NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana Economic Development’s innovation platform LA.IO has earned Best in Show for Cinematography and 11 total Addy Awards at the American Advertising Federation New Orleans show, leading all entrants in Gold Addys and tying for the most awards of any agency on the night.
The recognition adds to a growing list of national and international honors for the creative work behind the LA.IO campaign: six Viddy Awards, including two Platinums, a Clio Bronze for Music, and a Fast Company Innovation by Design Award. The awards span brand identity, documentary film, original music and direct mail, with the campaign earning recognition across every discipline it entered.
LA.IO – Campaign Strategy and Goals
Louisiana Economic Development said the campaign was designed to attract attention across multiple creative categories while addressing what officials describe as a gap between the scale of innovation taking place in Louisiana and national perceptions of the state’s economy.
Through the LA.IO platform, the agency sought to showcase Louisiana’s innovation sector through a coordinated brand identity that includes documentary films, original scores performed by Louisiana musicians and a direct campaign aimed at innovators and investors nationwide.
Officials said the approach was intended to challenge common assumptions about Louisiana’s innovation economy and position the state’s companies alongside national and international competitors.
Recognition from organizations such as the Clio Awards, Fast Company and the American Advertising Federation provides what Louisiana Economic Development describes as third-party validation for the campaign and helps extend its reach among investors, entrepreneurs and skilled workers the state hopes to attract.
The initiative is intended to highlight companies and technologies emerging from Louisiana’s innovation economy. Fleig said recognition from national creative and design competitions helps place the state’s innovation sector in conversations often associated with larger technology hubs.
“Louisiana has always built companies and solved problems that matter to the world. We designed LA.IO to make that undeniable,” said Josh Fleig, Chief Innovation Officer, Louisiana Economic Development. “When Fast Company and the Clios and now the Addys recognize this work alongside the best commercial creative in the country, they are telling their own audiences that Louisiana belongs in that conversation. That is exactly what we set out to make happen.”
“Louisiana is home to world-class innovators delivering humanity-scale solutions. The work was to tell that story without compromise,” said Dylan DiBona, founder of Monday + Partners. “The awards reflect the campaign strategy and the range of creative work produced for the initiative. A state initiative campaign winning across brand, film, music and direct mail at competitions designed for creative work in any category was part of that strategy.”
LA.IO – Awards Across Major Competitions
AAF New Orleans Addy Awards — March 2026
- Best in Show: Cinematography
- Gold — Integrated Brand Identity Campaign, LA.IO
- Gold — Online Film/Video/Sound: LA.IO Films Trailer
- Gold — Online Film/Video/Sound: LA.IO Films Series
- Gold — Online Film/Video/Sound: LA.IO Films, MECO
- Gold — Online Film/Video/Sound: LA.IO Films, Delta Biofuel
- Gold — Online Film/Video/Sound: LA.IO Films, Intralox
- Gold — Online Film/Video/Sound: LA.IO Films, Natrx
- Gold — Elements of Advertising, Sound/Music
- Silver — Online Film/Video/Sound: LA.IO Films, This Is Louisiana Innovation
- Silver — Elements of Advertising, Logo Design
- Silver — Sales and Marketing, Fly the Flag Direct Mail Campaign
Viddy Awards
- Platinum — LA.IO: MECO
- Platinum — Louisiana Innovation Films Series
- Gold — LA.IO: Delta Biofuel
- Gold — LA.IO: Intralox
- Gold — LA.IO: Natrx
- Gold — This Is Louisiana Innovation
Clio Awards
- Bronze — Music
Fast Company
- Innovation by Design Award
Companies Featured in the LA.IO Films
The LA.IO documentary series features several Louisiana-based companies working across a range of technology and industry sectors.
Delta Biofuel
Delta Biofuel is a renewable fuels company developing a renewable diesel facility in the River Parishes that will convert biomass into low-carbon transportation fuel.
Intralox
Intralox is a Harahan-based global manufacturer of modular plastic conveyor belt technology used in food processing, logistics and industrial manufacturing.
Natrx
Natrx is a coastal resilience technology company known for engineered “living shoreline” systems designed to stabilize coastlines and protect infrastructure.
MECO
MECO is a Mandeville-based manufacturer of water purification systems used in pharmaceutical, biotechnology and industrial production.
LA.IO is Louisiana Economic Development’s innovation initiative focused on supporting companies, industries and talent driving growth in the state’s emerging technology and startup sectors. The LA.IO brand platform was developed in collaboration with New Orleans-based creative agency Monday + Partners.
Videos from the LA.IO campaign can be viewed here.
