Eric Polins is the recipient of the 2017 Silver Medal by The American Advertising Federation.
Polins, a patent recipient from the USPTO, has 25 years of marketing and advertising experience with an emphasis on creative direction, writing, broadcast production, and technology. As an alumnus of The Pennsylvania State University, he received a BA in Broadcast Journalism. He is also a former U.S. Marine.
He worked in the Florida motion picture industry and incorporated Gulf+Atlantic Films, Inc. (www.gafilms.com) in late 1998 and remains in the indie film industry to this day. After two years in the film industry, Polins served as a senior member on the creative team of two Tampa-based advertising agencies: Amherst Marketing Associates and The Lipphardt Agency. After The Lipphardt Agency, Polins accepted a position with Inteledigm Communications, a Tampa-based Internet Incubator. There, Polins served as the Marketing Director and created the brand platform for The Agency Applet™ for which he was featured in Adweek Magazine. Polins also negotiated the website design and implementation of Nokia Latin America (one of the largest multi-cultural sites at that time) and was directly responsible for securing the first interactive Addys website project for the American Advertising Federation.
Polins is a published author and professional artist. He has written and directed 100+ commercials, films, and videos with awards ranging from Tellys to Addys. He executive produced his first SAG motion picture film in 2006 starring Gary Busey and Charles Durning. In 2010, Polins achieved second place in industry ad giant Ogilvy’s “Greatest Sales Person in the World” competition, for which he was the only American finalist out of 18 competing countries; he was flown to Cannes Lions Festival to compete with two other global competitors. Polins wrote and directed two commercials, both named national finalists in the American Airlines “Flights. Camera. Action.” film contests and wrote and directed a commercial that was accepted into the last installment of Doritos Crash the Super Bowl 50 Contest.
Polins shares his free time with his wife Maria, two sons, Zane and Lacher, and a rescued Mastiff named Jasper in their South Tampa home.
- Tampa Theatre, Board of Directors
- 21 & Change, Board of Directors
- Team Godwin Foundation, Board of Directors
- The Maserati Club of Florida, Board of Directors
- The Gasparilla International Film Festival, Advisory Board
- Tampa Bay Defense Alliance, Volunteer