Pitbull - Kodiak, alaska

Every communicator has that moment when a colleague - not a communicator - comes to you and says, "we're launching this great program and we need EVERYONE to know about it. Can you write a press release?" Well, this was that campaign until it wasn't. The idea: Like your local Walmart Facebook page and your store may get a visit from international superstar Pitbull. Sexy, right? Wrong. I couldn't get even the grocery trades to return my calls let alone write about it. Until an influential blogger I had never heard of hijacked our campaign. He who shall remain nameless - ok, it's David Thorpe - put a call out to his followers to exile Pitbull to furthermost point of the continental United States, Kodiak, Alaska. And it worked, 70,000-plus consumers later and my phone was ringing off the hook.  And just to level set, Kodiak at the time had a population of 3,500. 

Kodiak, alaska

And Mr. Worldwide made good on his promise. In August 2012, he made his way to Kodiak, Alaska where he was greeted by all 3,500 residents. In the end, 1,500 stories ran, 97MM impressions garnered and we trended on Twitter for days leading up to Pitbull's visit and during. Oh, and we even made into a song just like he promised.  

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