Thought Bubble
Last week I had one of my best “only in New York” experiences to date: parading through Times Square with more than a dozen brand icons and mascots.
The parade included The Michelin Man, Colonel Sanders, Tony the Tiger, The Kool-Aid Man, French’s Mustard, the Vlasic Stork, the Crash Test Dummies, a Kia Hamster, Mr. Peanut, Smokey the Bear, McGruff the Crime Dog, The AOL Running Man and my favorite, CK client, Sparky the Fire Dog, the official “spokesdog” for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). All of these iconic characters made their way from the Times Center, through Times Square, to the Madison Avenue Walk of Fame. It was truly a sight to see. I even spotted a few jaded New Yorkers doing double takes.
This was the culmination of Advertising Week’s annual Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame public vote. It was exciting to have the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) official mascot Sparky the Fire Dog among this year’s nominees for favorite icon. Not only is Sparky celebrating his 60th birthday this year, but the Advertising Week event came just days before the kick-off of the NFPA’s annual public awareness campaign, Fire Prevention Week (October 9-15).
At an awards luncheon on a sunny Autumn afternoon, CooperKatz received an ‘Honorable Mention’ in the PRNews Platinum PR Awards for ‘Help Petfinder Adopt the Internet Day’! As finalists in the Word of Mouth / Viral category, CooperKatz was noted for its 360-degree approach to PR and social media in the planning and execution of this campaign.
While we love partnering with our clients to promote their good news, we are especially thrilled when we have some kudos of our own to share, particularly when it concerns our CK family.
This week marked an exciting time at 205 Lexington, thanks to the announcement of two significant promotions: Anne Green has been named President and Chief Executive Officer, and Dorothy Sonnenburg has been designated as Chief Financial Officer.
The decision by ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) to downgrade the United States’ sovereign debt from AAA to AA+ elicited an avalanche of commentary from the industry, the media, the government and the public.
The main dialogue focused on whether or not S&P made an appropriate decision (not to mention the issue of that $2 trillion calculation error). But the controversial move also reignited ongoing debates over the state of the credits rating industry – specifically the role and position of the “big three” (S&P, Moody’s and Fitch) – in the wake of the financial crisis where the ratings agencies gave AAA status to mortgage-backed assets that quickly turned toxic.
This offered up a powerful opportunity for a new market entrant to voice its perspective on the significant and systemic problems with the credit ratings “status quo,” and the changes needed to re-establish credibility.
The number 15 was extra special for adoptable pets this year. Petfinder.com celebrated its 15th birthday, partnered with more than 1,500 shelters and rescue groups, and surpassed its goal of more than 15,000 pet adoptions at their Big Birthday Adoption Event!
CooperKatz lent a hand in planning, organizing and promoting Petfinder.com’s Big Birthday Adoption Event that took place in cities and towns across North America during the weekend of July 15-17. The largest online database of adoptable pets set the bar high for its birthday celebration and managed to exceed its adoption goal! By the end of the weekend, Petfinder.com found forever homes for more than 15,700 adoptable pets.