<BR>OBT AD James Canfield<P><BR>From a press release:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Local advertising and branding agency Nerve, Inc. will open its doors at its Pearl District creative shop during tomorrow's ``First Thursday'' festivities to introduce the new Oregon Ballet Theatre 2000/01 image campaign set to launch in coming days. <P>The creative team at Nerve enlisted industry contacts to donate their time and talents forming a collaborative effort to design the new brand identity for Oregon Ballet Theatre. Firedrill Design's Ken Meyer & Jeff Paul designed the overall brand theme for Oregon Ballet Theatre including a new logo, business package, as well as a web site, with the help of Eric Lepire, Nerve's IT Manager. Raphael Astorga, Astorga Studio directed the photography for the print and TV in collaboration with Jay Fawcett, Nerve Art Director. Nerve writers, Mark Radcliffe & Geoff Rogers gave the campaign its voice. Many talented individuals at 180 Films, Whipping Post, Flooded, Mission Control, Downstream and Digital One also generously provided their expertise to add the finishing touches necessary to produce spots for TV and radio of exceptional quality. <BR><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><BR><B><A HREF="http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/000906/or_nerve_o_2.html" TARGET=_blank>More</A></B><p>[This message has been edited by Azlan (edited October 16, 2000).]

How fortunate for OBT that they were able to obtain such a comprehensive marketing package on a pro bono basis. I have gone to advertising and marketing firms on bended knee to beg for individual fragments of this package, and can vouch for the fact that it is very difficult to achieve.

Pro bono publico: for the public good (e.g., services donated for free).

Grace, I think you've been in the sherry..."plied"? Don't give up on plug-ins, you miss the good stuff! (Unless you've got a computer that's plodding along which is a whole other story).<BR>Interesting, I referred to OBT's innovative ads in the "Getting Dance" thread in Issues before I even read this.<BR>If you can't get ad firms to work with you you may be going to the wrong people. Ask friends of friends who they know in the industry, invite them to your shows, get them on your board. You need people who are passionate about what you do--especially if they're doing it at a cut rate. I know, I know, so much easier to give advice than to take it oneself!<BR>

At a time when funding for dance is at a crisis in the US, free ads have become quite the thing these days. Major newspapers for example know it brings cachet when they are associated with the hot-ticket companies. The thing I wish more of them would do however is support the less well known companes by giving them free ads.<p>[This message has been edited by Azlan (edited October 18, 2000).]

Azlan has identified the central issue. Corporate sponsors (including advertising and marketing agencies) love to be associated with a company that is perceived to be a "hot ticket." Naturally, the "hot ticket" companies are those who are most likely to have an amply funded marketing and development infrastructure. It is the companies that have not yet achieved "hot ticket" status who are most in need of the beneficence of pro bono services, and who are likely to go begging for assistance.