LevLane Helps Rev Up Winter Restaurant Week
Is there a restaurant your friends have been raving about and you’ve wanted to try? There is no better time to schedule that reservation than during Center City District’s Winter Restaurant Week. The event kicks off on January 18th and runs Sunday through Friday until January 30th. With more than 120 participating restaurants ranging from Italian to Japanese and from seafood to steakhouses, there are plenty of options to explore. Participating restaurants offer guests a three-course dinner for only $35 and many restaurants also offer a three-course lunch option for $20.
For more than 10 years LevLane has worked with the Center City District to create vibrant and engaging creative work for many exciting Philadelphian events and initiatives including Dilworth Park, the Rothman Ice Rink at Dilworth Park and Center City District Sips. Throughout Center City, LevLane created and placed 64 brightly colored transit platform posters that reflect the livelihood of the city itself and the corresponding bus tails are sure to catch your eye as they pass by. Complimentary and unique web banners and online display ads can be seen online at Philly Style Magazine, Philly Weekly, or Philly.com.
Be sure to keep an eye out for all of the exciting creative work popping up across the city and make your Restaurant Week reservation today!
LevLane Wins Two PR Awards from PRSA Philly Chapter
LevLane added to its pewter collection on December 2 when the agency won two 2014 PRSA Philadelphia Pepperpot Awards. The annual Pepperpot Awards recognize the Philadelphia region’s top PR campaigns/projects and tactics as determined by a panel of out-of-state judges.
This year, LevLane won for its submissions in the categories Special Events and Observances (Seven Days or More), Budget Under $15,000 and Editorial/Op-Ed Columns.
For Special Events and Observances, LevLane’s winning entry highlighted the Rydal Park Lively Fall Speaker Series created for Rydal Park continuing care retirement community. This annual October series features popular media figures talking about their long careers, giving prospective residents a chance to experience Rydal Park’s “spirited living” and consider joining the community. The series drew a high number of qualified prospects, and resulted in apartment home purchases that contributed to Rydal Park’s best sales year.
Levlane’s winning Editorial/Op-Ed entry for the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses and Inspections was called Keep Building Safety in Mind and appeared during May, which is National Building Safety Month. The editorial informed Philadelphia residents about the resources available to them through the Department of Licenses and Inspections’ new online power tool, and appeared at a critical time – just before the one-year anniversary of a tragic building collapse in the city.
Awards aside, the festive evening was enjoyed by LevLane team members who work together throughout the year to achieve exceptional results for clients that resulted in these impressive wins.
LevLane’s media relations and social media efforts helps Massage Envy Spas support veterans and current service members
As the agency for 15 U.S. markets of Massage Envy Spas in 11 states (representing almost 200 spas total), LevLane applied its social media and public relations forces to promote Massage Envy Spa’s annual “Massages for Military” Veterans Day event, which resulted in more than $200,000 dollars in donations to Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) as well as hundreds of free, one-hour massage therapy and facial sessions for veterans, current military personnel and their spouses.
Massage Envy Spas in the Toledo, Ohio and Southeast Michigan regions provided free, one-hour massage therapy or facial sessions to veterans, current military personnel and their spouses who scheduled appointments for Veterans Day (November 11), while Massage Envy Spas in many other regions donated $10 for every one-hour massage or facial session provided to members and guests on that day to WWP. Additionally, Massage Envy Spa members and guests contributed to “fishbowl” in-spa donations, and many members donated one of their unused massage therapy sessions to WWP.
LevLane’s media relations and social media efforts resulted in a significant number of TV news and other media placements, prompting high numbers of Massage Envy Spa appointments made on Veterans Day, and resulting in large regional donations made to WWP.
For example, the Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Northern Virginia region, with 37 spas, raised a total of $55,972 for WWP. In addition, members donated 739 of their unused, prepaid massage sessions, with a retail value of $88,673, in order to provide a free massage to a veteran or service member, for a total donation value of $144,645. The 78 Massage Envy Spas located throughout Long Island, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Northern and Central New Jersey, Westchester County, New York and Connecticut raised a total of $39,805.40, for which a check presentation was made by Eugenia Tzoannopoulos, regional developer for Massage Envy Spas, to Danny Rodriguez, warrior outreach coordinator in Wounded Warrior Project’s New York City offices (see photo).
LevLane is Behind Philly’s Lean Towards Green
Philadelphia is known for many things, such as its eclectic and tight-knit neighborhoods, kids splashing in Love Park’s fountain, cookouts in Fairmount Park, and, most recently, its historic curbside recycling diversion rates.
No, you didn’t read that wrong.
On November 13, Philadelphians converged on City Hall’s Dilworth Park for an outdoor celebration, media event, and information fair as the city recognized America Recycles Day. During the event, the Philadelphia Streets Department’s Recycling Office announced that 128,000 tons of recycled materials were collected through the city’s curbside recycling program, buildings, and public spaces in fiscal year 2014. That number is impressive, but even more so is that the total tonnage represents a 155 percent increase in recycling since 2008.
The event helped emphasize that we have to keep up the momentum and recycle smarter – on the job, on the street, and at play. Event attendees learned about recycling and waste-reduction efforts, and how the city can improve its recycling habits, from these participating organizations:
- Philadelphia Streets Department
- Philadelphia Recycling Office
- United States Environmental Protection Agency
- Mayor’s Office of Sustainability
- Keep America Beautiful
- Keep Philadelphia Beautiful
- Recyclebank
- ReCommunity Recycling
- PECO
This event is LevLane’s most recent endeavor in recognizing the important contributions of the citizens of Philadelphia who are responsible for this historic milestone. Working with the Streets Department and its Recycling Office since 2007, LevLane’s latest iteration I’m Behind Recycling is a media campaign that shows the Philadelphians who are leading the charge by recycling at home.
Additionally, LevLane developed Facebook and Twitter pages for the Philadelphia’s Recycling Office to engage people in real time – to keep them up to date with the latest information and statistics, and to make answering their questions as quick and easy as possible. By sharing articles, highlighting recycling events, and sharing expert commentary, these pages help establish the city as a knowledgeable resource, leader and advocate for recycling.
Phase two of the I’m Behind Recycling campaign serves as a refresher course on what is and isn’t recyclable. We’re so eager that we’re recycling items like plastic bags, tissues, greasy pizza boxes, and light bulbs, among other things, which can hinder the recycling process, damage machinery, and put sanitation workers at risk of injury. Philadelphians are doing a great job of recycling, but the bottom line is this: we need to know the ins and the outs.
We’ve been behind recycling for a long time, and with our collective efforts and an understanding of what’s recyclable, it won’t be long before Philadelphia achieves Mayor Nutter’s goal of becoming the Greenest City in America.
Philly’s Got Moves at new Rothman Institute Ice Rink
On November 14th, Philadelphia’s newest winter attraction will be introduced: The Rothman Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park. In the past, Dilworth Plaza at City Hall was a dilapidated urban maze that left the Center City District (CCD) craving a fresh space that people would prioritize as a must-visit destination. In September, CCD unveiled its new $55 million park space as Dilworth Park. Now it is a centerpiece of the city, with multiple weekly activities such as concerts, movies, and festivals.
As winter brings bitter cold temperatures and covers Philadelphia in a veil of snow, people tend to stay inside instead of experiencing everything the season has to offer. This melancholic time provided LevLane the opportunity to bring the warm spirit of the city to Dilworth Park, and bring together two of the region’s most well-known entities to develop and establish the Rothman Institute Ice Rink: Center City District and the Rothman Institute. Both clients’ businesses and cultures are sewn into the fabric of Philadelphia, which makes them the perfect partners to create a space that provides a uniquely Philadelphian experience. CCD is one of LevLane’s oldest clients, which gives us the advantage of knowing who reflects the brand’s image. Rothman’s orthopaedics practice throughout the region provides services focused on the human form’s movement– from balancing on ice skates to gliding around the rink.
![FullSizeRender[1]](https://www.levlane.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/FullSizeRender1-225x300.jpg)
By showcasing the ice rink as a winter mainstay, LevLane’s goal was to make the ice rink a tradition synonymous with the Philadelphia winter season. We set out to create an area for visitors to meet, interact, and have fun. We placed transit ads, print media, brochures, posters, and banners throughout the Philadelphia region to drive people toward Dilworth Park. The campaign effectively hit all corners of the city and depicted the Rothman Institute Ice Rink as a gathering place during the winter months. At the ice rink, a snowflake containing the Rothman Institute logo is placed under the ice, and around the circumference of the rink are the names of Philadelphia neighborhoods, represented as ice skating moves (such as the “Kensington Crossover”). Skaters are encouraged to share their moves and enjoyment of the new rink on social media by using the hashtag #rothmanrink.
The Rothman Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park was an agency-wide project that was successfully implemented because of our talented employees and caring clients. This frosty new feature will be open daily from November 14th through February 22nd. Join us in making the Rothman Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park a Philadelphia tradition.
LevLane’s Lively Speaker Series for Rydal Park deemed a hit, attracting sales prospects
LevLane’s PR and Marketing teams played a vital role creating and promoting Rydal Park’s Lively Fall Speaker Series, taking place this month in its second year. The series presents well-known local media figures from radio, television and newspapers sharing highlights from their careers, “the stories behind the story.”
Jerry Blavat, Oldies music DJ and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, charmed the audience at Rydal Park. He’s pictured here with Rydal’s Sarah Jolles.
The events have packed Rydal’s auditorium with prospective residents and resident ambassadors. The program was launched as an effort to draw local residents who could be strong candidates for joining Rydal’s community. The five-part series provides casual opportunities for attendees to experience some of Rydal Park’s enlightening events and desirable amenities, while meeting engaging speakers and taking in a tour.
Harry Gross, longtime Philadelphia Daily News columnist and Rydal Park resident, hosts the series, charming the visitors and encouraging them not to wait to make the decision to move in. Gross and his wife, both still active, have lived at Rydal for three years. Oftentimes, seniors express their interest but suggest they’re “not ready yet.”
In creating the Speaker Series in June 2013, LevLane integrated marketing and PR tactics to attract qualified sales leads for the senior community and to effectively communicate the community’s unique sense of “spirited living”. Rydal’s target demographic remains loyal to traditional media, and the featured speakers have been prominent with local media outlets for many years.
Oldies DJ Jerry Blavat spoke to the crowd about growing up in Philadelphia and the music scene, sharing stories about big name entertainers, local radio and nightclubs. At 74, he told the seniors he stays young with regular exercise and keeping a positive outlook on life.
The speaker series was promoted with a direct-mail piece targeted towards local prospects, in addition to media outreach and postings on RydalPark.org and its Facebook page.
Sarah Jolles, executive director of Sales and Marketing for Rydal Park, called the inaugural series last year a huge success, the program is now referred to as a “signature event.” The events last year trumped Rydal’s previous highest direct mail events by 40% and brought in the most repeat inquiries among all direct mail events last year. “I’ve been thrilled. This series has just gone so great,” she said.
With the concurrent celebration of its 40th anniversary this fall, the 2nd Annual Rydal Park Lively Fall Speaker Series featured: Glen Macnow, longtime sports radio 94WIP radio host; Lu Ann Cahn, NBC10 reporter and eight-time Emmy Award winner; Jerry Blavat, oldies radio DJ and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee; Clark DeLeon, longtime Philadelphia Inquirer columnist and Philadelphia historian; and Dan Rubin, Philadelphia Inquirer deputy metro editor/Enterprise.
By Gina Turdo, PR Intern
When Center City District wanted to re-brand Philadelphia’s newest park, it chose LevLane
It was known only as barren, uninviting and often restricted.
Now, it is Center City’s lively new centerpiece around Philadelphia’s City Hall.
After years of construction, Dilworth Park finally became a reality in September, attracting local workers, families and tourists to the transformed space with more improvements soon.
When the Center City District needed a partner to brand and promote Dilworth Park, it chose LevLane. Another cool project for a client we’ve loved for more than 10 years. Levlane has helped promote CCD’s Restaurant Week, Lunchtime Concert Series and other special events.
LevLane was excited to help Center City District position Dilworth Park as the new place to live, work and play in the city. It’s the stage for quiet gatherings for people from all sections of the city, for children to play in the fountains, and for entertainment and family fun. Dilworth also would be the new gateway for hordes of commuters using mass transit with the dramatically improved underground entrances to SEPTA’s subways and trolley lines.
New name, more action. CCD turned Dilworth Plaza from the inaccessible, multi-level mass of hard surfaces around City Hall into a fresh, green well-maintained public space with the new name, Dilworth Park. It features expanded public space with groves of trees and a lawn, a café operated by famed local chef/restauranteur Jose Garces, a programmable fountain that will become an ice skating rink in the wintertime, and space for plenty of benches and chairs for people to hang out.
LevLane’s objective was to develop a multimedia campaign that would reach local residents and workers, young professionals and families with young children, as well as public officials, civic leaders event planners and donors. We created fresh new identity for Dilworth Park to attract locals and encourage them to take advantage of the new cafe and events.
From lifeless in the past to lively today. LevLane created new branding that positioned Dilworth Park as a place with energy, a place with planned entertainment and arts and cultural events year-round, like weekday happy hours with a DJ and movie nights under the stars.
The campaign creative is evident in newspaper, magazine, digital and radio ads, outdoor signage and giant banners, transit signs and bus wraps, brochures and event promotional materials.
“LevLane played a huge part in developing all of the signage and marketing for the park. It was a long road to get everything done, but another job well done by our team!” said Josh Lev, account director for CCD. “The branding and promotion of the city’s newest was a great opportunity to demonstrate our creative and media capabilities. We were happy to support a project that would be so visible and positive for Philadelphia.” Along with Josh and Stephania Marsico from account services, LevLane’s team included RJ Cassi, Evan Monsky, and Gabby Shirdan.
Center City District works year-round to ensure that Philadelphia’s downtown not only looks welcoming, but also is brighter, safer and more accessible. The $55 million Dilworth Park project was the fourth and most prominent city park to be re-developed and managed by CCD. All renovations are expected to be complete in November.
A sample of events at Dilworth Park:
- Pictures in the Park with Tuesday night movies al fresco under the glow from City Hall, the first on Sept. 30 with Seabiscuit
- Live @ Lunch — Philadelphia’s center stage shines every Wednesday afternoon with a showcase of local music, dance & performing arts.
- Style Pop – Thursdays at Dilworth Park, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Dilworth becomes a chic, cutting-edge designer pop-up market with designer apparel, accessories & crafts.
- Grooves in the Grove – Every Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. pack a brown bag lunch or grab some treats from the café and settle in for some shoulder-bopping, hip-swinging, head-bobbing tunes.
- Octoberfest – Saturday, Oct. 18 and 25 — This fall festival will fill the park with a series of fun activities & games, plus a social 21+ beer garden.
www.ccdparks.org/dilworth-park
How LevLane helped a NJ healthcare system grow and garner national attention
LevLane Wins Three Gold Awards for NJ’s Kennedy Health Marketing Campaign
At Inaugural National Ad Age/Modern Healthcare Conference
Agency Honored for Best Integrated Campaign, Print and Radio Campaigns
For about 10 years, LevLane has loved working with Kennedy Health System, positioning Kennedy as a leader in consumer healthcare in southern New Jersey. Over the years, Kennedy has grown with its three regional hospitals and an ever-expanding network of great primary doctors and specialty practices who together serve thousands of local residents with quality care.
The latest effort has brought exciting attention at the national level for both LevLane and Kennedy Health. LevLane an Kennedy Health this week won three gold Healthcare Marketing IMPACT awards in a competition sponsored by Advertising Age and Modern Healthcare magazines.
LevLane was chosen with the awards for the best integrated campaign of the year, best print and best audio (or radio) campaigns to promote the Kennedy Health Alliance, a network of primary and specialty care medical practices that launched in 2011 throughout southern New Jersey and serves as a gateway for Kennedy’s three area hospitals and outpatient centers.
The awards recognized the healthcare industry’s best advertising, marketing, promotion and communications campaigns. With 140 entries in nine categories., the winners were chosen based on a combination of creativity and marketing effectiveness.
The multimedia campaign, which launched early this spring and is ongoing, was titled, “I’m not a doctor. But I know what I want from one.”
From the beginning, the results were terrific.
In the first month of the campaign, Kennedy Health’s call center volume increased by more than 10,000, web site traffic increased sharply, community engagement on social media blossomed, and most importantly patient visits rose significantly. The campaign primarily targeted women as the healthcare decision-makers in a family and includes:
- ads in several South Jersey newspapers
- a new South Jersey Traffic First sponsorship during KYW Newsradio’s morning rush and spots throughout the day
- television spots on morning news and in programming in different dayparts that effectively reach the target demographic
- outdoor ads
- online digital advertisements
Rather than featuring the physicians and their expertise, the campaign aimed to “speak to the consumer from a consumer,” said Bruce Lev, agency partner and chief creative director. Bruce was part of a LevLane team who accepted the award along with Frances G. Atkinson, Kennedy’s vice president of marketing, at a special reception in Chicago.
“We’ve had a longstanding relationship with Kennedy, and we wanted to highlight the peace of mind for patients that comes with having a team of great doctors built around your own personal healthcare needs,” he said.
The winners will be featured in a special supplement of Modern Healthcare, a national publication that reaches more than 70,000 readers weekly.
“Kennedy is thrilled to have been honored with these awards,” said Atkinson. “We have had a great working relationship with LevLane as our agency for the past decade, and this campaign totally captured our vision and message, while helping building business for the Kennedy Health Alliance. It was a win-win all the way around.”
LevLane is an integrated marketing communications firm with a 30-year record of success building brands and driving consumer action. From its offices in Center City Philadelphia’s historic Wanamaker Building, LevLane’s strategic acumen and emotionally-driven creative has inspired love for clients in virtually every industry category, including healthcare, senior living, retail and franchise businesses, banking and professional services, governmental agencies and non-profits.
Kennedy is a health services delivery system serving the communities of southern New Jersey. Kennedy meets the community’s healthcare needs at its hospital campuses in Cherry Hill, Stratford and Washington Township, NJ, and at outpatient facilities throughout Camden and Gloucester counties. Kennedy University Hospital is the Principal teaching hospital of Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine (RowanSOM). Kennedy is also a member of the Penn Cancer Network and the Jefferson Neurosciences Network (JNN).
Bringing home the ADDYs gold
Last night LevLane received four ADDYs from the Philly Ad Club’s annual ADDY Awards! Some of LevLane’s finest suited up for a night of celebration at Vie on North Broad. Other than our shiny new awards, the best part of the night was seeing the awesome opening video from Shooters Inc that features Bruce, Lori, Drake, Randy and Crystal. Be forewarned that you will never get Pharrell’s “Happy” out of your head after watching.
Now onto the good stuff.
Gold ADDY Award: Spirited Living for Rydal Park
Category: Sales Promotion, Brochure-Four Color
Bruce Lev, Chief Creative Officer
Debbey Racano, SVP Creative Director
Crystal Irvin, Associate Creative Director
Randy Malone, Senior Copywriter
Gold ADDY Award: Annual Report for Support Center for Child Advocates
Category: Public Service, Collateral-Annual Report
Bruce Lev, Chief Creative Officer
Debbey Racano, SVP Creative Director
RJ Cassi, Art Director
Evan Monsky, Copywriter
Silver ADDY Award: Be In On It for Center City District
Category: Direct Mail, Single (B2B or Consumer)-Flat
Bruce Lev, Chief Creative Officer
Debbey Racano, SVP Creative Director
RJ Cassi, Art Director
Evan Monsky, Senior Copywriter
Silver ADDY Award: Restaurant Week for Center City District
Category: Sales Promotion, Poster-Single
Bruce Lev, Chief Creative Officer
Debbey Racano, SVP Creative Director
Gabrielle Sheridan, Art Director
Evan Monsky, Senior Copywriter
The Philly Ad Club really knows how to throw a party. Until next year, cheers.
