When George Michael took on "A Community in Harmony" as a pro bono project, he had his work cut out for him. The community art project took up 356 feet along the side of an
industrial building in a neighborhood just east of downtown Fort Worth, Texas, that is best known for its chronic homelessness.
To generate the desired publicity Michael, president of PR agency Michael & Partners, would have to convince local reporters that it was worth their time to come out and,
well, look at a wall.
But it's quite a wall. Created by artist Ken Sutherland, the largest work of public art in North Texas depicts a gospel choir, a mariachi band, a jazz diva and kids playing a
range of band instruments. It covers the entire front and part of one side of the Rhythm Band Instruments company building, and it pays tribute to a neighborhood that once was the
epicenter of jazz and blues entertainment in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
The PR team thought it had a good story about a community effort to celebrate both its past and future, but it still would be a tough sell to the media. "This was not a
neighborhood where a lot of people would just drive through to see the mural, so the challenge was to let people know that this was going on," Michael says.
Emphasizing the visual
As one of the project's biggest boosters Flora Brewer was eager to see the mural get some press, but she was willing to be patient. "We knew we wanted PR, but we wanted it at
the right time and for the right thing," says Brewer, owner of Rhythm Band Instruments and the driving force behind her family's Paulos Foundation. In addition to that foundation,
civic groups including Southeast Ft. Worth Inc., the Ft. Worth Chamber of Commerce, and the City Council all supported the mural.
Brewer's idea was to schedule a major launch and to make that part of a larger community campaign. "This would be the event around which we could hang a bunch of other
communications about what we are doing here," she says.
The PR team agreed, but decided there was no need to wait for the formal completion of the painting. The press releases and phone calls first started flying when local school
children came out to help paint. "We tried to emphasize the visual part of it, with the kids actually out there painting," says Account Coordinator Anya Mailandt. Score: Numerous
media hits, including a glowing column in the Star Telegram, a local daily. "That really put us on the map."
Michael says it made sense to generate awareness slowly, rather than go for one big hit. Given the nature of the neighborhood, people were nervous about dropping by to see the
mural. "That's why we started so early, instead of just having the one event," he says. "We felt we needed to build it up and make it more exciting."
Working out logistics
It's a good thing, too, since a major blowout wouldn't have worked. The mural was due for completion in February, but rain delayed the painters twice and the project wasn't
finished until April. Fortunately, to hold the media's interest the PR team still had a couple more days of school-kids-pitching-in to pitch to reporters.
Finally, it came time for the unveiling. Press releases went out to the local media, along with T-shirts depicting the mural and a CD with a song composed by the artist,
celebrating the theme of community. There were some logistics to consider: How to display a 350-foot long mural? If you get too close, you can't really see it. And how do you
unveil it? The PR team draped a small corner of the work, and closed off a short block for use as a staging area. It gave a sense of drama while creating a managable viewing
area.
Thanks to the preliminary build-up and the news hook of a big unveiling, news stories on the mural scored major local media. Stories ran in the Star Telegram, the business
press, TV stations KDFW, WFAA, KXAS and KTVT as well as Telemundo.
"We were especially pleased about the Spanish-language station," says Mailandt. "Because that was the whole purpose: To put the community in harmony."
How to pump up the volume on pro bono campaigns
- With other community agencies involved, the team promoting "A Community in Harmony" had a ready-made crowd to draw upon, especially on the day of the big event.
- By reproducing the image of the mural on t-shirts, and even capturing its spirit in song the PR team leveraged its chief asset, effectively expanding the presence of the mural
beyond its single location. - Finally, the PR team built excitement for the mural when kids came out to help paint. The media loves to see kids pitching in.
Fast Facts: Michael & Partners
Founded: 1998 HQ: Dallas, Texas
Major clients: Advanced Neuromodulation Systems, BizNet, The
Cash Store, Resources Connection, Robomower, SOURCE, Inc. and TREK
Company Billings (2002): $1.3 million
Number of Employees: 15
Staff on this campaign: George Michael, president; Janice Maragakis, account supervisor; Anya Mailandt, account coordinator
Campaign time frame: December 2002 - April 2003
Contacts: Flora Brewer, 817.335.2561, [email protected]; Anya Mailandt, 972.716.0500, [email protected]; George Michael, 972.716.0500, [email protected]