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The Significant Anniversary Celebrations of Man in Space
“I think it’s extremely appropriate that the Omega Easter Bowl be the ‘launch pad’ for America’s celebration of the 20th anniversary of the moon landing, amid hundreds of our most promising youth and future generation of role models, who can be witness to this important salute to our nation’s greatest living heroes.” Omega’s CEO, General Thomas P. Stafford, and former astronaut.
The assignment: Build Omega’s corporate image by capitalizing on its historic role in the U.S. Space Program Seena’s mission: § To build Omega’s corporate image by associating its name with the space program § To celebrate the 25th anniversary of man in space § To tie in Omega’s sponsorship of the Easter Bowl tournament using the theme of “pursuit of excellence” for the 20th anniversary of the moon landing Her solution: § Created 8-page advertorial for Omega’s CEO about the U.S. Space Program with an accompanying 2-page ad promoting Omega’s wrist chronograph, the official NASA timepiece for astronauts and manned space missions § Had Omega team up with Time magazine because of its broad reach and the symbolic tie in between a watch company and a magazine called Time § Time magazine paid for party to honor astronauts who were part of the U.S. Space Program, which became a media event in local and national news § Omega’s CEO hosted a special event at the Easter Bowl to honor Buzz Aldrin and Eugene A. Cernan, the first and last astronauts to have walked on the moon Results: § Advertorial and ad campaign received widespread acclaim for Omega § Omega’s CEO received national press and interviews on national television shows § Easter Bowl special event resulted in local and national press coverage and was deemed to be a moving and memorable event by politicians, celebrities, tennis personalities, dignitaries and VIPs
The Easter Bowl
“She didn’t invent junior tennis, she just made it famous.” Al Picker, Inside Tennis, April 2002
The Easter Bowl takes Creative Shot-Making in Marketing & PR to an art form
For over 35 years, Seena has been the driving force behind what has been called the “Super Bowl of Junior Tennis”: the Easter Bowl. As its visionary founder and event producer, she not only pioneered the field of tennis corporate marketing but she also became an expert in the sports and youth market. For Seena, the Easter Bowl became a beloved platform to help young tennis players develop themselves in all aspects of their lives.
Seena has the know-how to attract the best players and gain national recognition…
More than just a tournament, the Easter Bowl grew to be a blockbuster event that has helped to spotlight the future stars of tennis, including such players as Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, Tracy Austin and Andy Roddick. It has generated unprecedented national print and electronic media coverage, reaching over 50 million people, and stimulating millions of dollars of tourism revenue annually for the local economy. Because she cares so deeply about the players and the sport, Seena is credited with bringing the important issues of the game – fitness, nutrition, competitive pressures – to public attention.
…By securing meaningful sponsorships and leveraging corporate assets
In order to make the Easter Bowl truly a distinctive event and turn it into the very best junior tournament in the U.S., Seena realized it would take money. She also knew that the way to attract players is to pay for their expenses. Her secret was to bring big money corporate America and PR savvy to the party. In the course of doing so, she had to demonstrate the marketing value of the event for each corporate sponsor. Overall, she has successfully marketed the Easter Bowl as a valuable and cost-effective way to reach the teenage market, and has brought in big names such as Gatorade, American Airlines, Volkl Tennis, LG Mobile Phones and Fiji Water.
So sponsors truly profit from the experience
Here are a just few examples that demonstrate how Seena creatively developed the PR stories and put them to work for corporate sponsors at the Easter Bowl tournament and beyond.
Gatorade. Seena worked with Gatorade to address how critical it is for the young athletes to hydrate themselves at the tournament. This gave Gatorade a great PR hook – the role of proper hydration among athletes – and the opportunity to take on a leadership role at a national level.
Head Racquet. Seena worked with Head Racquet to pioneer seminars to teach the families of junior players how to deal with the competitive pressures they were facing, but were unprepared for, as their juniors were about to become national players. This put Head Racquet on the map in educating parents as to how to deal the competitive pressures of the game on a national basis.
Omega. Seena worked with Omega to sponsor a survey that showed the escalating cost of tennis tournament travel. Local Omega retailers sponsored matching programs to help pay for tournament travel. This resulted in national press coverage for Omega retailers and the brand.
Medical facility. Seena was able to attract a premier medical facility to treat the junior tennis players who suffered injuries or required physical therapy during the tournament. She positioned the sponsor as a leader in addressing the need for specialized treatment and physical therapy for athletes which resulted in tremendous press coverage.
Net, net: better strategy…better placement…better results.
As the champion of the Easter Bowl, its players, and the companies who profit from the tennis business and the youth market, Seena has been able to create a win-win proposition for everyone. After all, it is her brand of Creative Shot-Making in Marketing & PR that has made the Easter Bowl the crown jewel of junior tennis tournaments and a grand slam in the world of PR event marketing.
For more information, click here for the Easter Bowl tournament.
Villeroy & Boch
“No event has ever generated more traffic to the Sixth Floor China Department than the one created by Seena Hamilton & Associates for Villeroy & Boch and the launch of the Paloma Picasso collection. And, no other agency has been more delightful and easier to work with. It was a pleasure.” Bloomingdales Director of Event & Corporate Public Relations.
The assignment: Product launch of Paloma Picasso china and gift designs for Villeroy & Boch Seena’s mission: § To build consumer awareness for the new designs § Reinforce Villeroy & Boch’s prestige image § Stimulate traffic for new company-owned Madison Avenue store and Bloomingdales Her solution: § Created blockbuster event “Villeroy & Boch Invites You to Dine with Paloma Picasso & Friends” exhibiting new Picasso designs promoted through feature stories in key consumer and trade publications § Hosted a breakfast and arranged one-on-one interviews for members of the ASID so interior designers could meet with Paloma Picasso and her friends, and Villeroy & Boch principals § Created a national competition for interior designers to feature new Picasso tiles § Mounted VIP & press reception to view table settings and meet Paloma Picasso, her celebrity friends, and Villeroy & Boch principals Results: § Produced a flood of press coverage that continued for nearly six months § Elevated Villeroy & Bock to an all-time high status within the industry and with consumers § Stimulated consumer traffic to the Madison Avenue store and Bloomingdales’ China Department
K-Swiss
“The brilliant creativity and strategic thinking of Seena Hamilton and SHA brought national attention and acceptance to K-Swiss at the consumer and retail level. From the signing and leveraging of Bud Collins, to innovative use of publicity and advertorials to launch products and sales incentive programs, Seena Hamilton and her company delivered a turnkey operation with extraordinary and positive benefits to K-Swiss.” Louis Goldberg, Vice President, K-Swiss.
The assignment: Generate brand awareness for K-Swiss athletic shoes and with its new Du Pont CoolMax antiperspirant liner Seena’s mission: § To create awareness of the K-Swiss brand and immediate exposure for its CoolMax feature § Position K-Swiss image as tops in tennis § Foster goodwill with retailers and win product acceptance Her solution: § Invited the press to a “Fete for a Feat in Footwear History” luncheon with K-Swiss spokesperson Bud Collins who sported new footwear that launched a media blitz § Engineered a free K-Swiss/CoolMax luxury Express bus service for US Open ticket holders, decorated with over 500 K-Swiss shoes, creating thousands of impressions running to and from Manhattan and the Open (the sneakers were donated to local charity) § Ran a K-Swiss sweepstakes program on radio § Held US Open tours for K-Swiss retailers with Bud Collins § Produced advertorial in Tennis magazine featuring tennis lore and restaurant recommendations Results: § TV coverage with Bud Collins sporting new K-Swiss shoes on “Good Day, NY” (Fox) § New York Times photo and column endorsement was picked on the wires by other major dailies and key trade publications § Advertorial produced enormous response for K-Swiss and featured restaurants
Omega Watch
“SHA has proven to be an invaluable strategic partner of Omega’s marketing team. Thanks to Seena Hamilton’s innovative PR and event marketing campaign, “whenever anything important happens, that’s where you’ll find Omega”, the brand enjoys a newfound relevance and awareness that has been reflected in unprecedented sales growth. Her unique creative ability has helped us to select events that were certain to provide Omega with the maximum media impact, no matter what the budget. From global events like the Olympics to grassroots entertainment sponsorships, SHA’s implementation is flawless and never fails t produce excitement.” Tom Stafford, Chairman, Omega Watch Corporation
The assignment: Launch Omega’s revolutionary new design and create the perception that Omega’s Art Watch is the newest fashion trend Seena’s mission: § To stimulate sales of the Omega Art Watch in all Neiman-Marcus stores nationwide § Create demand by other retailer Her solution: § Enlisted Hollywood’s trend setting celebrities in a press event, a “Salute to Timeless Design” to honor trendsetters in the arts § Set up photo opportunity using Angie Dickinson to model the Omega Art Watch on her ankle, underscoring the trendy fashion feature § Captured media attention with honorees based on their name recognition and contributions in the world of fashion, culinary arts, architecture, photography and interior design Results: § Created enormous print and electronic media excitement and a wave of press coverage including local and nationally syndicated society columns, local and national TV, coverage in the business press and fashion world § Revitalized Omega brand and heightened sales of Omega Art Watch § Bloomingdales and Macy’s began vying for the rights to sell the watch
And that’s not all…There are many other great case studies. Take for example the U.S. Open. No one had a better track record than SHA at the U.S. Open. Seena created a virtual franchise in attracting multiple mega sponsors to the event. Seena proved her mettle through “ambush marketing”. She also brought the celebrities in to add PR value and create excitement for the sponsors.
Contact SHA to hear more about her creative solutions including …The Martell Cordon Bleu Concert Series, The Crown Royal Country Music Series, The Chivas Regal – Frank Sinatra Diamond Jubilee Word Tour, and the Arthur Ashe Pro-Celebrity Tennis Challenge. Go to Contact Us.
Easter Bowl Tournament For more information, click on the Easter Bowl Tournament. Whether you are a player or a potential sponsor, find out how you can add a winning edge to your game using creative shot-making…for better strategy, better placement and better results.
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