Public Relations

Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius

AN UPHILL LIE.

On the surface the request may have seemed like a Mission Impossible episode: in eight days, bring together hundreds of business leaders, movie buffs and golfing enthusiasts for a charitable black tie gala dinner and pre-release screening of the new, major motion picture, Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius.

With the clock ticking and the formal black tie event just days away, we immediately got to work.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT CLUBS.

Identifying story angles that could be pitched to media outlets was our most pressing concern. We focused on the fact that a local firm played a major role in raising $25 million for the independent film's production and distribution, while another Albany-based company created a full-color illustrated book on the making of the film and the life of the only golfer to win the Grand Slam in the same year (1930).

Rueckert initiated a weeklong promotion with ClearChannel radio stations. Copies of the Bobby Jones book were given away to those who correctly answered trivia questions about the golfer, while 20 lucky grand prizewinners also received free tickets to the event. We also lined up a series of radio interviews throughout the upcoming weekend to maintain the publicity momentum.

We drafted an event press release and sent it to regional newspapers and local film groups, and posted it on chamber of commerce, entertainment and community Web sites. We also couriered movie B-roll to TV stations for use by entertainment and movie critics. In addition, we sent out a media advisory to entice on-site coverage.

A STROKE OF GENIUS.

In less than 200 hours, our PR efforts helped draw 280 attendees to the event - one of dozens of pre-release screenings benefiting charities with a particular emphasis on children taking place across the United States in the weeks prior to the film's release.

Helping to lure attendees to the Saratoga National Golf Club, site of the fundraiser, were seven print stories, including a piece from the Capital District Business Review focusing on the role local companies played in bringing the project to 1,200 screens nationwide. WNYT-13, the region's NBC affiliate, used the B-roll on its entertainment segment, while WTEN-10 (ABC affiliate) ran a pre-release story and broadcast live from the fundraiser.

Meanwhile, the Times Union, the region's leading daily newspaper, not only wrote a lengthy pre-event story, but also ran a follow-up piece in which local golfing pros gave their impression about how well Caviezel mimicked Jones' classic 1920s-style swing.