MAC Presents
Company: MAC Presents, New York, NY, USA
Company Description: MAC is a sponsorship and fulfillment agency that executes partnerships between the world's leading brands and artists.
Nomination Category: Communications & Marketing Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Consumer Marketing Campaign of the Year
Nomination Title: AT&T and Samsung Present Keith Urban Get Closer 2011 World Tour
Tell the story of this nominated marketing campaign for the judges (up to 500 words). Describe the genesis, planning, execution, and results to date of your campaign. If applicable, remember to describe what's unique or innovative about your campaign:
As AT&T and Samsung developed launch plans for their new Samsung Infuse 4G smartphone, both parties believed a music partnership would create media buzz, generate consumer impressions and uniquely introduce the Infuse 4G as "the phone" to the country music audience, specifically women aged 18-34. MAC Presents worked with AT&T and Samsung's communications teams and identified Keith Urban as the artist who best aligned with the companies’ goals and delivered the desired target audience.
MAC Presents brokered the agreement, which included AT&T and Samsung's naming as the presenting sponsor and Urban's endorsement of the Samsung Infuse 4G smartphone, and handled all sponsorship activation. To kick off the partnership, co-branded artwork was featured on MTV's billboard in Times Square, where it was seen by millions of passing consumers.
MAC Presents developed a comprehensive activation plan that included social media, mobile marketing, public relations, outdoor and online advertising, print and television advertising, co-branded trailer wraps and on-site activation. Keith Urban integrated the Samsung Infuse 4G device into his direct interactions with fans as he recorded vignettes of life on the road with the Infuse smartphone and posted them to a co-branded Facebook page. The vignettes gave fans a glimpse of Keith's life on the road lens of the Samsung Infuse. Ten tour trailers were wrapped with co-branded artwork and served as rolling advertisements for the partnership. A multimedia program was implemented by Billboard that featured digital banner placement, website postings, newsletter inclusion and contesting. MAC developed a Facebook advertising plan to drive consumers to the co-branded page as well as produced a new Keith Urban Samsung Infuse 4G commercial for the endorsement that was filmed in Albany, NY prior to Keith's show that same night.
Co-branded activation areas were set up at each tour stop. These custom activation areas allowed fans to appear in a Keith Urban video and pose in a photo with Keith Urban via green screen technology and share that experience with friends instantly via email, Facebook or Twitter courtesy of AT&T and Samsung. Each activation area was staffed by AT&T and Samsung brand ambassadors who provided one on one demonstrations of the new Samsung Infuse 4G. Backstage a special VIP experience was created for Keith Urban, AT&T and Samsung guests. The VIP experience took place in a co-branded room featuring Samsung Infuse signage, catering, meet and greets and a "q" and "a" session with Keith and photo opportunities in front of a co–branded step and repeat banner.
A Facebook sweepstakes was developed featuring concert ticket giveaways with VIP experiences, autographed merchandise and new Samsung Infuse 4G smartphones. To drive retail traffic, fans were encouraged via Facebook to visit a selected AT&T store at each tour stop to win concert tickets with VIP experience.
As a result the endorsement and tour sponsorship allowed AT&T and Samsung to expand its consumer reach and gain acceptance with the country lifestyle audience. AT&T and Samsung millions of consumers through the activation tactics, successfully creating lasting brand impressions.
List hyperlinks to any online work samples, videos, images, presentations, news stories, press releases, or other documents that support your case. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=116266101796268
https://www.interdubs.com/r/revolution/?al=v7EdZt
http://www.facebook.com/keithurbansamsunginfuse?sk=app_2392950137
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ATT-Samsung-and-FourTime-prnews-2957795276.html?x=0
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=conewsstory&tkr=T:US&sid=ajkmGtYTPYuA
http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1665601/keith-urban-previews-tour-visits-with-reporters.jhtml
http://www.countryweekly.com/newsstand/july-25-2011-keith-urban-close-getting-personal
Provide a brief biography of the leader of the team that planned and executed this marketing campaign (up to 100 words):
Marcie Allen is President of NYC based sponsorship and fulfillment agency MAC Presents. Allen leverages her fifteen years of music industry experience to negotiate high profile sponsorships between the world’s leading brands and artists. Emerging as a leader in the world of music sponsorship, Allen was the first ever recipient of the Billboard Magazine Concert Marketing and Promotion Award, for her work on Jeep’s sponsorship of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s Soul2Soul Tour in 2007. MAC Presents has coordinated sponsorship fulfillment for the brands such as Microsoft, BlackBerry, Jeep, AT&T, Brita and Samsung. In addition to Keith Urban this year, Marcie produced the Foo Fighters Garage Tour presented by BlackBerry .