SEATTLE, Wash. — Des Moines-based Community Choice Credit Union won the top prize in the Marketing Association of Credit Unions' 2007 Awards Competition, which was announced Thursday during the group's 21st annual conference here.

The MACQUEE award, MAC's Best in Show, was given to Josh Cook, director of marketing, and Matt Sheridan, marketing specialist, for Community Choice's “Consolidate Your Bills” broadcast and video spots.

The humorous “Don't Play Games with Your Bills” spots, all done in-house to lower costs, were aimed at promoting growth in home equity loans and increasing overall CU awareness, the CU said.

The CU said it saw an $8 million net increase in home equity loans, 166% over its marketing goal plus 2,800 new members. Cook indicated that “this was the largest home equity loan growth year that the CU has ever experienced.” He said that the CU gets regular inquiries about when the next series of ads will be aired.

Over 350 entries from 125 CUs nationwide were submitted to this annual competition. The other finalists for the 2007 MACQUEE award were America's Christian CU, Glendora, Calif.; Pacific Service CU, Walnut Creek, Calif.; Boeing Employees CU, Seattle; and Arizona State CU, Phoenix.