We’re not usually ones to brag, unless it’s to brandish the shiny pair of Ron Swanson-approved steak saws we got for Christmas. But now that 2012 is gone like Dick Cheney’s hair, we figured we should mention a couple things we won this year. Mortar scooped up two Silver Awards in the 2012 Davey Awards, the largest and most prestigious small agency competition. We owe the accolades to our integrated work for Carondelet Health Network and direct mail campaign for Marketo. Congratulations to our clients. Let the back-patting commence…now.

We’re delighted to point out we were far from the only winners this year.

Airport traveler Jonah Falcon won some serious ego points when his record-large man-parts earned him a frisking at SFO. Yes, that’s what we said.

Stoners rejoiced (if you can call it that) when Washington and Colorado legalized recreational pot. We’re sure the CEO of Totino’s is equally elated.

Massachusetts, Maine, and Washington declared same-sex marriage legal. For more and more people, love’s future is open wide.

(photo credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

And to put icing on the victory cake, our beloved Giants took the World Series for the second time in three years. Sadly, one Muni bus severely lost. For shame! When will we learn that “celebrate good times” is not synonymous with “destroy public property”? We all have aspirations of achieving such things; but then again, character demands restraint. And that is likely the only time you will hear us utter the word “restraint” in 2013.

Imagine if there were an iPhone for noses. Not a phone that your nose uses, but rather a product for noses that’s as revolutionary and rule-shattering as the iPhone 4s. That’s PROPEL: a post-surgical implant for patients with chronic sinusitis created by our client Intersect ENT.

We explained the beauty of PROPEL before, and it’s worth a refresher course. In the sinusitis arena, there’s no solution as cleverly designed and multi-functional as PROPEL, which is why it’s such a big deal.

At this year’s Edison Awards in New York City, PROPEL earned the Bronze award in the Science & Medical category. The Emmys of the tech world, the Edison Awards represent the spirit of innovation personified by Thomas Edison, inspiring America’s drive to remain at the forefront of creativity and ingenuity in the global economy. Other winners this year included IBM’s Watson supercomputer, the Fisker Karma electric car, and the iPhone 4s – not a bad bunch to be stuck in a room with.

We already knew PROPEL rocked, but now it’s official. Congratulations to Intersect ENT for keeping creativity alive, and patients well.

Mortar client Avinger’s advanced catheter devices continue to change the way doctors treat Peripheral Artery Disease – an epidemic that effects 8 to 12 million Americans…and often leads to amputation.

This week Avinger announced the enrollment of the first U.S. patient in clinical trials for their newest device, the Ocelot. Not to be confused with midget leopards, the Ocelot is a technological game-changer designed for crossing completely blocked arteries in the legs while simultaneously using real-time intravascular imaging technology called Optical Coherence Tomography. In English, that means it’s a plaque-cutting catheter with a camera the size of a hair at the tip that gives doctors a direct view of what they are doing while they’re cleaning out clogged arteries…and saving patients’ legs.

The Ocelot is just the latest creation by CEO Dr. John B. Simpson, whose technology has so far saved 7,900 limbs. Colleagues call him the “Michael Jordan of cardiology.” Not because he‘s a lousy NBA general manager, but because he’s truly changing the nature of his game.

So cheers to you, Dr. Simpson and the entire Avinger team. The Ocelot is just the latest in a string of successful life-changing tools you’ve created.

To see, rather than read what we’re talking about, enjoy this clip of Dr. Simpson on Little Rock, Arkansas’ Fox News 16. (Don’t worry, the Mortar PR team will be careful talking about hair-sized cameras around Rupert Murdoch’s cronies. We all know how that could end up.)

Mortar is proud – really proud – to announce the launch of Avinger’s new website.

Avinger is a medical device company devoted to developing innovative treatments for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) –  a very common, very nasty disease where your arteries clog up and cut off circulation to your limbs, heart and brain.  Most patients leave it untreated too long, which has a lot to do with why PAD is the leading cause of amputation in patients over 50, and is responsible for hundreds of thousands of amputations every year. Yes, we said “amputations.” As in – you leave the hospital with fewer limbs than you had when you entered. 
 Avinger believed there was a better way to fight PAD, so they created one. Let us show you what they’re up to:

Need a tissue? We understand completely.
We’re proud to be a part of Avinger’s amazing work, and pleased to see their shiny new website make its debut. We hope you never need their products – but it sure is nice to know Avinger is there if you do.

Speaking of dancing – other clients? The gauntlet has been thrown down. Right about the time the site launched, look what showed up at Mortar Global HQ.

Y’all just got served. It is on.

All we can say is, “It was our pleasure, Avinger.” (Well, that and “Somebody get a really big ice bucket.”)