CHARLESTON – An advertising/public relations firm based in Charleston and Huntington has won eight 2009 American Graphic Design Awards, two of which honor projects done on behalf of State Treasurer John Perdue’s office.

Bulldog Creative Services won the honors from Graphic Design USA, a monthly magazine targeted to advertising agencies, design firms and other entities. The magazine received more than 8,000 entries. Of those, only 15 percent were recognized with certificates of excellence.

 Graphic Design partly honored Bulldog for its 457 supplemental retirement campaign and a “State of the Treasury” publication which highlighted the different aspects of the Treasurer’s Office.

 The Treasurer’s Office 457 campaign played on the idea of growing one’s money. An envelope that mimicked the look of an old-fashioned seed packet contained a brochure with a seedling theme. New state hires received a DVD.

“We couldn’t be happier that Bulldog was honored in such a way,” Treasurer Perdue said. “It didn’t surprise us. The quality of the agency’s work is always creative, inventive and out of the ordinary. We’re happy to be working with them.”

The awards will be published in the 250-plus page December edition of the magazine. It has a distribution of more than 100,000 subscribers. It also maintains a Web site, www.gdusa.com.

“Suffice it to say, we’re thrilled,” Bulldog President Chris Michael said. “These awards represent one of the highest honors a firm can win in the arena of advertising and public relations. That we could win two of the eight for Treasurer Perdue’s office is a testament to the outstanding team in place there and the creative freedom our firm enjoys with the staff.”