3/17/2026
PIERRE, S.D. – Travel South Dakota took home two marketing awards from AAF-SD for its email program and earned a Gold ADDY and a Judge’s Choice honor from AAF-CO during the 60th Annual American Advertising Awards for its "Into the Roundup" web series.
The traveler-focused email series received a Gold ADDY in the category Advertising & Promotion: Email. A second email series, the Travel Insights Email, targeted at South Dakota’s tourism industry members, received a Silver ADDY in the same category.
The five-episode web series "Into the Roundup" received a Gold ADDY in the category Branded Content & Entertainment: Non-Broadcast. The series was also selected for a special honor as one of three Judge’s Choice recipients, recognized for its compelling narrative and creative design.
South Dakota Department of Tourism Secretary James Hagen praised the marketing efforts.
“Over the past few years, we’ve made huge strides on both the creative and strategic sides of our email campaigns and content series," said Hagen. “Whether through audience segmentation, personalization, or dynamic content, we’re constantly evolving how we connect with potential travelers and our tourism industry.”
The American Advertising Awards are the first tier of a three-tier national competition conducted annually by the American Advertising Federation alongside more than 200 local clubs across the country. Entries earning a Gold ADDY are recognized as having the highest level of creative excellence and advance to the next tier of the competition.
Travel South Dakota partnered with Karsh Hagan, Lou Hammond Group, Love Communications, Miles Partnership, and Lawrence & Schiller on the award-winning work.
The South Dakota Department of Tourism is comprised of Travel South Dakota and the South Dakota Arts Council. The department is led by Secretary James D. Hagen.
-30-
Media Notes:
For downloadable imagery representing the award-winning work, please visit our Dropbox. Credit: Travel South Dakota.
CONTACT
Katlyn Svendsen, Global Public Relations & Content Services Senior Director
Travel South Dakota
Email: [email protected]