Clear Channel Outdoor Ignites July 4th Celebration with First Cross-Country Digital Billboard Display of “The Star Spangled Banner”
Rendition of the National Anthem by Recording Artist Ingrid Michaelson Accompanies Short Film of Sunrise-to-Sunset Digital Lyric Displays in Diverse U.S. Communities And Inspires Americans to Share Their Patriotic Spirit with #united4th
New York, NY – July 3, 2013 – In a national first, Clear Channel Outdoor (NYSE: CCO) today lit up a cross-country campaign that displays lyrics of “The Star Spangled Banner” on a host of its more than 1,000 digital billboards serving diverse communities across the United States (video). This sea-to-shining-sea salute is part of Clear Channel Outdoor’s patriotic #united4th campaign, harnessing the immediacy and flexibility of its digital out-of-home media to unite the nation in celebration of Independence Day.
From July 4 to July 7, Clear Channel Outdoor will display verses of the National Anthem across its digital billboard network in cities across the country, and encourage viewers to visit the website united4th.com to view a special National Anthem short film featuring a collection of videos of billboards from across the country and celebrating the diversity of communities across the United States. Produced in collaboration with award-winning creative agency partner TAXI, the short film begins with the sun rising on an East Coast billboards displaying the lyrics “Oh Say Can You…,” after which it traverses the nation from East to West, North to South and middle America and returns East to Times Square as night has fallen on billboards proclaiming, “…Home of the Brave.”
Platinum-selling musician and 2013 VH1 Save The Music Foundation ambassador Ingrid Michaelson, whose music has been featured on over 200 TV shows, feature films and commercials and who has sold over 4 million singles to date, applies her heartfelt vocal talents to “The Star Spangled Banner” heard in the short film.
Clear Channel Outdoor employees from across the nation participated in the development of the video, videotaping the billboards with “The Star Spangled Banner” lyrics at different times of day and capturing the unique beauty of their own home towns, and TAXI’s creative partner 1One Productions, also filmed at select locations. In a remarkable collaborative process between Clear Channel Outdoor, TAXI and 1One Productions, involving both amateur and world-class photographers, the entire project was conceived, developed and produced in just two weeks, just in time to honor America’s Independence Day.
With on air promotional support from more than 200 Clear Channel radio stations nationwide and through iHeartRadio, Clear Channel’s industry leading digital radio platform, the campaign is leveraging Clear Channel’s enormous, cross-platform national reach to encourage Americans to show their Independence Day spirit by posting patriotic photos or videos depicting how they celebrate July 4th (including videos of themselves singing the National Anthem) on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Vine, using hashtag #united4th. Throughout the campaign, Clear Channel Outdoor will collect the content that is shared across these social media channels, and then post the best of the user-generated content to its digital out-of-home media and to united4th.com beginning July 8.
“We are extremely proud to highlight the lyrics to ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ on our extensive digital out-of-home network, against the backdrop of our diverse American landscape, to drive a dialogue with the public during such a patriotic time,” said Vicki Lins, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Clear Channel Outdoor – North America. “The #united4th campaign demonstrates what is possible through collaboration, and it also illustrates the unique power of out-of-home media to curate a cultural conversation and connect with consumers in engaging, meaningful ways. With our partners, we’ve had tremendous enjoyment building this film for America and now we invite Americans everywhere to join us with their own submissions.”
Billboards displaying the National Anthem can be found in:
• Albuquerque
• Atlanta
• Baltimore
• Boston
• Chicago
• Cleveland
• Columbus
• Dallas/Fort Worth
• Des Moines
• El Paso
• Fort Smith
• Houston
• Indianapolis
• Jacksonville
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• Melbourne/Daytona Beach
• Memphis
• Miami
• Milwaukee
• Minneapolis/St Paul
• New York
• Ocala
• Orlando
• Philadelphia
• Phoenix
• Portland
• Reno
• Sacramento
• Salisbury
• San Antonio
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Tampa
• Washington DC
• Wichita
For more information, visit United4th.com.
Media Contact:
David Grabert VP, Marketing & Communications, Clear Channel Outdoor
212.812.0089
davidgrabert@clearchannel.com
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