T.G.I. Friday's(R) USA and DFPR Named Grand Prize Winner, Best Media Campaign of the Year, in the 2010 Bulldog Awards for Excellence in Media and Public Relations

CARROLLTON, Texas and CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- T.G.I. Friday's USA (www.fridays.com) and its public relations agency DFPR (www.dfpr.com) were recently named the Grand Prize Winner, Best Media Campaign of the Year, in the 2010 Bulldog Awards for Excellence in Media and Public Relations. T.G.I. Friday's USA/DFPR's publicity campaign for "Punt Challenge" was also named a best-in-class Gold Award Winner in two categories: Best Special Event/Stunt and Best Response to Breaking News.

"DFPR's campaign for T.G.I. Friday's USA was selected as the 'best of the best' in the 2010 Bulldog Awards," said Jacques Gautreaux, vice president and chief operating officer of Infocom Group/Bulldog Reporter. "We will be celebrating this entry in our annual 'Hall of Fame' magazine this year."

"DFPR's 'Punt Challenge' was a terrific idea that worked very well for T.G.I. Friday's," said Amy Freshwater, vice president of communication and public relations for Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, parent of T.G.I. Friday's. "It definitely played a role in kicking off our football watching parties at the bar last year."

On September 8, 2009, T.G.I. Friday's issued the following Punt Challenge for the September 20 Sunday night Dallas vs. New York football game at the football stadium featuring the world's largest high-definition video board: If a punt hits the video board during the game, resulting in a replay, Friday's will reward football fans who are watching the game in the bar at nearly 600 participating T.G.I. Friday's restaurants in the U.S. with FREE Crispy Green Bean Fries. No punt hit the video board during the game.

With more than 900 restaurants in 60 countries, including approximately 600 restaurants in the U.S., T.G.I. Friday's offers great food, innovative drinks and a unique experience filled with flair and a Thank God It's Friday's™ attitude. Friday's authentic, engaging atmosphere makes it the perfect place to escape, socialize and connect with people while getting a rejuvenating second wind. Members of Give Me More Stripes®, Friday's guest recognition program, receive free stuff and special perks year-round. As the original casual dining restaurant, T.G.I. Friday's has a rich heritage which includes being credited with popularizing Happy Hour, Long Island Iced Tea and Loaded Potato Skins. T.G.I. Friday's is also famous for its flair bartenders, approximately 7000 of whom compete annually for the title of the "World's Greatest T.G.I. Friday's Bartender."

Carlson Restaurants Worldwide Inc., the parent company of TGI Friday's Inc., is a privately held company owned by Minneapolis-based Carlson, a world leader in the hospitality and travel industries. As of May 2010, Carlson Restaurants Worldwide owns, operates, franchises or licenses more than 1,000 restaurants in 60 countries. For more information, visit http://www.fridays.com.

DFPR, with offices in Charlotte and Phoenix, is a public relations firm specializing in news management, media relations, publicity and strategic communication. For more information, visit www.dfpr.com.

(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090106/DA55766LOGO)

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SOURCE T.G.I. Friday's USA

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