FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(FOLSOM, Calif.)—Barcellona Inc., a full-service advertising, public relations and graphic design firm has brought home another silver award from the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) “The NationalsSM” awards competition.  Barcellona’s internet banner campaign for the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s (SMUD) Solar Smart Homes program received a silver award and was named a finalist in the Best Internet Marketing Campaign category. Over 800 entries were accepted from every state, making for a competitive field. The quirky campaign uses humor to illustrate that smart people (kids and dogs included) will be the ones to purchase solar homes. To view the interactive campaign visit http://www.barcellonabrand.com/content/portfolio/web/.
Gold honors will be chosen from the silver winners and announced at the International Builder Show in Las Vegas on January 20, 2009 at Ceasar’s Palace. 

“Internet marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways for our clients to spend money right now, which is why it is particularly special to be honored in this category,” said Rochelle Barcellona, president and creative director of Barcellona, Inc. “It really demonstrates that we have taken our work to the next level for our clients and have adapted to changes in the market, plus I’ll admit it’s fun.”

Barcellona has stepped to the forefront of the push for green-minded marketing with its work for energy efficient builders, a solar equipment manufacturer and the California Energy Commission’s New Solar Homes Partnership in addition to SMUD. The team at Barcellona has made significant changes in the way that it does business by carpooling, driving hybrids, telecommuting, teleconferencing and spending each day working with an elite group of forward thinking clients and suppliers that have adopted similar environmentally friendly philosophies including Treasure Homes, SunPower, Estrella & Associates and the California Energy Commission.

Now in its 28th year, The Nationals pays tribute to superior new home sales and marketing achievements by individual sales and marketing professionals, homebuilders and associates, and sales and marketing councils. The nation’s largest competition for new home sales and marketing professionals and communities, The Nationals showcases winners in distinguished national, regional, and local publications. The competition is presented by the National Sales and Marketing Council (NSMC), a council of the National Association of Home Builders, along with co-sponsors Whirlpool Appliances, Gladiator Garage Works, and KitchenAid.

The largest competition in the nation for new home sales and marketing professionals and communities, The Nationals is also the most prestigious, in part because it is national in scope, and categories are linked to real-world marketing strategies and challenges. For more information on The Nationals or to see the full list of regional and silver winners, visit http://www.thenationals.com or call (800) 658-2751.

About Barcellona, Inc.
Barcellona, Inc. is Northern California’s premier integrated marketing communications firm for green, real estate and social marketing. Located in Folsom, Calif., the agency is ideally situated amongst one of the fastest growing regions in the U.S. and is located at 1631 Creekside Drive, Suite 102, Folsom, Calif. 95630.  The agency can be reached by calling (916) 353-5200, or via the website at http://www.barcellonabrand.com/.

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