Winner: Delaware North Companies and Boston: “YourCenter” Naming Rights PR Campaign
In 1995, the replacement for the Boston Garden opened its doors as the FleetCenter, New England's new home for sports and entertainment. Two thousand events and 20 million visitors later, the center emerged from the shadow of the former venue, becoming one of the highest-grossing arenas of its size.
But change was looming for the FleetCenter again. Following Bank of America's (BofA) mega-merger with Fleet, BofA determined it would pay to get out of its exclusive naming rights contract to the venue, in order to focus on its global marketing initiatives. Under a separation agreement, the center's name, logo, and all exterior and interior signage would remain in place until October 14, 2005, or until a new naming rights partner was secured – leaving New England's prominent entertainment venue officially up for bid.
Instead of taking the typical route, which would involve hiring an industry expert and investing in a lengthy and expensive process to find a partner, venue owner Delaware North Companies decided to opt for a proactive PR campaign, which was referred to by judges as "clever" and "imaginative."
The campaign's strategy included bringing the concept of naming rights out of the boardroom and into the daily lives of the fans with questions like "what would you name the arena?" While this was a serious effort to find the right permanent partner, the arena could not afford to be viewed as just another company looking out for the bottom line; this effort was also about investing back into the community. Placement of several single-day naming rights went up for bid on eBay, which included VIP tickets, in-arena signage, PA announcements, and web exposure, with all net proceeds going to charity. Humorous classifieds ads were placed in top US dailies, and as bidding for the permanent sponsor heated up, a teaser campaign was implemented, which would lead up to the final revelation of the new naming rights partner.
Five days after the story broke in The Boston Globe, more than 100 TV news segments ran in major markets across the country. It reached the national business spectrum, including features on CNN American Morning and CNBC Power Lunch. Twenty-six days were placed for bid on eBay, generating $150,633.22, and $40,000 worth of My Grandma's Coffee Cakes being donated to local food banks. According to the judges, this campaign is proof positive that budget size doesn't matter as much as sheer will and determination. The venue is now known as TD Banknorth Garden.
Honorable Mention: GolinHarris and AEG: Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs
Described by one judge as "a wonderful example of how PR should be leveraged," GolinHarris succeeded in recreating the cultural phenomenon that occurred 26 years ago when the original King Tutankhamun exhibit went on tour.
AEG called upon the agency to handle the 27-month-long traveling museum tour containing the treasures of the young pharaoh and his contemporaries by positioning it as the must-see event of 2005. GolinHarris responded with a four-tiered strategy, which included a star-studded Hollywood premiere the evening before the exhibit's opening at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). These efforts resulted in a total of over 808 million media impressions, which included a cover story in Life magazine, and over 750,000 tickets sold for the LACMA run.
Finalists
Boston and Delaware North Companies
Boston for "Your Center" Naming Right Campaign
Edelman and Jazz at Lincoln Center
Grand Opening of Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center's New Home
GolinHarris and AEG
Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs
New Line Cinema
Wedding Crashersa
AOL and Robinson Lerer & Montgomery and Freud Communications
Live 8 on AOL
About the Sponsor:
North American Precis Syndicate distributes camera-ready copy to 10,000 newspapers across the US. We work for most Fortune 500 companies, the top-20 PR firms, over 100 associations, and many government agencies. Each print release gets about 100 to 400 placements in major markets. We guarantee complete satisfaction with the results of each release, or another one free.