Memorabilia. The ultimate demonstration of fully committed fandom, right? Now I’m not talking about the typical million-odd replica shirts sold each year by Manchester United; I don’t even mean the larger share of these that sell featuring a certain Wayne Rooney’s name and number on the back; no, I’m talking about the real up-close-and-personal stuff: Botham’s bat, Pele’s Pumas or Tiger’s tee-peg.

You name it, someone out there will probably try to buy it, sell it, or, in the case of OJ Simpson, nick it. Allegedly. So what’s the fascination with collectibles, and why will ordinarily sane people part with extraordinarily daft amounts of money to own them? To me it’s about either possessing a tangible part of your hero, a slice of sporting history…or, and this is where the big bucks come into play, both.

In terms of sporting collectibles, baseball rules the roost; from the $10,000 spent by chewing gum maker Curt Mueller on a piece of spent gum from Arizona Diamondbacks Luis Gonzalez, to the ball struck by Mark McGwire for his record-breaking 70^th home run in 1998 – bought by comic book creator Todd McFarlane for a staggering $3.05m. Especially staggering when you consider the record was subsequently tainted by McGwire’s admission of steroid abuse during that season…the baseball shedding two-thirds of its auction value. Less home run, more own goal.

But if you think that sports fans have the market cornered (as well as signed, framed and independently authenticated) – think again. It’s the movie buffs that really know how to splash the cash to get their hands on a piece of Hollywood heroes or history.

In 2008, a miniature TIE Fighter model spaceship from the original Star Wars movie sold for over $400,000 and Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber made almost a quarter of a million dollars. Surprisingly though, in the memorabilia stakes, chic overcomes geek, with Audrey Hepburn’s Givenchy dress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s selling for just under $1million and James Bond’s gadget-filled Aston Martin DB5 going for $4.1million.

What, might you ask, has any of this got to do with marketing, per se? Well, if you need to ask, then you obviously haven’t seen the recent Nike Mag campaign.

For those of you not aware, Nike Mags were the futuristic sneakers worn in Back to the Future II by hero Marty McFly when visiting Hill Valley, year 2015. For a quick reminder…

The self-lacing, self-illuminating hi-tops went on to become the most sought-after movie footwear since Dorothy Gale’s ruby slippers, whilst creating veritable product placement lore for their creators, Nike.

Many have crudely tried to repeat the trick, most notably Will Smith’s Converse-obsessed lead in I, Robot and, subsequently, the Puma-wearing inhabitants of The Island. Given that each member of the latter’s identically-shod population is, in fact, an irretrievably doomed clone of a corporate paymaster, you have to think that Puma really should have read the script before involving themselves.

What sets Nike apart from the aforementioned brands is that the trainers worn by Michael J. Fox’s character were simply an ‘ain’t-it-cool’ vision of the future for the movie’s teenaged audience, appropriate to Nike’s own brand trajectory; they weren’t linked to part of a specific marketing campaign, and were categorically not made available for purchase by their makers.

Until now.

Hot on the heels of Total Film’s 2010 ‘Future Day’ hoax, forums were buzzing earlier this year with the rumour that Nike had taken out a patent on an ‘automatic lacing system’. Nike sneakers with power laces on their way? Not quite, but an ingeniously timely tease nonetheless.

In fact, the Oregon-based sporting superpower had finally chosen to make film buff dreams a reality, by producing a limited run of 1,500 pairs of ‘2011 Nike Mags’.

With illuminated LEDs that can be recharged after a long day switched on in their display cabinet (as though anyone is actually planning on wearing these) the 2011 models are, in fact, not of the self-lacing variety. This is rather unsubtly explained courtesy of the movie’s co-star, Christopher Lloyd – AKA Doc Brown – in the video below, where it becomes clear that said technology will only be available in 2015 (the year he and Marty visited in BTTF2), and that the DeLorean time machine has erroneously brought him to a point four years too early.

So, after all the hype and fervour, how can I get hold of a pair, you ask? Well, unfortunately you’ve already missed the boat: the entire lot were auctioned off over a 10-day period on eBay in early September. Although bidding started at $0.99, over-excited demand amongst collectors and scalpers alike saw standard prices kick off at around $4,000. Who pays $4k for a pair of slightly ugly-looking trainers? Well, no one, it would seem. The first pair actually sold for the princely sum of $37,000 to one Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu – that’s Tinie Tempah to you and me. His PR or Nike’s…it’s hard to tell.

But never fear: Nike’s ruse was all in a very good cause (besides fleecing a few overpaid musicians). It turns out that the brand had partnered with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, all profits from the auctions going direct to the organisation.

Nike (with a little help from eBay) capitalised on the perfect storm of memorabilia-hungry Back to the Future fanboys, obsessive boxfresh sneakerheads and understandably fervent supporters of the Parkinson’s research projects – raising $5.7million in a mere 10 days. This was doubled to $11million by the ubiquitous Google, whose co-founder Sergey Brin has pledged to match donations to Fox’s foundation until 2012 to the tune of up to $50million.

Nike has demonstrated just how far ahead its thinking is from its competitors’ in respect of memorabilia, limited edition wares and product placement (even retrospectively). And who’s to say that the ‘2015 Nike Mags’ won’t be released to the general public in four years’ time anyway?

They’ve hit the sweet spot between collectible and commodity, and through the nostalgic lens of one of the most popular movie franchises of all time, have delivered a lesson in slow-burn brand marketing.

But coming back to the crux of the argument, people will do anything for their own part of an image, an icon, a moment or a man – heart over head, irrational and absurd. As Huey Lewis once put it: that’s the power of love.

By Jonathan Izzard on October 4th, 2011

Tags: Brand marketing, Celebrity, Charity, Content, Default, Digital marketing, Film, New Product Development, Viral Marketing

4 comments

With the RBS 6 Nations coming to an end mid-March, you might expect the team at Synergy to put their feet-up, have a cup of tea and relax. But you would be wrong, dear blog reader. The Championship may be over, but the RBS team has had a busy few weeks as activity steps-up a gear for the 2011 RBS RugbyForce programme.

Now in its third year, RBS RugbyForce is a nationwide community volunteer programme which helps local rugby clubs to improve their facilities. It is an opportunity for clubs to gather members, supporters, friends and family for a weekend of fun-filled DIY. Registered clubs are provided with online guidance and tools to help them co-ordinate a community-wide effort to give their club a make-over. This year the RBS RugbyForce Weekend will take place over 11th/12th June – or, as we like to call it in the office, ‘proper British summer time.’

RBS RugbyForce 2011 was launched back in late 2010 in England, Scotland and Wales with the support of a few rugby friends. Ex-England international Phil Vickery kicked off proceedings with the England launch in November at Bingham RFC in Nottinghamshire. See Phil in action at the launch below:

Shane Williams launched the Wales RBS RugbyForce programme at Cardigan RFC in late November, an event which saw the entire community head down to the club to meet their hero, due partly to an earlier interview we placed on BBC Wales – a true testament to the power of PR.

Braving the snow and chilly conditions in December, the Scotland launch was held by Allan Jacobsen and Chris Paterson at North Berwick RFC. Taking the weather conditions in their stride the players still managed to hold a special training session for the youth teams and even find time to build a snowman.

But the team didn’t stop at the launch events alone. Throughout the RBS 6 Nations the Synergy press office team went into overdrive ensuring every opportunity was seized, whether it be sponsored columns, ticket competitions or contracted union player appearances.

Our aim was to ensure that every club across the UK knew they had until 25th March to register. In a nutshell, unless you’ve been on another planet over the last two months, you would be hard pushed not to have come across one of the 340 articles on RBS RugbyForce that we have generated. For those who may not have flicked to the back pages of the newspapers (tsk), below are a few highlights:

As a result of all the hard work, RBS RugbyForce 2011 received 398 registrations in total and we will be announcing the winners shortly. In addition to the three main winners, each country has secondary clubs who will receive a smaller support package and the first 100 clubs who registered will be awarded with DIY vouchers and t-shirts for volunteers to wear during the RBS RugbyForce Weekend.

However, our work doesn’t end here. In the run up to the final Weekend the team at Synergy will be looking to drum up support for the clubs taking part in the regional press and encourage the community to rally together and head down to their local club on 11th and 12th June.

If you want to register your club, it’s not too late. Log on to www.rbs.co.uk/rugbyforce where you can find out if your local club is taking part. Keep your eyes peeled in June for coverage around all three launch events and more importantly get down to your local club, pitch in and show your support.

By Jennifer Mitton on April 8th, 2011

Tags: Charity, Communications, community, Experiential marketing, grass roots sport, Media, Public relations, RBS 6 Nations, Rugby, Sponsorship, Sport, Synopsis

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As some of you may be aware, running is painfully addictive.

On Sunday morning whilst many of you were nursing hangovers from a Saturday night out, I made the trip to Bath at 7am to arrive in time for 11am to start the Bath Half Marathon.

After an eventful trip to Paddington station, eventually surmounting the challenges thrown at me by London transport, I arrived with just a minute to spare before the horn went to mark the start of the race.

I certainly wasn’t alone as a near 10,000 runners all took to the beautiful streets of Bath to run 13.2 miles on a chilly but sunny morning.  The streets were lined with students still in their pyjamas (naturally), children blowing horns with no particular rhythm and live bands bashing out some great sounds. They made the majority of the run a bit more bearable, but undoubtedly being over-taken by a man dressed as a giant nipple was my highlight! (running in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness charity, CoppaFeel)…

The biggest challenge was running without my iPod, with Bath organisers strictly stating ‘no iPods could be used due to support vehicles having to use the course’. This meant the run was not near as enjoyable (?!) as 13.2miles could have been, added to which I never saw any support vehicles… and I’m sure if I had my iPod I could have shaved a few minutes off my time!

But that said, though the average course time was 2:05hrs, I ran a time of 1hr 47min. Whilst I have the chance, I will rub it in and say, I beat my boyfriend and sister, which was of course the main objective of the day. It also transpires I beat BBC Radio 1‘s Fearne Cotton (also running for Coppafeel) who finished in an admirable 2:01hrs .

The consequence of my (slightly) competitive nature means I’m struggling to walk today but it was well worth it! A great marathon and nice scenic course, if not a little repetitive, but well worth a go!

Finally, a few of my stats below for your enjoyment:

By Francesca Gamble on March 7th, 2011

Tags: Athletics, Charity, Marathon, Running, Sport

4 comments

Every morning the Synergy PR team huddles in the corner of the office to talk through the good, bad and sometimes ugly PR stories that grace the pages of our national newspapers.

As a generous group of marketing professionals, we decided to start sharing our favourite stories with you every Friday. We’ll pick our favourite stories from the week and tell you why they have made the cut.

We’d welcome your feedback too. Do you agree with our picks? Do you think we have missed a story? Drop us a comment below and let us know.

So kicking off the inaugural Synergy PR round-up, below are this week’s picks…

Comic Relief – ‘Girl on Wire’:

Now in its 26th year, the Comic Relief PR machine is still delivering exciting stories. This week saw blanket coverage for Comic Relief’s ‘Girl on Wire’ stunt, which saw Blue Peter’s Helen Skelton walk a high-wire between the chimneys of Battersea Power Station. The petite blonde was the perfect choice to hoist above the towers (a task most grown men would baulk at) and the location provided a dramatic backdrop. Take these elements mixed with a great cause and lo, you have the perfect PR picture stunt.

Disney Dream Portraits:

This week Disney released its second instalment of Annie Leibovitz‘s Disney Dream Portraits, a series of celebrities posing as some of the best loved Disney characters. Ok, I admit it; I’m a huge Disney fan. It takes very little for this brand to impress me. However Disney have taken a simple idea and executed it to an extremely high standard and it has paid off.

Only Annie Leibovitz could capture the ‘magic’ of Disney whilst adding a modern look and feel, so they signed her up. Similarly the ‘models’ posing in the photos are genuine A list celebrities who have been perfectly chosen to play out the characters. Penelope Cruz as Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Julianne Moore as Ariel from The Little Mermaid and only Queen Latifah could feature Ursula the Sea Witch, also from The Little Mermaid.

So, the next time you are visiting Synergy Towers, why not pop in a little earlier and join our 9.15am paper meeting! The above examples are a mere snippet of the stories we discuss day in and day out. If that’s not enough of a lure, we promise to make you a cup of coffee and we will even let you get first pick of the papers – and if you’re super keen and land here before 9am, you can even sample ENGINE‘s free breakfast…

By Jennifer Mitton on March 4th, 2011

Tags: Charity, Communications, London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship, Olympics, PR, Public relations, Sport, Team GB

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‘Digital IS the future’. I’ve lost count of the amount of times that I’ve heard these words spoken in the last few years. So much so that it’s almost become a meaningless comment on something that is self-evident – largely because we can conclude digital is the future, if only inasmuch as digital is also the present.

Clearly, there is an enormous amount of knowledge to be had out there about working in the digital space, and harnessing the power of digital assets to work better in other, more traditional avenues. No longer can we sweep a generalising brush-stroke to divide between Murdoch’s ‘digital natives’ and ‘digital immigrants’. It is everyone’s responsibility to get digitally savvy. Fast.

But when digital courses, seminars and qualifications are ten-a-penny for businesses who can afford to train their people in the relevant disciplines, it becomes easy to overlook those for whom acquiring such skills is remarkably more difficult. It may be because the base level of knowledge is not enough to reach the next level. Or the funding isn’t available to implement the training. Or they just don’t know what skill development is required to take their business further.

Enter Media Trust (one of the charity partners on The Marketing Academy, which is how I came across them). The UK’s leading communications charity is launching a national campaign to encourage more media professionals with digital skills to volunteer and share their expertise with the charities, communities and young people who need them.

Great plan. And to get people engaged, they’ve developed a funky little Facebook application to gauge your ‘Digital IQ’. I tried it out last week, and lo, the results:

My Digital IQ results (not quite as impressive as I'd hoped)

A techie with a creative flair. Fair enough.

So try it out, and if you feel that the world would be a better place if we could share our digital knowledge then get involved and find out how to volunteer.

And if you’re feeling brave, post your results in our comments below.

By Lucie Bartlett on September 16th, 2010

Tags: Charity, Digital marketing, Social Media

3 comments

 

Chris Moyles’ commitment to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of Comic Relief caught my attention. The idea, inspired by Take That’s Gary Barlow, sees Chris join a host of celebrities, including Ronan Keating, Cheryl Cole and 2007 Strictly Come Dancing champion Alesha Dixon, attempt to climb Africa’s highest mountain over seven days. Whilst not the most likely candidate to undertake a feat of fitness, my belief is that Chris is very likely to be successful.

 

Altitude sickness will be his biggest challenge, but records show that it is the super fit that experience this symptom, rather than the less fit. Walking slowly is recommended as the best course of avoidance when walking at altitude.

 

BT, supporters of Comic Relief since 1985, is sponsoring the expedition and BT employees are actively engaged in the fundraising. However, it isn’t just the sponsors or Comic Relief that will benefit – hopefully inspiring others to get active will be the over-riding success. Good luck to Chris and the team.

 

By Alison Moor on February 26th, 2009

Tags: Charity, Cheryl Cole, Radio, Sponsorship

2 comments