News

Celebrating the Holiday Season with the Manna Food Pantry

Last week our team volunteered with the Roanoke Rescue Mission’s Manna Food Pantry and provided large boxes of food to over 400 people. It was an incredibly rewarding experience to contribute to such an important cause, and we had a wonderful time meeting other volunteers and the families who were picking up food. With the holidays approaching, we left feeling inspired and grateful for the opportunity to give back!

To learn more about the Manna Food Pantry, visit rescuemission.net/manna-food-pantry/

Anstey Hodge launches an all-new website for Presbyterian Village North

Our team is proud to share our work on the completely new website we created for Presbyterian Village North, a longstanding leader in senior living in Dallas, Texas. The new site is designed to reflect the beauty, camaraderie, and excitement you feel throughout the campus in an online digital format.  
 
One of the primary goals was simplicity—presenting the PVN brand in a clear and concise way that is authentic and compelling, often letting photography do a lot of the heavy lifting.  
 
“We are thrilled with the new website. Working with the Anstey Hodge team was easy, and they really put our vision into action. The new website truly reflects the beauty of the community and the vital information to help others understand what we have to offer,” said Heather Porch, Director of Sales and Marketing for PVN. “I’m thankful to AH and their guidance through this process. They turned what could be a daunting task into one that was fun and exciting with technology that made it easy to convey edits and changes.” 
 
The site features all new photography throughout, as well as a new visual brand design that is lighter and cleaner, inspired as much by high-end tourism and hospitality as it is by traditional senior living branding.  
 
“Clarity and simplicity, when done correctly, really do create a website that is easier on the eyes and delivers information in a much more effective way,” said Creative Team Lead Sarah Sprigings. “The updated color palette feels more lively and more sophisticated, and is just much more in line who PVN is and what the experience is like at the community.”  
 
The site isn’t just a pretty online presence, however. Baked into the content throughout are multiple conversion drivers, contact forms, chat opportunities, and other lead-generation tools designed to engage visitors, offer helpful information, and feed the marketing funnel for years to come.  
 
“PVN is a wildly successful community, and has been for many years, and we’re so happy to be a part of the team that is driving that success,” said Anstey Hodge Director of Accounts Donna Wardell. “We love working with the team at PVN and Forefront Living, and we’re excited to see the new site go live. It really does show all the community has to offer in a compelling way.”  
 
Anstey Hodge is a long-time partner with Forefront Living, who manages Presbyterian Village North and other senior living communities in the DFW region. Visit PresVillageNorth.org to see the site for yourself. 

Anstey Hodge wins 12 National Mature Media Awards

We’re excited to announce that Anstey Hodge recently won 12 National Mature Media Awards, sponsored by Mature Market Resource Center. These awards honor the nation’s best marketing, communications, educational materials, and programs designed and produced for older adults. With categories ranging from publications and websites to videos and social media campaigns, these awards highlight the innovation and excellence in addressing the unique needs and interests of the senior demographic.

David Hodge, Chief Creative Officer of Anstey Hodge, served as one of the judges for the National Mature Media Awards competition again in 2024. (Note: judges are not permitted to judge their own firms’ entries.)

Our Award-Winning Projects

While each of our twelve awards is special, they collectively represent the breadth and depth of our work. Our projects that won include: 

  1. Canterbury Court’s Dementia Direct Mail Series
    Bronze in the Direct Mail category 
  2. Canterbury Court’s Atlanta Jewish Times Campaign
    Bronze in the Marketing/Advertising Campaign category 
  3. Epworth Villa’s Boot Scootin’ Boogie BBQ Direct Mail
    Bronze in the Direct Mail category 
  4. The Farms at Bailey Station’s Summer Solstice Direct Mail
    Bronze in the Direct Mail category 
  5. The Farms at Bailey Station’s Spring Buzz Campaign
    Silver in the Marketing/Communications category 
  6. Friendsview’s Benefits of Lifecare Brochure
    Merit in the Brochure/Booklet category 
  7. Legacy Pointe’s Mythbusters Direct Mail
    Silver in the Direct Mail category 
  8. Legacy Pointe’s Marketing on the Move Direct Mail
    Bronze in the Direct Mail category 
  9. Presbyterian Village North’s Taste of PVN Direct Mail
    Bronze in the Direct Mail category 
  10. Presbyterian Village North’s Dallas Morning News Ad Series
    Silver in the Marketing/Advertising category 
  11. Presbyterian Village North’s Morning Buzz Campaign
    Merit in the Marketing/Advertising Campaign category 
  12. Rockwood at Whitworth’s August Brunches Direct Mail
    Merit in the Direct Mail category

“Winning these awards is a significant achievement that we’re incredibly proud of,” says David Hodge, chief creative officer. “It’s a testament to the quality of our work and our unwavering commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of older adults. “

We’re excited to build on this success and continue delivering exceptional content that resonates with seniors.  We extend our thanks to the National Mature Media Awards, our clients and senior audiences across the country. We’re looking forward to what’s next!

Anstey Hodge Redesigns Legacy Pointe at UCF’s Website

We recently launched a newly redesigned website for Legacy Pointe at UCF, a beautiful senior living community in sunny Florida! The revamped online presence reflects their commitment to providing exceptional service and resources to residents, families, and prospective community members.

“We’re thrilled with the look and feel of our new website and how it captures the spirit of our residents and community. This will help us to continue to grow going forward!” says David Kremer, Executive Director of Legacy Pointe.

For this vibrant and spirited community, Anstey Hodge recognized the need to enhance Legacy Pointe’s digital presence. The new website is designed to be more user-friendly, informative, and engaging, ensuring users have easy access to everything they need to know about Legacy Pointe at UCF.

“The expressive photos jump off the page, and the video testimonials are unique and engaging,” added Tracey Wenson, Vice President at Greystone Communities. “The Anstey Hodge team listened to our goals and provided a wonderful marketing asset that will help us achieve them.”

This new site features all-new photography, video, and design that reflects the elegant and welcoming feel of the community. Marketing features include multiple conversion drivers throughout the site to promote lead generation, robust blog content for SEO, a custom affordability calculator, an interactive community map featuring every apartment and villa floor plan, and a simplified overall structure that allows site visitors to find their desired content more easily than ever.

“We started the design process by expanding their color palette to include energetic and inviting colors that reflect the community and their location,” said Art Director Julianne Rainone Jacob. “The site has a heavy emphasis on bold, vibrant photography, seamlessly integrating with the new palette to capture the essence of Legacy Pointe at UCF. This thoughtful design approach ensures that visitors feel the community’s spirit and vitality from the moment they land on the homepage.”

Anstey Hodge is thrilled for Legacy Pointe’s continued success and looks forward to seeing the positive impact their new website will have on the community. Check it out at legacypointeatucf.com.

Anstey Hodge wins 7 ADDYs at the 2024 Western Virginia Advertising Awards

Our team had a fabulous time at last week’s ADDY awards and were honored to win 7 awards, including a Judge’s Choice award, 2 Gold, and 4 Silver ADDYs!

  • Judges Choice Award & Gold ADDY for 20th Anniversary Party-in-a-Box
    More on this project: This piece was created with our distance clients in mind to celebrate our 20th anniversary last year. While we had a great time at our in-person party, we wanted to find a way to include them in our celebrations. Each box included party essentials like balloons and confetti, some Virginia-inspired items like Virginia Peanuts and a Virginia is for Lovers coozie, and our custom AH-goodies like our “Cheers to 20 Years” headband, an Anstey Hodge Lapel Pin, custom M&Ms in a mini champagne bottle, and our favorite: a mini Service Station box housing a custom Oreo cookie.
2024 Judge's Choice Award for 2024 Western Virginia Advertising Awards
  • Gold ADDY for Framatome Buried Pipe Mailer Box
  • Silver ADDY for The Farms at Bailey Station Jordan River Direct Mails Series
  • Silver ADDY for Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia Business Hall of Fame Event Website
  • Silver ADDY for 20th Anniversary Wall Mural (in partnership with our friends, Tandem Arts Collective)
  • Silver ADDY for Friendsview Waffle Direct Mail

“I’ve said it many times, but its worth repeating – we have one of the best teams in the business,” said John Anstey, president of Anstey Hodge. “I’m proud of these awards, but I’m even more proud of our team and the creativity and dedication that they bring every day.”

Anstey Hodge sponsors Greystone Sales Adventure 2024

Our team recently attended Greystone’s Sales Adventure conference in Dallas, TX, joining marketing and sales professionals from around the country. This two-day event that provided an environment for learning, fostering motivation, and sharing best practices for marketing senior living communities. This year’s conference took on a James Bond 00SALES theme, and Anstey Hodge was proud to be a Diamond Sponsor.

We also produced several custom projects for the event, including playing cards (yes, that’s our very own John, David, and Donna on the face cards), takeaway collateral with matching landing page, bottle openers, print ad, and of course our very own promotional video inspired by ‘The Office’. While we love our producing work for our clients, we always enjoy getting to do some fun AH-themed projects—with a twist!

Anstey Hodge Awarded Four W3 Awards

We’re thrilled to announce we’ve won four silver W3 awards from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA) for our recent digital ads and e-blasts for four of our clients! Our wins include:

  1. Digital Ads for Legacy Pointe at UCF Independent Living in the category Campaigns-Banner, Display, and Rich Media Advertising
  2. Digital Ads for Trevi Vibrant Senior Living in the category Campaigns-Banner, Display, and Rich Media Advertising
  3. Spring has Sprung e-Blast for The Farms at Bailey Station in the category General Marketing-Email Marketing
  4. Morning Buzz e-Blast for Presbyterian Village North in the category General Marketing-Email Marketing

Anstey Hodge Hosts 20th Anniversary Celebration

On September 29, we hosted a celebration open house at our Service Station to commemorate our 20th year in business. Over 130 guests attended, including friends, family, neighbors, and community leaders, and enjoyed food and beverages from Schaal’s Catering and live music from the Cyrus Pace Duo. Perhaps most exciting, Roanoke Vice Mayor Joe Cobb along with City Council Members Vivian Sanchez-Jones and Stephanie Moon Reynolds presented us with a proclamation officially declaring September 29, 2023, as “Anstey Hodge Day.” 

John Anstey and David Hodge send their thanks to those who attended:  

“We’d like to thank everybody who made our 20th anniversary celebration such a fun evening and a big success. It was great to see so many friends, neighbors, family, and clients all come together to help us celebrate our 20th year in business. We couldn’t have asked for better company—or weather! And to those who celebrated with us in spirit due to working remotely or other commitments, we thank you! 

We look back on the past 20 years with so much gratitude. What started as a company of two people in 2003 with a handful of clients across town has grown to a talented team of 18 serving clients coast to coast and across the globe. How did we get here? Hard work, perseverance, persistence, lots of moral support, and a little good luck.  

We are so proud of where we’ve come from in the past 20 years—thank you for letting us share a little bit of our journey with you.  Here’s to the next 20!” 

Thank you to Ruby from Hoprich Photography for the wonderful photos!

Tandem Arts Collective Paints Mural at Anstey Hodge Service Station

After 20 years in business and 14 in our Service Station office, we knew we needed a little cosmetic update and our signature bright orange wall was the perfect place for it. We worked with Josh and Libby Nolan-Shafer from Tandem Arts Collective to come up with a mural design that tells our story and represents who we are, like: A winding road and river to represent our Roanoke roots and nationwide reach, with scenes of various communities throughout. Technical symbols, computer windows and applications we use everyday as a marketing and creative agency in 2023. And small bits of Anstey Hodge-isms: our beloved cats, shop shirts, “hold please” (our Director of Client Services’ signature saying), and much more.

Josh and Libby brought our vision to life perfectly—and our team all got to contribute a brush stroke or two. Thank you, Josh and Libby—we absolutely LOVE the final result!

Watch our time-lapse video to see several days of work come together in under 2 minutes.