We’ve been listening to the broad array of opinions with regard to Kentucky’s new “Mr. Smiley” license plate and we’ve decided to lend our aesthetically-minded hands and offer you an alternative. In 2002, the Advertising Federation of Louisville spearheaded a competition to design a new seal and logo for the newly merged Louisville-Jefferson County Metro. This year we’re pleased to present the Louisville AdFed License Plate Project, supported by State Representative Reginald Meeks. The state of Kentucky will produce any new specialty plate provided that 900 people request to buy the plate within one year. The Louisville AdFed License Plate Project is a creative competition designed to give all of those who participate a chance to showcase their talents, as well as to give back to the community. All elected donations from the sale of the plate will be directed into the Louisville Advertising Education Foundation, which functions to support Kentucky students who excel in our field.

With the help of a Blue Ribbon panel of judges representing design and academic experts outside of the state, we narrowed the field of nearly 100 statewide entries to five finalists.

After more than 20,000 Kentuckians voted online for their overall favorite plate, a clear winner has emerged. We are pleased to announce that Entry #104, which appears below, has garnered the most votes. Dave Fields of Louisville is the winning designer.

The process will now proceed as follows. In November and December 2004, State Representative Reginald Meeks will prefile our bill, which allows for a specialty plate to be produced, in November or December 2004. The bill will be up for review/vote in January 2005. Once the bill is passed, the AdFed has one year to register 900 requests to purchase the plate. Upon passage of the bill, the Louisville AdFed will work with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to ensure that the details are in order. In the meantime, we'll begin collecting interested parties' contact information. If you are interested in purchasing this new speciality license plate, please complete the information below. When the bill has been approved by the Kentucky State Legislature, we will notify interested parties with all pertinent details, including the cost of the plate.