2009 Platinum PR Awards: Media Events—PainePR & Duracell

Duracell Powers New Year’s Eve in Times Square

New York City’s Times Square is one of the biggest stages on New Year’s Eve, with millions of people from around the world gathering to see the iconic ball drop at midnight. The PR execs at Duracell saw this as an opportunity give its battery brand—which exists in a low interest and highly commoditized industry—a boost. They partnered with PainePR to hold a month-long event in December 2008 that would let consumers light up New Year’s—literally.

The crux of the event: Six “snowmobikes” stationed at Duracell’s Times Square-based Power Lodge that would capture the energy generated by pedalers and then store it in massive batteries. Then, as the ball completed its decent on New Year’s Eve, this energy would be used to light up the 2-0-0-9 numerals.

To get consumers pedaling in the weeks leading up to the big night, the team held a media open house, secured celebrity endorsers and conducted aggressive outreach. Ultimately, their efforts paid off: More than 9.24 kilowatt hours were harnessed by pedalers, which was enough to light the sign for a full 20 minutes and 35 seconds. ■

Honorable Mentions:

Sony & Ruder Finn: Making a Big Splash for the Sony VAIO Graphic Splash Notebook—The team promoted the launch of the Sony VAIO Graphic Splash with a media event that combined a design contest with NYC’s Fashion Week, ultimately generating huge buzz and media attention.

Starbucks & Frause: Starbucks Turns Seattle (RED) for the Holidays—The team generated widespread awareness of Starbucks’ new partnership with (RED) in its hometown market of Seattle by staging an event that turned various landmarks red on Black Friday and World AIDS Day 2008.

October 26, 2009