AMP Agency (Alloy Marketing & Promotions) Introduces Largest
Ever "SB04" Spring Break Promotion - Top Sponsors include
Verizon Wireless, Paramount Pictures, Paramount Home
Entertainment, Panasonic, and Hasbro
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 1, 2004--Alloy,
Inc.(NASDAQ:ALOY): Panama City Beach, the nation's number one Spring Break
destination, turned up the heat today as the Panama City Beach
Convention and Visitors Bureau (PCBCVB) named AMP Agency, a division
of Alloy, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALOY), its official Spring Break marketing
partner for the second year in a row.
On behalf of this premiere destination, AMP Agency will provide
sponsors with a unique opportunity to access thousands of Panama City
Beach 'spring breakers' through its month long "SB04" promotion,
commencing on March 3. This custom marketing program offers a variety
of campaigns and on-site events spanning 65,000 square feet of
beachfront property anchored at Panama City's most popular beachside
resort, Spinnakers Beach Club. The campaigns include a vast
pre-promotions effort, exclusive hotel premises marketing, as well as
personalized daytime beach and nightclub experiences.
In cooperation with the PCBCVB, AMP Agency developed the first
ever custom published "Spring Break Guide," offering advertisers
unparalleled access to their target audience and offering students the
ultimate guide to their vacation planning. The Spring Break Guide was
distributed by Alloy's 360 Youth marketing unit to 2.5 million college
students through its proprietary college newspaper network and
exclusive on campus bookstore program. Additionally, 360 Youth
supports the program by promoting the PCBCVB's activities through its
proprietary out-of-home media network across college campuses
nationwide.
"Panama City Beach hosts more than 400,000 students during Spring
Break," said Bob Warren, president and CEO of The Panama City Beach
Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Our destination and the type of
students we attract provide brands with a great opportunity to
interact with and influence a key audience. AMP's involvement has
allowed us to expand this year's 'SB04' event into an incredibly
integrated marketing experience. With their help, we've not only
increased in size, but with hotel room, beach front and night club
entertainment, we've been able to transform a 'get-away' into a one of
kind experience for both students and marketers."
AMP Agency will implement its completely modular, semester-long
promotion while taking an integrated approach to reach and influence
students. Once at Panama City Beach, students will take part in
activities, promotions and contests all designed specifically to fit
individual clients. Through interactive on-site events, entertainment
and sampling opportunities, clients are able to offer spring breakers
the ultimate vacation experience while meeting their brand objectives.
As night falls, the parties heat up and AMP Agency will reward lucky
students VIP access to the top nightclubs on the Panama City Beach
strip on behalf of select sponsors. In exchange for the price of
admission, students will be presented with branded T-shirts that will
be worn all night long.
"As the number one Spring Break destination, Panama City Beach
offers the perfect marketing outreach opportunity for companies," said
Tom Schneider, chief marketing officer of Alloy's AMP Agency.
"Marketers can directly interact with and build brand recognition
among college students aged 18 - 24, a coveted demographic which has
one of the highest discretionary spending levels in the U.S. In
addition to the most on-site exposure to date, we hope sponsors will
enjoy significant publicity beyond Spring Break 2004."
Confirmed "SB04" top sponsors include title sponsor Verizon
Wireless, as well as Hasbro, Paramount Pictures, Paramount Home
Entertainment and Panasonic. Following are some of the"SB04" sponsored
event highlights:
Verizon Wireless (FREEUP) - The Verizon Wireless Connect Home Call
Center
Title sponsor Verizon Wireless will host the Verizon Wireless
Latitude Pavilion, a designated spot on the beach where college
students can meet their friends, relax, play interactive games and
enjoy refreshments. They can also phone home from the Verizon Wireless
Connect Home Call Center located at the Pavilion. All students will be
given the opportunity to use the latest wireless technology to let
parents know they're safe and sound or remind friends back home of the
fun they are missing.
Hasbro - Super Soaker Survival & Bump Ball Challenge
Super Soaker -Spring Breakers will be invited to take the
SOAKERTAG Survival Challenge, presented by SUPER SOAKER. The program,
conceived and developed by Fathom Communications, lets students
compete in a fun-filled marathon SUPER SOAKER water fight tournament.
Players will compete for the coveted title of the ultimate SOAKERTAG
Survivor and a cash prize of $4,000. Spectators can enjoy the
water-crazed action and enter an on-site raffle.
BUMP BALL - Spring breakers will join in hilarious group
activities guaranteed to make you ball your eyes out from laughter.
Hasbro brings back BUMP BALL! Use your legs, feet - but no hands
allowed - as students challenge each other in a variety of group
related relay races, beach obstacle courses and main stage contest
situations. Themed BUMP BALL beauties will canvas the street
demonstrating the product to consumers as they frequent daily
hotspots.
Paramount Pictures - Movie Madness
Paramount Studios will be promoting their latest movie releases:
"The Stepford Wives," "Mean Girls," "Sky Captain and the World of
Tomorrow," and "The Prince in Me." Coupled with proprietary hotel
media branding, Paramount's presence will immerse spring breakers in a
total movie debut blitz campaign. Students will become part of each
movie by interacting through daytime movie-themed beach event areas
that take on core elements of each upcoming release:
Sky Captain Aerial Squadron Command Center:
Set inside an "airplane hanger," spring breakers will have the
opportunity to stay in touch with the "real world" courtesy of
Paramount Pictures, "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow." Students
will be treated to high-speed Internet access to surf the web, send
friends postcards or check their e-mail.
The Stepford Wives Perfection Station: Spring Break females will
have the opportunity to powder their noses or check out new looks in
the mirror as professional cosmetologists recommend how to "perfect"
themselves through makeup and the latest accessories. Mean Girls:
Here's your chance to get back at that girl who bullied and tormented
you in school. Dunk her! Dunkees will heckle Spring Breakers as they
line up to make a big splash by knocking each "Mean Girl" down to size
in the Paramount Mean Girls dunk tank arena.
Paramount Home Entertainment- "School of Rock"-- Battle of the
Bands
Paramount will host a battle of the bands karaoke contest on the
beach during the "SB04 Event". Paramount will have a stage complete
with musical instruments and sound system so students can feel like
"rock stars" while singing their favorite tunes. Students will be
pitted against their peers in a music competition that will culminate
once a week at a free barbecue. Paramount will also have a Tiki Hut
styled screening room for all of their up and coming new DVD releases.
Students will be able to get free popcorn and juice while they watch
the trailers of the DVDs. The 'Battle of the Bands' style competition
enables Paramount to promote the release of "School of Rock" on DVD
and VHS, as well as 14 other titles that will soon be out on DVD.
Panasonic - Spring Break's Most Wanted
Panasonic will be beachside in Panama City Beach with their
Product Demo/ Most Wanted Hut. The Hut is an interactive pavilion that
highlights cool, new products including: The e-wear(TM), D-Snap and
Shockwave(R) product lines (Digital Audio Players, SD Audio/Video
Recorders, Digital Cameras and Portable CD Players). Panasonic brand
ambassadors will be hanging out at the largest clubs in Panama City
Beach at night taking pictures of the students having fun. These
pictures will be posted in the hut the next day and students will
visit the hut and see whether they have been chosen as one of
Panasonics "Most Wanted." Panasonic is also sponsoring activities,
which include "Name that Tune," karaoke singing and a picture
scavenger hunt.
Additional participating sponsors include Dreamworks, JC Penney,
Arizona Jean Co., and Hawaiian Tropic.
AMP Agency will also support its program with the creation and
hosting of an online component to Spring Break 2004. The Web site,
located at www.springbreakamplified.com, will allow sponsors to post
and view photos of their company-sponsored activities, provide
relevant brand information and offer up-to-date listings of all SB04
events straight to the consumer.
ABOUT AMP
Alloy Marketing & Promotions (AMP), is the promotional marketing
business of Alloy, Inc. (Nasdaq:ALOY). As part of Alloy's Media &
Marketing Division, AMP integrates the assets and experience of
established promotion agencies and marketing services companies
including MarketSource Corporation, Triple Dot Communications and
Target Marketing & Promotions (TMP) to deliver effective, customized
promotions. AMP's proprietary four-step Brand AMPlification process
identifies a brand's essence and leverages key identifiers through a
host of proven, high-impact tactics such as mobile marketing, buzz
squads, integrated media promotions, co-branding, sampling, events,
research, interactive design, and customer acquisition. Headquartered
in Boston with offices in New York, Chicago, New Jersey, and Los
Angeles, AMP clients include Diageo, Hasbro, AT&T Wireless, New
Balance and Procter & Gamble, among others. For more information on
AMP, an Alloy Inc. company, please visit www.ampagency.com. For more
information on Alloy, Inc., please visit www.alloy.com.
About 360 Youth
360 Youth is the media and marketing arm of Alloy, Inc.
(Nasdaq:ALOY - News). As part of Alloy's Media & Marketing Division,
360 Youth integrates the assets and experience of the largest and
strongest college and teen marketing companies including CASS
Communications, Alloy, Y-Access, Market Place Media (All Campus Media
& Armed Forces Communications), YouthStream and others to provide
sales and marketing solutions targeting young adults. 360 Youth
enables Fortune 500 companies to reach more than 25 million Generation
Y consumers each month through a comprehensive mix of media and
proprietary school based programs using a wide range of media assets.
For more information on 360 Youth, an Alloy Inc. company, please visit
www.360youth.com. For more information on Alloy, Inc., please visit
www.alloyinc.com.
CONTACT:
Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau
Jayna Leach, 850-233-5070
Jleach@800pcbeach.com
Alloy, Inc.
Jodi Smith, 212-329-8359
jodis@alloy.com
