Event Marketer

Nissan kicked off a 10-city tour last weekend giving consumers the opportunity to test-drive 2007 vehicles and check out performances by national and local musicians including country star Jessica Andrews and pop singer Jody Raffoul.
 
“This is part of a growing effort within Nissan to leverage the power of music to connect with consumers ” Kevin Thompson Nissan’s senior manager-promotions told Buzz. The rationale? “The Nissan buyer appreciates good music ” he said.
 

Red Bull last week kicked off a gallery tour displaying pictures from its first-ever action sports photography competition.
 
The tour features 50 photographs from finalists in the Red Bull Illume Image Quest competition in an art gallery-style environment. The photographs are displayed on eight-foot glass and metal cubes illuminated from below. “The exhibit is designed to minimize clutter in order to have the photographs be the focal point… [so] they can speak for themselves ” says Chantal Chretien media relations manager for Red Bull.
 

In addition to in-store promotions and a presence in Miami surrounding Super Bowl XLI next month The Home Depot will focus much of the activation for its recently announced NFL deal on a community affairs program.
 
Roger Adams cmo for The Home Depot told Buzz that the company plans to create a community service-focused program that will engage NFL players—with employees and customers—in volunteer activities. “We are always looking for opportunities to integrate our sports assets with other areas of the company ” Adams said.
 

Art is hard. Guerrilla marketing requires a certain artistry in its inception and ultimately its execution. After all could just anyone come up with the idea of dressing up 200 people as frankfurters to promote a hot dog brand during baseball’s opening day? Or having real live NASCAR cars race down Main Street to celebrate the new season? Or harnessing people to the sides of a skyscraper to paint a brand’s logo across a white canvas hung out for just the occasion? No! These feats require an artist’s sensibility—someone who is focused pragmatic and creative.

Looking for a way to spice up content at your next show? Think Pecha Kucha (pronounced peh-chak-cha). It may sound more Pokémon than PowerPoint but it could be just the thing to spice up a stale session.

Here’s the skinny: Each presenter shows 20 slides for 20 seconds each resulting in an overall presentation that lasts less than seven minutes.