PUBLICITY FOR THE NEW TWENTY Público Deposited
The E-Sylum: Volume 6, Number 39, September 28, 2003, Article 10
PUBLICITY FOR THE NEW TWENTY
Tom Sheehan pointed out an article in today's New York
Times about the publicity machine pumping up awareness
of the new U.S. $20 bills."The bill has already made appearances on the game shows
"Wheel of Fortune" and "Pepsi Play for a Billion," where
its new look and security features were talked up. Jay Leno,
David Letterman and other late-night talk-show hosts have
been poking fun at it - which is exactly what the William
Morris Agency was hoping for when it discussed the new
bill months ago with the shows' writers.During the introduction week, the bill is likely to be featured
on many news and entertainment programs just because it's
newsworthy. But it will also have a starring role on "Who
Wants to Be a Millionaire," with hundreds of new $20 bills
doled out to audience members, and Meredith Vieira, the
host, explaining the bills and waving them in front of the
camera. The bill will get a category of questions on
"Jeopardy" and will pop up on "America's Funniest Home
Videos." In one of several joint marketing efforts between
the Treasury and consumer goods companies, the bill's
design will grace bags of Pepperidge Farm's Goldfish
crackers, and the crackers themselves will be colored to
match the new bills. Images of the new note will pop up
on thousands of A.T.M.'s, and the bill will even be
superimposed electronically on the field during college
football games on ESPN and Monday Night Football on
ABC.""it is the kind of publicity the Treasury couldn't buy if it
were simply using the advertising route. That's why it
broke the government mold and hired William Morris
and the product placement firm Davie-Brown
Entertainment to make the bill a celebrity through public
relations instead of paid advertisements."For the complete article, see:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/28/business/yourmoney/28twen.html- 2003-09-28
- 6