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Flying to Los Angeles — then quickly to New York and back to Charlotte — was worth the jet lag for Eric Mower and Associates.

On that recent trip, the marketing firm picked up two national awards for its work for Bojangles’ Restaurants Inc. and Nucor Corp.

On Oct. 1, the EMA crew was in L.A. to accept an Excellence in Television Advertising award from Nation’s Restaurant News. EMA’s Bojangles’ spot featuring NASCAR star Jeff Gordon won the Best Single Television Commercial for agencies in the $100 million to $500 million billing category.

“When you put Jeff Gordon and Bojangles’ chicken in the same commercial, to our audience it’s like using puppies and babies,” says Seth Werner, partner and creative director at EMA.

A day after receiving that award, it was off to New York to receive a Creative Excellence in Business Advertising honor for Nucor’s It’s Our Nature campaign. EMA’s print ads topped the category for campaigns with an annual media budget of $100,000 or more. The firm also was a CEBA finalist for its work for Eastman Kodak Co. and George Little Management.

The Nucor campaign was launched in spring 2006. The ads were designed by Werner and Patrick Short, EMA creative director and art director.

“People sometimes tend to think of brand campaigns as fluff,” says Matt Ferguson, EMA partner and account director. “But Nucor is truly one of America’s most admired companies.”

The campaign was one of the steel company’s first since 1972, when it changed its name from Nuclear Corp.

“After decades of keeping a pretty low profile, we felt the time was right to explain to a national audience how we take care of the customer,” says Dan DiMicco, chairman, president and chief executive of Nucor.

The CEBA awards, sponsored by American Business Media, recognize business-to-business advertising.