DudeWeCanFixIt.com - There's a better way to save our planet than through this kind of "water conservation." Want to learn more, visit www.DudeWeCanFixIt.com to learn how you we can work together to fix the climate crisis.







DudeWeCanFixIt.com - There's a better way to save our planet than through this kind of "wind power." Want to learn more, visit www.DudeWeCanFixIt.com to learn how you we can work together to fix the climate crisis.

Rum Campaign Tweaks Twin Cities Political Scandal

http://promomagazine.com/news/rum_campaign_twin_cities_political_scandal_0902/

Republican conventions are known for being tightly scripted, unsurprising and pretty bland, and signs indicate this week’s gathering in St. Paul, MN, won’t break that basic mold. But upstart rum brand Kilo Kai hopes to throw a little swerve into the party’s stride this week with a guerrilla promotion that takes aim at a political sex scandal well known in the Twin Cities.
The spiced rum brand and its agency All Terrain sent teams out Monday to place promotional footprints in the public bathrooms of hotels, bars and nightspots around the Twin Cities and also around the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, where the 2008 Republican National Convention is being held this week. The footprints ask stall occupants to “Tap your toe if you want to hook up with Kilo Kai.”

The stunt refers to a 2007 political scandal involving Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID), who was arrested about a year ago for lewd conduct in a bathroom at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. Craig pled guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct and promised to resign his Senate seat, then tried to withdraw his plea. When a federal judge denied that motion, Craig took back the resignation promise. He opted not to run for re-election this year.

“I’m a firm believer that public relations is a big part of the marketing mix,” said Brad Trayser, president of Kilo Kai’s parent company, Apostrophe Brands. “I would rather have editorial coverage than a billboard any day. People do adopt brands because of public relations, but not because they saw a cool billboard.”

Kilo Kai had recently branched out from its home market into six or seven new states, so Trayser asked promotional agency All Terrain to brainstorm some ideas that would generate press outside of the average product launch notices.

Since one of those new state markets was Minnesota, the agency began thinking about all those political journalists converging on St. Paul and how to grab their attention.
“They came up with the idea of the footprints,” Trayser said. “I liked it because it’s fun and in keeping with the spirit we’re establishing for the brand—maverick, irreverent. Being placed on the floor of a public bathroom isn’t necessarily the context most brands want to be seen in, but overall, I think the unserious spirit of the campaign is right on.”

All Terrain teams will not saturate the Twin Cities with the footprints, according to agency spokesperson Julie Lu. Instead they will place about 300 of the signs on Monday.
The teams will then go back on Wednesday and lay down replacements where zealous janitors or sensitive Republicans may have removed the first set.

Trayser downplays the potential for harming the Kilo Kai brand by associations with either illicit sex or political chicanery.

“A lot of beverage companies forget that drinking is about having a good time,” Trayser said. “Drinking Kilo Kai should put a smile on your face, and the advertising and marketing activities should do that too.”

Unlike rival spiced rum Captain Morgan, which combined a marketing campaign to elect its iconic captain president with in-bar events around Denver during last week’s Democratic National Convention, Kilo Kai is not running any special on-premise activations around the footprint campaign.

“Our goal is to make this as viral and guerrilla-style as possible,” All Terrain’s Lu said in an e-mail.

“We don’t want to alienate either Republicans or Democrats,” Trayser added. “If that’s the effect, then you’re probably taking things too seriously.”

All Terrain Named to Inc. 5000

Chicago Firm Celebrates 10th Anniversary with a Rank of 717 on List of America’s 5,000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies

Number 35 on List of Top 100 Businesses in Chicago Region
Number 54 on List of Top Advertising & Marketing Companies

NEW YORK, August 20, 2008 – All Terrain, a national integrated marketing agency based in Chicago, was ranked today as No. 717 on Inc. Magazine’s annual ranking of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the country. The list is the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy – America’s independent-minded entrepreneurs. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the U.S. economy.

“Our second annual Inc. 5000 continues the most ambitious project in business journalism,” said Inc. 5000 Project Manager Jim Melloan. “The Inc. 5000 gives an unrivalled portrait of young, underreported companies across all industries doing fascinating things with cutting-edge business models, as well as older companies that are still showing impressive growth.”

The magazine also ranked All Terrain as the 35th fastest growing private company in the Chicago area and the 54th fastest growing advertising/marketing company in the U.S. (as measured by Inc. Magazine). All Terrain experienced a growth of 478.5% during a 3-year period ending December 31, 2007.

Earlier this summer All Terrain was also named to the Promo 100 list of the country’s largest promotional agencies by Promo Magazine. All Terrain was listed as the 3rd fastest growing promotional agency on the Promo 100. All Terrain has also launched a new section of their website - http://allterrain.net/casestudies/ - featuring successful client case studies.

“We are honored to be part of the Inc. 5000,” said Sarah Eck-Thompson, co-president of All Terrain. “We have grown into new markets and new services through client referrals and expanded client assignments. In September we will celebrate our 10th anniversary, and for ten years we have delivered cost-effective, integrated, measurable results for our clients. The Inc. 5000 ranking is validation of our approach and a great way to celebrate our accelerating growth.”

“Lots of agencies can help with word-of-mouth, digital, advertising or PR strategies,” said Brook Jay, co-president of All Terrain, “but when was the last time you actually felt good about a brand interaction? People gravitate to experiences that are relevant to their lives and aspirations. All Terrain has grown because we know how to break through the clutter and speak to people authentically where they live, breathe and buy."

About All Terrain
All Terrain is a full-service integrated marketing communications agency that personalizes and connects brands with relevant consumers across a full spectrum of formats. Born as an events and experiential agency, All Terrain has evolved into a full-service agency offering experiential marketing, lifestyle and entertainment branding as well as creative/advertising, integrated digital and public relations services. All Terrain clients include major brands such as General Motors, Underwriters Laboratories, Anheuser-Busch, Red Bull, Tribune Company, Cirque du Soleil and Diageo as well as regional and emerging brands. All Terrain is headquartered in Chicago. For more information and successful case studies, visit http://allterrain.net/casestudies/ or call (312) 421-7672.

About Inc. 5000
The 5000 companies that made the list reported aggregate revenue of $185 billion and median three-year growth of 147 percent. Most important, the 2008 Inc. 5000 companies were engines of job growth, having created more than 826,033 jobs since those companies were founded. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and a list of the fastest-growing companies that can be sorted by industry and region can be found at www.inc5000.com.

All Terrain Retained by Chicago Machine (Major League Lacrosse)

March 20, 2008

Chicago-based firm to provide public relations and marketing support

Chicago, IL – All Terrain Public Relations, a division of Chicago-based All Terrain, a full-service marketing agency, announced today that it has been retained by the Chicago Machine, Chicago’s professional outdoor Major League Lacrosse team, as public relations and marketing counsel. All Terrain will work to increase the visibility of the Chicago Machine team and its players and increase attendance at Chicago Machine Games at Toyota Park through sports and non-sports media.

“Lacrosse is one of America’s fastest growing sports with a 68% increase in participation nationally at the high school and college level since 2001,” said Brook Jay, All Terrain President. “In just their third season, the Chicago Machine has attracted top-level lacrosse players from throughout North America; players that make the team competitive and the games exciting to watch. We are excited to be working directly with management and the players to introduce more fans to this great sport.” The Chicago Machine account will be managed by Kevin Boyer, All Terrain’s Director of Public Relations and Marketing.

“Lacrosse is attracting new players and fans because of its fast-pace, combining the best of basketball, soccer and hockey,” said John Meister, Team President of the Chicago Machine. “We are excited to have engaged All Terrain as part of our marketing strategies to increase interest in the sport, the team and raise the profile of our players.”

About All Terrain
All Terrain Public Relations is a division of All Terrain, a 10-year-old full-service marketing agency that personalizes and connects brands with relevant consumers across a full spectrum of formats. From one night only experiential events to integrated multi-site, multi-city, multi-platform campaigns, our distinctive solutions yield high returns because we engage people in ways that build meaning and loyalty. All Terrain clients include major brands such as General Motors, Anheuser-Busch, Red Bull, Tribune Company, Stolichnaya, and Pernod-Ricard. All Terrain Public Relations was founded in 2007 and clients include Chicago Blackhawks Hockey, Underwriters Laboratories, Apostrophe Brands/Kilo Kai Rum, and Jameson Irish Whiskey.

About the Chicago Machine
The Chicago Machine are Chicago’s outdoor professional men’s lacrosse team, members of the Western Conference of Major League Lacrosse (MLL). Now in their third season, the Chicago Machine play at Toyota Park, 15 minutes southwest of Downtown Chicago. Led by head coach John Combs, the team is has top players from nationally ranked college programs such as Notre Dame, Cornell, UMass, Virginia, Navy and Syracuse. The Chicago Machine open their third season at home on Sunday, May 18, 2008, against conference rival San Francisco Dragons. Season tickets and individual game tickets are now available. For game schedule, ticketing, team and player information, visit http://www.chicagomachine.com/.

Media Contact: Kevin G. Boyer, (312) 588-3713, Kevin.boyer@allterrain.net

###

All Terrain Retained by Chicago Blackhawks

News Release – November 26, 2007
Contact: Kevin G. Boyer, (312) 421-7672 x 41, Kevin.boyer@allterrain.net


All Terrain Retained by Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago-based firm to provide public relations and experiential marketing support


Chicago, IL – All Terrain, a Chicago-based experiential marketing company, announced today that it has been retained by the Chicago Blackhawks Hockey Team as public relations and experiential marketing counsel. All Terrain will provide marketing and public relations support to increase the visibility of Chicago Blackhawks players through non-sports media, and to increase attendance at Blackhawks games through non-traditional marketing strategies.

“The Chicago Blackhawks are a storied Chicago sports franchise,” said Brook Jay, All Terrain President. “This year’s team is winning more games and attracting more fans. We are excited to be working directly with management and the players to create even more fans of this great sport.”

“We are excited to engage All Terrain in helping us reach our marketing goal of attracting new Blackhawk fans,” said Jim Sofranko, Blackhawks Executive Director of Sales & Marketing. “Through the use of non-traditional marketing strategies we will look to increase interest in the team and raise the awareness of our players to the non-core hockey fan.”

About All Terrain
All Terrain is an agile, integrated marketing agency that activates, personalizes and connects major brands with relevant consumers. Brook Jay and Sarah Eck-Thompson co-founded All Terrain nine years ago and in the process helped define a whole new marketing category – Experiential Marketing. All Terrain is now a highly-recognized agency offering special event production, multi-site, multi-disciplinary promotional campaigns, strategic brand positioning, field teams, point-of-sale, events, e-marketing, mobile marketing, advertising, sampling, public relations, influencer advocacy and entertainment. They serve name-brand clients including GMC, Buick, Saturn, Pernod Ricard – one of the country’s largest spirits distributors, the Tribune Company, Anheuser-Busch, Sofitel Chicago, Underwriter Laboratories and more. For more information, visit: www.allterrain.net.

Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks play their home games at the United Center, 1901 W. Madison Street, Chicago. For tickets and schedule, visit www.ChicagoBlackhawks.com or call (312) 455-7000. The Chicago Blackhawks and chicagoblackhawks.com are trademarks of the Chicago Blackhawk Hockey Team, Inc. NHL and the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup are registered trademarks and the NHL Shield and NHL Conference logos are trademarks of the National Hockey League.

###

Making Safety “Cool”

News Release – October 8, 2007
Contact: Kevin G. Boyer, (312) 421-7672 x 41, Kevin.boyer@allterrain.net

Making Safety “Cool”
Chicago Marketing Firm All Terrain tapped by
Underwriters Laboratories for Mobile Marketing Tour

Chicago, IL – All Terrain, a Chicago-based experiential marketing company, announced today that it has been retained by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to produce UL’s first ever mobile safety campaign. Launching in mid October and traveling the U.S. and Canada through 2008, the tour will emphasize the critical role UL plays in consumer safety through testing certification of more than 19,000 products, components and materials worldwide.

‘Cool’ cutting edge technologies such as holographic imaging, infrared gaming and touch-screen interactivity are being built into the specially designed tour vehicle. Stopping at schools and UL retail & manufacturing partners, the tour will also feature safety demonstrations and fun educational challenges for children, youth and adults. The tour will be supported in local markets by All Terrain’s new Public Relations Division, promoting UL’s safety messages to consumers through local media outreach and on-site grass roots efforts.

"All Terrain has a reputation as a highly innovative and uniquely creative marketing shop,” said Doug Bell, Director of Global Marketing at UL. “For the next year we will educate consumers across North America about UL’s public safety mission in ways that go beyond traditional marketing campaigns. All Terrain’s strategic guidance will help UL further its efforts to raise consumer awareness about product safety at a time when knowledge and preparedness are more important than ever.”

About All Terrain
All Terrain is an agile, integrated marketing agency that activates, personalizes and connects major brands with relevant consumers. Brook Jay and Sarah Eck-Thompson co-founded All Terrain nine years ago and in the process helped define a whole new marketing category – Experiential Marketing. All Terrain is now a highly-recognized agency offering special event production, multi-site, multi-disciplinary promotional campaigns, strategic brand positioning, field teams, point-of-sale, events, e-marketing, mobile marketing, advertising, sampling, public relations, influencer advocacy and entertainment. They serve name-brand clients including GMC, Buick, Saturn, Pernod Ricard – one of the country’s largest spirits distributors, the Tribune Company, Anheuser-Busch, Sofitel Chicago, Underwriter Laboratories and more. For more information, visit: www.allterrain.net.

About UL
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) is an independent product safety certification organization that has been testing products and writing Standards for Safety for over a century. UL evaluates more than 19,000 types of products, components, materials and systems annually with 21 billion UL Marks appearing on 71,000 manufacturers’ products each year. UL’s worldwide family of companies and network of service providers includes 66 laboratory, testing and certification facilities serving customers in 104 countries. For more information, visit: www.UL.com.