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The Challenge
When Larry Alexander, president and CEO of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, selected Franco Public Relations Group in January, 2000 as his lead agency to create and produce Detroit's Super Bowl bid presentation to the NFL owners, he wanted something far more than just an overhead projector and PowerPoint slides.
Alexander challenged Franco and its partners, The Palladium Company and Gyro Creative Group, to create a never-before-seen, multimedia show that would not only result in Detroit's selection as host city, but also would leave the NFL owners enthusiastically looking forward to bringing their prized sporting spectacle to Detroit in February.
What he got in return far exceeded anyone's wildest expectations.
The Franco Strategy
The dynamic, 15-minute multimedia presentation—created, written and produced by Franco Public Relations Group and The Palladium Company—featured Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer, Larry Alexander, and Host Committee Chairman Roger Penske describing various elements of metropolitan Detroit as they would appear in the year 2006.
With a 36-foot diameter revolving turntable stage divided into three sets, and two 8' x10' screens above the stage flanked on either side by two additional 6' x 8' screens, the effect was not unlike a Broadway play.
Virtual-reality images, computer-driven videos, photos, maps, physical props—and advanced PowerPoint-style text and imagery—depicted everything from infrastructure and facilities, to entertainment venues and attractions, and finally to the new stadium itself. The three sets were physical re-creations of the Michigan Ave. People Mover station, the Fox Theatre (complete with flashing marquis), and Ford Field.
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From concept to its successful completion, Franco—in conjunction with the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau—directed the entire effort. After securing initial concept approval from the Bureau in May, 2000, Franco Events Group Director Tom Constand and Larry Alexander then presented the concept to Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer, the Detroit Lions, Wayne County Executive Ed McNamara, and Host Committee Chairperson Roger Penske for their approval. The entire concept —complete with rough script (written by Franco's Steve Friedman) and a working scale model of the stage—was presented by Franco and The Palladium Company to select members of metro Detroit's advertising community in September for final input and endorsement.
Assembly of the elaborate turntable stage and all rehearsals took place in a secluded warehouse in Troy, MI to avoid any pre-bid publicity that might reveal any element of the elaborate presentation. All had underestimated the size and grandeur of a stage and sets that required a 53-foot semi-trailer to move from Detroit to the Hyatt in Atlanta—site of the NFL Owners Meeting.
The Results
The November 1, 2000 presentation came off like clockwork. The moment we completed the presentation, Dallas Cowboy's owner, Jerry Jones came back stage and said, " That was the greatest presentation I have ever seen!" Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots exclaimed, "Now, I'm actually excited about coming to Detroit in February!" An hour later in the pressroom, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue gave the world the results of the owner's votes. We needed a majority, but it was unanimous. All 32 owners voted for Detroit.
Touchdown.
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