Promotional videos earn Downtown Camas Association state award

Camas — The Downtown Camas Association earned the Outstanding Promotional Campaign of the Year award during Washington Main Street’s Excellence on Main Awards Ceremony, held April 25 in Ellensburg. At the same awards, Arktana, a boutique shoe store in downtown Camas, received the Entrepreneur of the Year award. The local organization won the award for its series of promotional videos to promote downtown Camas, highlighting the city’s sense of place and local businesses. “So much of the appeal of our downtown is visual: the walkable streets, the historic buildings, the welcoming trees, the lights, the engaging merchants,” Carrie Schulstad, association executive director, said in a release from the organization. “We set out on a journey to create videos that captured the feel of being in downtown Camas.” The videos were produced by Anthem Media and coordinated by the association’s promotions committee, with funding support from the city’s lodging tax dollars. After severe winter weather slowed business, Ann Matthews, owner of Arktana, contacted the association to do a special shopping promotion to bring the community back downtown. She helped coordinate the Winter Celebration, worked with the downtown association, paid for graphic work and assisted with other promotional tasks.