY CAMPAIGN: JACKSON HOLE, WYO.

Jackson Hole’s history is as legendary as any resort on the planet—maybe even more legendary than Whistler Blackcomb. The perfect opportunity to celebrate that history came this past season, when the resort, like W/B, turned 50. But alas, the Jackson Hole Air Force—along with every other famous icon from the resort—was nowhere in sight in its Jackson 50: Born to be Wild print ad. Imagine if it featured Doug Coombs shredding in his signature, perfect style? Instead, Jackson boasted about its new dining options and lift. Nothing says wild like fancy dinners and expensive base area amenities. —E.C.