Winner: Henson Consulting – Henson Consulting Perfectly Plates Lettuce Entertain You 40th Anniversary
As its 40th anniversary approached, the Chicago- based restaurant group Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE) wanted to recognize its employees and diners who had supported them since the beginning. They teamed up with longtime partner Henson Consulting to commemorate the anniversary and show gratitude to the LEYE employees and diners.
Richard Melman, co-founder of LEYE, toured the company’s 80+ restaurants to meet with employees and patrons. To generate media coverage, the team sent special mailers containing a detailed anniversary plan along with a T-shirt and key chain to select media. This coincided with a traditional and social media campaign promoting an “R.J. Grunts Burger special,” offering the burgers at their original 1971 price of $1.50. The media campaign generated more than 20 million impressions in key outlets, including the Chicago Sun- Times and Chicago Tribune. —Regina D’Alesio
Honorable Mentions:
Axiom Marketing Communications with The Village Company – Mr. Bubble’s 50th Birthday Bash: The Village Company and Axiom Marketing Communications held a “Bubble Bash” at the Mall of America in Minneapolis that featured an 11-foot tall, 16-foot-wide inflatable bathtub and a 2,800-square-foot bubble party, complete with beach balls, towels, T-shirts and a Mr. Bubble birthday cake.
Hill+Knowlton Strategies – Tenet Care Fund Birthday Celebration: Tenet and H+K created a two- week campaign to generate donations for the fund, which benefits employees affected by hardship. Employees contributed $124,000 and Tenet matched donations up to $50,000.
The Marcus Group – Forty for Goodness Sake: To celebrate its 40th anniversary, The Marcus Group invited nonprofit organizations to apply for PR and marketing services free for one year. There was one winner, and the Group also selected an additional six organizations to receive pro bono services on a project basis.
Qorvis Communications, LLC – Operation HOPE 20th Anniversary Opportunity Bus Tour from Chaos to Community: Created in the wake of the Rodney King verdict in 1992, Operation HOPE marked its 20th anniversary by hosting a bus tour through South Los Angeles to showcase its rebuilding efforts to under- served communities. Media outreach generated coverage in Bloomberg Businessweek and Time, while more than $1 million in donations was raised.
San Francisco Symphony Centennial Celebration: Original video, audio, photographic and written content was produced to promote the milestone, which was covered by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and featured on PBS. The SF Examiner produced a 16-page pull-out editorial section and ran a series of photo profiles of the symphony’s musicians.