Lauderdale Web Design

TROY, MICH., June 13, 2008 -- The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) website www.DontbeBob.com has won the 12th Annual Webby People's Voice Award for Best Website, in the insurance category. The Webby was awarded to Michael Flora & Associates, an advertising agency in Troy, Mich., for designing the website for their client.
 
The "Don't be Bob" site is part of a larger promotional campaign by Michael Flora & Associates, using a cartoon character 20-something to target the demographic who often think they don't need health insurance. The premise is simple. Bob, a character with an invincibility complex, doesn't have health insurance. Through a series of mishaps Bob keeps finding himself injured and financially unable to seek medical help. The solution, of course, is BCBSM.

The website features videos of the Bob character's misadventures, "Bob radio" broadcasting tales of his accidents and a video game, which was designed, mapped out and created by Moncur Associates, a web-centric advertising agency in Troy, Mich. The video game allows the player to see what being Bob is like, as the user steers him through streets infested with rabid dogs, tornadoes, falling pianos and old ladies who use their canes as weapons. Monetary amounts are subtracted from his bank every time Bob encounters a gang of ninjas or slips on a banana peel, until the bank runs out and the game ends. Street signs featuring the BCBSM logo are peppered throughout.

The goal behind www.DontbeBob.com was to raise online sales of Young Adult Blue, BCBSM's health insurance program for those in the 18 to 30 age range. Michael Flora & Associates wanted to use the communication medium young people use most to get their attention and highlight their need for health insurance despite their youth and generally good health. The site's appeal is apparent; it also won a W3 Award from the International Academy of the Visual Arts this year.

"The Webby Awards honor the outstanding websites that are setting the standards for the Internet," said David-Michel Davies, executive director of the Webby Awards -- an award show the New York Times has commended as "the Oscars of the Internet." The Webby Awards are the leading international awards of excellence on the Internet, including websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile websites. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a judicial board of 550 people. This year there were nearly 10,000 submissions, from 50 states and over 60 countries. Close to 500,000 people around the world voted for their favorite sites, videos and ads in the Webby People's Voice Awards.

About Michael Flora & Associates
For 30 years, Michael Flora & Associates has focused on understanding and changing consumer behavior to deliver positive results to their clients' bottom line. The agency has developed extensive expertise in healthcare and financial services marketing. See www.MichaelFlora.com for more information.

About Moncur Associates
Moncur Associates, located in Troy, Mich., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Los Angeles, Calif., is a web-centric advertising agency specializing in building brands that build business. Moncur Associates works with business owners, chief executives and marketing executives to create web-centric strategies that help them achieve their growth goals and performance objectives. For more information please call 1-877-9-MONCUR or visit www.MoncurAssociates.com.