EFTA01207289.pdf

New York Old Friend Project Concept and Strategy The classic New York effigies have become stale. Over-gentrification and overexposure in the media has positioned NYC as a haven for yuppies, the 1%, greed and vice. The "glitz and glam" has been exalted at the expense of its storied romanticism and history, warmth and culture. Ken Laub's New York, Old Friend is a words and music homage to the romanticized memory of a timeless, classic Manhattan; a life-long friend. Ken, a long time New Yorker, composer and real estate mogul, believes that the moment is right to introduce her to those who may have just arrived, wide-eyed, eager and energetic. Those who have known New York, much like an old friend you've grown up with, know that life has ups and downs, people come in and out, but lasting friendships are the ones with shared experiences and mutual love and respect despite all the struggles. New York is no different. It's been a friend through thick and thin; providing comfort, opportunity, entertainment, excitement, new perspectives, and adventures. Although at the same time it can be harsh, insulting, gloomy, disinterested or opportunistic. These combined experiences and characteristics are mutually shared between the city and the people who love her. Much like a lifelong friendship, the love is unconditional. Great stories can be told by words, images, music and sounds, or a dynamic blend of all four. Ken Laub's concept New York, Old Friend tells a timeless tale about New York, as a life-long friend. His songs work as individual stories on their own, or as part of a collection that when played together conjure up the romantic and emotional connection to the City and the many moments or experiences we've all shared with it. Tactically, there are at least three core concepts of how New York Old Friend could be produced; a recorded album, visual essay (with images, video, and music), or a full-length feature consisting of vignettes that portray the stories told in the music within an overarching narrative connecting them all (thinkLove Actually or Paris je t'aime). If we think of New York, Old Friend as a unifying concept there are many ways its message can be communicated beyond the actual projects, tailored EFTA01207289 for each particular target audience. These could include experiential events, flash/pop-up concerts, digital content and social media, sponsored mini- performances at the sponsoring venue, unique talent-based presentations of New York as a friend, philanthropic and preservation opportunities, and other strategic media placements. New York, Old Friend is a romantic message, a series of stories uniting under one overall narrative personifying New York as an old friend. These stories represent experiences throughout life, such as love, loss, heartache, triumph, and enjoyment that you would have with your friend. Each experience evokes a memory for and is an ode to a time and place in the City: 1. Makin' it Here: a. If you're going to earn it, this is the right place 2. Fugue for a Rainy Day: a. Pet-peeves we learn to love about our City 3. Stop and Smell the Roses a. The things we take for granted 4. Christmas Eve in Central Park a. The title says it all 5. Starting Over a. New Years Eve, Resolutions, Auld Lang Syne & Times Square 6. It Could Happen a. Love at first sight 7. Excuse me, Are You a Dancer? a. The excuses we find to talk to someone 8. Another Time, Another Place a. Poorly timed infatuation 9. Sweet Attraction a. Finding a way to relate 10.Tuesdays at 3:45 a. Making a relationship work on a busy schedule 11.This Song is Just For You a. A love song for that special person you will meet someday 12.Halfway Home a. A tip of the cap to that gothic structure known as Grand Central Station which is halfway home to those that we love 13.Mama a. Acknowledging the importance of the homeless. EFTA01207290  14.The Lady's Looking Good a. NYC post 9/11 as seen through the eyes of the Statue of Liberty. "We must never forget"! 15.New York, Old Friend a. A retrospective of a life-long friendship with New York City 16.Thanks for the Use of the Hall a. Here's to life in the City we love Each song can be produced as a stand-alone narrative, i.e. a music video with either still images or live action. Collectively they also tell a story of a personal relationship with New York from beginning to end. A selection of the songs can be dramatized for a feature-length film so that the viewer is experiencing several separate stories that interconnect using New York as their backdrop. Social Media becomes the ideal marketing medium through which these projects can be promoted organically, groups can be engaged, and people turned into brand advocates. PR efforts would be heavily targeted story pitching to classic NY media and key performance bookings including late night television. The initial focus would be to interest an audience and potential backers to further develop the projects by a highly publicized event, in the Spring/Summer 2015 - New York, Old Friend: A Celebration of a Lifelong Friendship, possibly at Jazz at Lincoln Center in which guests would step back into another era with New York as the host. Media sponsor could include emerging music platforms (Spotify, SoundCloud, Pandora etc.) and New York specific media (Time Out NY, Manhattan, Gotham) Next Steps: • Confirm Strategy, create a plan • Creative: Logo, style, artwork, brand assets • Find a label or a company to help produce • Find a publicist • Create and secure brand channels (social, digital, creative, collateral) EFTA01207291  • Approach talent to feature • Create timeline and discuss budgets • Storyboard and create the narrative In short, New York, Old Friend is a concept that transcends media — it's a state of mind, an alchemy that transforms memories, imagination, entertainment and the world around us into an immersive experience that will soon become another classic. EFTA01207292