ORLANDO, FL: Hard Rock International launched the second year of its "Imagine There's No Hunger" campaign on November 9, using John Lennon's likeness, signature, and his song Imagine as the theme. In its second year, the campaign continues to raise awareness and funds for World Hunger Year (WHY) but is expanding with more engagement from Yoko Ono and Ringo Starr.
"[The song is] such a universal theme that for us as global brand, and we couldn't ask for more perfect partners and messaging that fits with what we are trying to convey around the world," said Annie Balliro, senior director of global brand philanthropy at Hard Rock International, of Ono and Starr, who both served as ambassadors.
"We always like to say we have three top priorities: awareness, fundraising, and sustainable change," she added.
Hard Rock also partnered with several artists, such as OAR, Elvis Costello, and Earth, Wind, and Fire to produce a compilation CD and download, SERVE4, and is selling merchandise such as bracelets, with 100% of proceeds going to WHY. The campaign is also hosting concert events worldwide throughout the month of December and encouraging fans to donate food to food banks.
The company is working with AOR Coyne PR on the campaign. The agency is overseeing media relations and collaborating with the musicians, several of which are doing media interviews about the program.
"As far as media, the greatest thing about Hard Rock is that there are so many different types of beats you can pitch," said Meredith DeSanti, account supervisor at Coyne. "There is the food and restaurant aspect, and there is also the music, the philanthropy, and the retail, and this is one of those programs where we can bring that all together."
Online, Hard Rock is on Facebook and Twitter, where the company has been tweeting during events. Coyne has also been working with artists' management and publicists to promote the campaign on fan pages and artists' sites.
"We're really able to engage the PR strategy in a way that maximizes fans of many genres of music," Balliro said. "All of these artists are really stepping up and providing an incredible media asset to us, so we're able to really strategize and cover all of our bases."
"[The song is] such a universal theme that for us as global brand, and we couldn't ask for more perfect partners and messaging that fits with what we are trying to convey around the world," said Annie Balliro, senior director of global brand philanthropy at Hard Rock International, of Ono and Starr, who both served as ambassadors.
"We always like to say we have three top priorities: awareness, fundraising, and sustainable change," she added.
Hard Rock also partnered with several artists, such as OAR, Elvis Costello, and Earth, Wind, and Fire to produce a compilation CD and download, SERVE4, and is selling merchandise such as bracelets, with 100% of proceeds going to WHY. The campaign is also hosting concert events worldwide throughout the month of December and encouraging fans to donate food to food banks.
The company is working with AOR Coyne PR on the campaign. The agency is overseeing media relations and collaborating with the musicians, several of which are doing media interviews about the program.
"As far as media, the greatest thing about Hard Rock is that there are so many different types of beats you can pitch," said Meredith DeSanti, account supervisor at Coyne. "There is the food and restaurant aspect, and there is also the music, the philanthropy, and the retail, and this is one of those programs where we can bring that all together."
Online, Hard Rock is on Facebook and Twitter, where the company has been tweeting during events. Coyne has also been working with artists' management and publicists to promote the campaign on fan pages and artists' sites.
"We're really able to engage the PR strategy in a way that maximizes fans of many genres of music," Balliro said. "All of these artists are really stepping up and providing an incredible media asset to us, so we're able to really strategize and cover all of our bases."
