“I didn’t find myself laughing, crying or saying “wow” as much as other years … so overall it was a down year (not unlike the game itself).” writes BCH partner Matt Kamer, in a recent contribution in Louisville Business First. 

The newsweekly, part of American City Business Journals, featured Matt’s views on what advertisers and brands did right at this year’s Super Bowl and what went wrong. What tactics hit the nail on the head and which ones missed it? Matt discusses Levi’s, AI and the unique Liquid I.V. ad. 

1. Matt named Levi’s ad the best of the year, writing “The “Behind Every Original” spot showed just how Levi’s are THE jeans for all types of Americans, from cowboys and construction workers to rock stars and rebels.”

2. AI was a strong theme this year, with a few brands commenting on the pitfalls of AI usage but overall missing the mark, positioning themselves as the cautionary tale of this year’s Super Bowl. 

3. The unusual goes to Liquid I.V.’s singing toilets, giving a not-so subtle nod to their specialty, hydration. 

The impact of this year’s Super Bowl ads is not contributing to the noise, but cultivating impactful advertising tailored by human stories that resonate with audiences. 

Read the full article here:https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2026/02/09/which-ads-won-the-super-bowl-local-execs-weigh-in.html

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“This is the year illusion falls away — and intention takes its place,” writes BCH partner Allison Pitman, in a recent column in Louisville Business First. 

The newsweekly, part of American City Business Journals, featured Allison’s views on what marketers and brands should consider in 2026. With the meteoric rise of AI, how does a brand create value in an increasingly synthetic world? Allison focuses on three areas:

‎‎ ㅤ1. Just buying advertising reach isn’t enough. Real voices and credible perspectives consistently outperform clickbait performance marketing.

‎ ㅤ2‎. Culture is becoming a scarce resource. The great irony of the AI age is that the more automated things become, the more valuable human connection becomes.

ㅤ3. Trust is no longer assumed. A.I. “answer engines” will force brands to earn credibility.

Marketing in 2026 won’t be won by louder ads or more automation, Allison writes. It’ll be won by trust, cultural relevance, and real human connection. 

Read the full article here: https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2026/01/23/marketing-outlook-2026-opinion.html

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Several BCHers brought home the gold recently at the 2025 Public Relations Society of America’s Landmarks of Excellence Awards, with all 14 submitted projects earning recognition and nine receiving the event’s top honor, the Award of Excellence.

Since 1982, the annual awards have highlighted the very best public relations, journalism, marketing, and professional communications projects in the PRSA Bluegrass Chapter. Submitted projects are judged by public relations experts from PRSA chapters across the country, awarding submissions that surpass industry standards.

Here are our award-winning submissions in their respective categories:

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE:

1.        Bardstown Bourbon Company – Social Media Management

2.        Belle of Louisville – Season Lineup News Release

3.        Louisville Boat, RV & Sportshow – Media Relations

4.        Green River Distillery – Daytona Social Media Campaign

5.        Kosair – Rocket Ship TV Spot

6.        Louisville Water – River Road Campaign

7.        LOUMED – LOUMED Commons Announcement

8.        Taco Bell – L.A. Influencer Campaign

9.        Jeff’s Donuts – Branding/Design Assets

AWARDS OF MERIT:

1.        Louisville MSD – Annual Report

2.        LOUMED – Walkability Op-Ed

3.        Metro TV – Paid Social Media Campaign

HONORABLE MENTION:

1.        Louisville Boat, RV & Sportshow – Influencer Campaign

2.        Kentucky Lottery – Jackpot Factory Mural

We are grateful to our clients for entrusting us with their vision for their brand, and for giving us the runway and working alongside us to bring it to life.

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Ever wonder who makes sure Kentucky horse racing remains the best in the world? 

BCH recently partnered with the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation to establish a brand strategy for the newly chartered organization tasked with regulating horse racing, pari-mutuel wagering, sports wagering and charitable gaming in the Commonwealth, while also being the overall champion horse racing, breed integrity and development in the Bluegrass and beyond. 

BCH utilized its Brand Adoption process to uncover the consumer, category and cultural truths relevant to this organization and its vision, and reflected that in developing the new brand. We needed to emphasize the purpose behind the organization while acknowledging both sides of the coin: Kentucky’s rich history and expertise in horse racing and its bright future in the gaming industry. The resulting logo features a horse within the bold black and gold initials, and the tagline: Kentucky’s Safe Bet.

“In designing the new Kentucky Horse Racing & Gaming logo, we wanted to capture the organization’s boldness, pride and excitement for the gaming industry,” said Brian Garr, partner and creative director at BCH Agency. “Integrating the horse within the initials pays tribute to their roots in, and continued commitment to, Kentucky horse racing – while its sleek, modern style demonstrates confidently stepping into the future of gaming opportunities. We then underscored the mark with the tagline, Kentucky’s Safe Bet – a promise that integrity, safety and excellence are the everyday standard of KHRG.”

KHRG board member Mike Berry participated in BCH’s Brand Adoption process. “I am proud of the results, and we look forward to continuing to serve the horse racing, breeding, and gaming communities, and the wagering public in Kentucky.”
Read more about BCH Brand Adoption.

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The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), the leading trade organization for the North American recreational boating industry, looks to BCH Agency to drive excitement, interest and attendance to its long-running industry show in Louisville. 

The Discover Boating^® Louisville Boat, RV & SportShow, has been an outdoor enthusiast’s dream for more than 60 years, bringing together several days of the newest products and experiences in recreational boating and the outdoor lifestyle, all on display under one roof at Kentucky Venues’ Kentucky Exposition Center. As the exclusive PR partner for NMMA since 2013, BCH plans and implements strategic communication plans involving public relations, influencer marketing and organic social media. 

In the doldrums of winter, when snow, ice, and sub-freezing temperatures are descending on the city, our strategy leverages the dreary weather to inspire dreams of sunny days and summer adventures. Because of the show’s long-running success, part of our goal is reaching new audiences to introduce the Millennial and Gen Z audiences who are newer to boating. The social media strategy leaned heavily into video “Reels” and carousel units to optimize discoverability based on the current algorithms on the social platforms.

For the 2025 event, our media relations efforts garnered 122 news coverage placements with 10 significant features, including two coveted Courier-Journal “Home of the Week” placements. In total our efforts generated nearly 200 million impressions through earned and social media, along with 4,500 social media engagements. All told, BCH’s public relations efforts contributed to NMMA’s second-highest performing of all its boat shows around the country in terms of ticket sales and partner revenue. 

Now get out there and Discover Boating!

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BCH Agency walked away from the American Advertising Federation’s Louisville ADDY Awards last week with full arms and fuller hearts. Work for two of our destination-marketing clients – the Louisville Zoo and Belle of Louisville Riverboats – earned eight of the agency’s nine awards, including a prestigious Judge’s Choice Award.

The award show was the first round of AAF’s annual competition, where projects winning Silver or better recognition in regional judging are eligible to advance to national competitions. All entries are judged by a panel of industry professionals, and receiving an ADDY is recognition of meaningful audience engagement through disruptive ideas that have been executed with excellence.

BCH’s top award was the Judge’s Choice Award where each judge recognizes one project from among all entries in all categories. BCH earned this honor for our Belle Center Stage integrated advertising campaign for the historic Belle of Louisville riverboat attraction. This visually striking campaign transports audiences to the Vaudeville era when the historic Belle first began her steam-powered cruises on the Ohio River. 

BCH’s awards included:

Judge’s Choice Award

• Belle Center Stage Campaign

Integrated Advertising Campaign–Consumer/Local

• Silver Award: Belle Center Stage Campaign
• Silver Award: Louisville Zoo–Koala Campaign

Television Advertising/Regional and National Single Spot Up to 2:00

• Silver Award: Kentucky Lottery–Minnie & Max

Television Advertising/Local :30 Single Spot

• Silver Award: Belle Center Stage

Television Advertising/Local :15 Single Spot

• Silver Award: Belle Center Stage–Good Times Roll
• Silver Award: Belle Center Stage–Steamy

Television Advertising/Local Campaign

• Silver Award: Belle Center Stage
• Silver Award: Louisville Zoo–New Boys Koala

We appreciate the partnership of our colleagues and clients that together create award-winning work.

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Members of the BCH team recently joined our client, Kentucky Lottery, to unveil downtown Louisville’s latest piece of public art: an inspiring mural titled “Jackpot Factory,” filling an entire side of the Lottery’s headquarters building on Main Street.

We partnered with renowned mural artist Wilfred Sieg to create the mural to greet and inspire community members and visitors as they travel along 11th Street to the highly anticipated western expansion of Louisville Waterfront Park along the Ohio River, now under development. 

Jackpot Factory features an artful and whimsical nod to all the systems at work at the Lottery to create the fun and exciting lottery games Kentuckians play every day. It also depicts the output of the factory – Lottery proceeds that fund higher education for Kentucky students, which now exceeds more than $5 billion since the Lottery’s establishment.

“We developed the line “Fueling Imagination, Funding Education,” to be more than a tagline for the Lottery; it’s at the core of the organization’s being,” said BCH Creative Director Brian Garr. “It’s the daydream of a player’s lucky numbers being pulled, the joy of handing a check to a winner, the pride of providing Kentucky students educational opportunities. The mural is a piece of art that expresses those truths in a way the community can enjoy.”

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Our #BCHampions brought home some hardware last month at the PRSA Landmarks of Excellence Awards, going an impressive nine for nine with each submitted project earning recognition.

This annual event has celebrated the impactful work of communications professionals in the Public Relations Society of America Bluegrass Chapter for nearly 40 years. Submitted projects are judged by public relations experts from various PRSA chapters across the country, evaluated against 10 criteria to recognize work that exceeds industry standards.

We’re especially grateful to our clients who trust us to bring their vision to life—these awards are as much a testament to our partnerships as they are to our team’s dedication. Here are the accolades that BCH earned this year:

Awards of Excellence:

• Social Media Influencer Campaigns – Louisville Zoo Wild Lights Campaign
• External Communications / Consumer Relations – Heaven Hill Brands Spirited Neighbor Initiative
• Commercials – Belle of Louisville “Not the Same Ol’ Belle” Ad Campaign
• Social Media Campaigns – Presbyterian Giving Catalog Likes and Follows Campaign
• Social Media Campaigns – Green River Distillery Full Proof Campaign
• Single Printed Piece – Louisville MSD Annual Report

Awards of Merit:

• Media Relations – Discover Boating Louisville Boat, RV & Sportshow
• External Communications / Consumer Relations – Bardstown Bourbon Company House of Bardstown Campaign
• Social Media Campaigns – Bardstown Bourbon Company Amrut Campaign

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A National Historic Landmark, the Belle of Louisville holds the title of the oldest operating Mississippi River-style steamboat in the world. As she approaches her 110^th birthday this fall, the Belle’s management brought BCH Agency on board to lead marketing and public relations efforts.

In recent years, Belle of Louisville Riverboats transformed from offering a single, traditional dinner cruise to providing over 20 diverse, fun and engaging experiences aboard the Belle and her sister vessel, Mary M. Miller. However, the target audience has limited awareness of the Belle’s offerings, with many only thinking of their grade-school field trip.

BCH wanted to reposition the Belle as a dynamic attraction while preserving its historic charm. At the same time, we wanted to expand beyond the radio and out-of-home media used previously to include digital channels, including connected TV, to reach both existing and new audiences and expose them to the diversity of cruise offerings.

Our first foray is a new TV spot, entitled “Belle Center Stage,” that transforms the Belle herself into a character to challenge perceptions and spark curiosity about the Belle’s offerings. The spot is visually striking and emotionally engaging, transporting audiences to the Vaudeville era when the Belle first began cruising while showcasing a range of cruises and events to demonstrate that it’s not the same ol’ Belle.

See our Belle Center Stage spot below, and you can find a cruise that suits you to celebrate the 110^th birthday season of Louisville’s historic treasure, at belleoflouisville.org.

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At $7 million for 30 seconds of airtime, investing in a Super Bowl ad is calculated risk… in your strategy, your message, your ad agency. Not unlike bourbon, where you put a lot of expertise, art and science into the barrel, and then store it away in a rickhouse for years before you know exactly what you have.

So let’s review the Super Bowl ads the same way we Louisvillians review our bourbons. We’ll assess the nose, palate and finish, and then we’ll assign each a rating. Here’s the scale:

• Rotgut: on the bottom shelf and should stay there.
• Let-down: lots of hype, but not worth the price you paid.
• High Proof: comes in hot and packs a punch; but some like it and some don’t.
• Your House Pour: this gets the job done; it’s what you’ve come to know and love.
• Limited Release: cream of the crop; you’d camp overnight outside the store for this one.

So here’s a look at the notable ads, from the bottom shelf to the top.

Rotgut

Popeyes – The Wait Is Over:  Only one ad in the Rotgut category and it came from Popeyes (love it) selling wings (love them) and featuring Ken Jeong (love him). But it loses me when Jeong comes out of cryogenic deep freeze and wonders what has changed, and the answer, sadly, is that Popeyes now serves wings… in addition to the invention of the Roomba, Goldendoodles, drones, self-driving cars and more. Feels like we’ve seen this before, plus the whole frozen scenario makes me think of frozen chicken, not fresh, which isn’t the right brand message.

Let-down

BMW – Talkin’ Like Walken:  Watching people jab Christopher Walken with impersonations of his linguistic style was entertaining, but it was a good idea for the wrong product. The humorous spot felt off brand for the Ultimate Driving Machine and seemed better suited to a snack food or light beer ad.

Budweiser – Old School Delivery:  When the neon sign fizzles out during the snowstorm, it can only mean one thing… an epic delivery from the King of Beers and the kings of all horses, the Clydesdales. But somehow this missed the mark. I needed more emotion, more story exposition, more dog, more cowbell… something. We know you can do better, Bud.

High Proof

Lindt – Life is a Ball – Cuts through the clutter with a somewhat mesmerizing song and visual production that had me momentarily enthralled. But I’m sorry, Lindt; I don’t think that’s enough for this crowd to give up their M&M’s, Doritos and Drumsticks for your fancy, individually wrapped gourmet chocolates. Right ad, wrong placement.

Hellmann’s – Mayo Cat:  Talking animals have long been an ad trope and, in this rendition, Hellmann’s is literally the cat’s meow. It was effective in that I’ll never hear a cat again without thinking of mayonnaise. But, it was when SNL veteran Kate McKinnon spooned mayo into her mouth directly from the jar that I became a mustard man.

Pluto TV – Couch Potato Farms:  Part of the emerging streaming category, free ad-supported television, Pluto TV is poking fun at its own product and its own customers… by featuring people transformed into couch potatoes–like something from a Grotesque art movement painting–while they share the guilty-pleasure shows they enjoy watching. This was like the trainwreck you can’t turn away from.

He Gets Us – Feet Washing:  Jesus showed up to the Super Bowl for the second time and caused quite a stir. This ad had many wondering whether they wanted religion thrown at them during the big game, but nevertheless got people talking. And that’s just what the strategists behind this one wanted.

Your House Pour

Kawasaki – Mullets:  An archetypal Super Bowl ad, but from a non-traditional Super Bowl advertiser. Everyone who the Ridge ATV zooms past is graced with the legendary mullet hairstyle. All-American eagles, dogs, even Stone Cold Steve Austin get the “business in the front, party in the back” treatment, and we’re all better for it.

Google Pixel – In Frame:  It started as another touching ad about how a mobile phone’s cool features improve someone’s life. But this one took it to a higher level as the viewer directly experienced how the Google Pixel helps people with blindness or low-vision take the ubiquitous selfie. We watched the lead character get better and better at centering his phone to capture his own face in the selfie, then two faces as he found his partner, and then–boom–three faces, after they had a baby. And, that’s where they had me.

Dunkin’ – The DunKings:  A joy to watch as earnest Ben Affleck tries to impress his ex, J. Lo., by  teaming with his Boston ride-or-die Matt Damon along with Tom Brady, who at this point just wants to contribute. A smart cameo from Jack Harlow, too, who thinks maybe this whole thing isn’t the best idea. This spot is a reprise of Affleck and J.Lo’s appearance together in another Dunkin’ spot last year, potentially signaling the start of a new Super Bowl ad dynasty.

Dove – Hard Knocks:  The Taylor Swift Effect is real, and some pundits were projecting more female viewers than males for this Super Bowl. And beauty brands came in strong with non-traditional Big Game advertisers like Cetaphil, CeraVe and e.l.f. Beauty joining the fray. The best of this bunch, unsurprisingly, came from Dove… always there with the right spot at the right time, and only adding to the brand’s marketing street cred it’s developed since launching the “Real Beauty” campaign and social movement.

Pfizer – Here’s to Science:  To the tune of Queen’s triumphant “Don’t Stop Me Now,” this spot is a rapid-fire showcase of historic figures and moments in medical history, as part of a victory lap, per se, for Pfizer’s 175th anniversary. Just when you think they’re going to close with a big high-five about the pandemic, it transitions powerfully to their next fight… the Outdo Yesterday initiative to defeat cancer. Well done.

Limited Release

Volkswagen – American Love Story: My top pick gripped my attention with black-and-white footage, old-school 4:3 aspect ratio, and a Neil Diamond backing track… and it never let go. Scene after scene of vintage VWs cruised ahead through time. I saw a Scirocco, replicating my college roommate’s, tricked out like a racecar and all. Then I saw my silver Jetta, the first car I ever actually owned. And then Bart Simpson exclaimed “punch buggy red” as he knuckle-sandwiched Lisa on the arm… and we were transported. Nearly everyone has some emotional connection to a VW at some point in their life and if you haven’t, well, maybe that’s the point. Your time can still come. Then they wrapped it with the best-written line of the game, “We shape its metal. You shape its soul.”

All in all, this year’s batch of ads brought some old favorites and some new classics; some anthemics along with some antics, with a twist of extra Flashdance. Cheers to that.

Matt Kamer is partner at BCH Agency, a Louisville-based advertising and public relations firm.

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