Back to list Service & repair May 08, 2013 23:00 Direct Energy's Zombie Video Campaign & Bethany Ruhe Named Finalists in 2013 American Business Awards 11th annual Stevie® Awards will be presented on June 17 in Chicago and September 16 in San Francisco Pittsburgh, PA (May 9, 2013) - Direct Energy's Zombie video campaign was named a Finalist today in the Video: PR, Other category in The 2013 American Business Awards, and will ultimately be a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie® Award winner in the program. In addition, Direct Energy's Bethany Ruhe, senior manager of external relations, is also a finalist for the Communications Professional of the Year category. The American Business Awards are the nation's premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations - public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. The American Business Awards will be presented at two awards events: the ABA's traditional banquet on Monday, June 17 - in Chicago for the first time, after 10 years in New York; and the new product & technology awards event on Monday, September 16 in San Francisco. More than 3,200 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Most Innovative Company of the Year, Management Team of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year, and Executive of the Year, among others. Via the Energy Zombies video campaign, Direct Energy wants to help people avoid a zombie apocalypse in their homes by not senselessly using energy. "The creative thinking shown by Bethany and all those involved on the Energy Zombies project was truly innovative," said Micah Hirschfield, director of external relations for Direct Energy. "They should all be congratulated for their hard work." Finalists were chosen by more than 140 business professionals nationwide during preliminary judging in April and May. More than 150 members of nine specialized judging committees will determine Stevie Award placements from among the Finalists during final judging, to take place May 13 - 24. Details about The American Business Awards and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA. About Direct Energy Direct Energy is one of North America's largest energy and energy-related services providers with more than 6 million residential and commercial customer relationships. Direct Energy provides customers with choice and support in managing their energy costs through a portfolio of innovative products and services. A subsidiary of Centrica plc (LSE:CNA), one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, Direct Energy operates in 46 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and 10 provinces in Canada. About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. A fifth program, the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, will debut this year. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com. Sponsors and partners of The 2013 American Business Awards include the Business TalkRadio Network, Callidus Software, Citrix Online, Dynamic Research Corporation, Experian, John Hancock Funds, LifeLock, PetRays, and SoftPro. For further information, please contact: Andrea Romo Direct Energy Business Andrea.Romo@directenergy.com 1-412-334-9510