Pride in one’s achievements is about as close to a universal human impulse as you’re likely to find. Aristotle went so far as to correlate his notion of “virtue” quite closely with the concept of achievement. We venerate the hottest actors, starlets, singers, and athletes due in part to their incredible achievements—including the awards that they have won. Giving some kind of formal award to honor those that have achieved great things is, again, something deeply ingrained in human culture.
While awards have come a long way since the olden days, our impulse to reward excellence has largely remained the same. No matter what the achievement or the occasion might be, award plaques in Arlington, VA and elsewhere have become one of the standards by which the concept of the award giving is measured.
Classy Cost Effectiveness
Two of the most important things to consider when it comes to giving out an award are likewise two of the hardest elements to reconcile—namely, their classiness and cost-effectiveness. On the one hand, you don’t want an award to look cheap. After all, Aristotle correlated virtue with excellence, and the last thing anyone thinks of when they think of “excellence” is being “cheap.” On the other hand, you probably don’t want to break the bank on a massive diamond-encrusted golden statue, or something similarly expensive. What’s more, you can actually “cheapen” an award by making it appear too gaudy as well.
Award plaques are thus a great example of the classic notion of an Aristotelian mean—a perfect fit right in the middle of two polar opposites. They’re classy without being gaudy, and cost effective without appearing cheap, which creates a win-win scenario for everyone involved.
A Proud Tradition
Another reason why award plaques are so popular is the fact that they’re already used in many of our most visible symbols of achievement. Past Pulitzer awards given out on the basis of an extraordinary service have included plaques, while the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York immortalizes the greatest legends for all eternity in brilliant bronze plaques. What’s more, many great scholastic awards at colleges around the world are given by way of award plaques.
Click here for some great examples of plaques used for awards.