For example: You can start a week working on some super-sweet outdoor boards and by the end of the week find yourself standing in a wrestling ring with 4 giant mascots playing a game of musical chairs at a masked wrestling event.

(Me thinks you won’t see what follows on the next episode of Mad Men.)

Stripes had an opportunity to be the title sponsor for a masked wrestling event in Corpus Christi called “Lucha Libre.” The event fit perfectly with the Ultimate Breakfast Taco Showdown promotion scheduled to be happening in-market at the time. Sometimes the stars just align, rarely does it involve angry men in masks performing a high-flying ballet of violence, but it does happen.

The radio for the promotion fit perfectly with the vibe of the event.

Check it out. [audio:http://thefurnace.firehouseagency.com/wp-content/uploads/Taco-Babies-No-Music1.mp3|titles=Taco Babies No Music]

All in all it was one of those sponsorships creatives dream about: you get free reign of the perfect event for your brand AND there are flying midgets involved.

The first step: hyperventilate. Second step: happy dance. Third step: get to work figuring out how to make this event unmistakably and completely owned by Stripes.

We wanted a presence from the front of the stadium (Whataburger Field) all the way to the ring.

First things first: the entrance. We designed a Stripes booth that would feature a custom “Thumbador” ring where kids could put tiny masks over their thumbs and thumb wrestle like a pro…if there were such a thing. The action was to be streamed live onto a TV mounted on the tent behind them. The idea was to go beyond just a presence and deliver an experience. Here’s how it turned out:

In the tent, face painters decked out folks on their very own Luchador masks (in Stripes colors).

Of course the mascots would need a proper lucha makeover. As luck would have it, Stripes has a seamstress on hand for just such an eventuality. She did an excellent job of bringing our designs to life.

We then had the luchafied mascots greet folks as they filed in the door and past our booth and flanked the booth with our giant Stripes cup.

Inside the stadium, Stripes signage was everywhere and the mascots worked the crowd between fights, keeping the energy level crazy high.

During intermission we staged our musical chairs event billed as the Stripes Mascot Folding Chair Challenge (sounds a bit more dangerous than “musical chairs”). We coached the actors to really get into the lucha spirit and they took the advice to heart…big time.

The taco was scripted to win so the audience could be awarded an exit coupon for one free taco in support of the Ultimate Breakfast Taco Showdown promotion. What was not scripted (exactly) was that he would win by body slamming the beer bottle and then dropping a DDT on him from off the ropes. The crowd totally  loved it.

While the crowd was still on its feet, we started flinging t-shirts into the audience with a giant slingshot. The first couple actually went completely out of the stadium, but we quickly improved our aim eventually taking out an entire row of senior citizens who had mistakenly showed up expecting to see Justin Bieber on Ice (ok, that may not have actually happened).

The crowd was louder and more into the event at this point than at any time during the show including the evening’s main event.

Our exhaustive post-event research has already revealed some surprising insights:

At exit, everyone in attendance received a coupon and redemption is at about 8% as of today (not too shabby).

Go big. That’s just how it has to be when Firehouse does a promotion, we go gonzo, all the way to 11, rip the nob off, light the fuse and walk away looking cool as the whole thing blows up in a beautiful ball of awesome.

Sometimes, we’ll even get tarted up a bit in the spirit of the moment.

Face paint over entire head + 4000% humidity = blissful near-death experience, mild hallucinations.

The next morning, we discovered the press (no doubt notified, annoyed, badgered and possibly threatened by our very own mistress of PR, Kari) had given us a little love.  Bonus w00t!

Mask Warriors logo courtesy of Lucha Libre USA
News clipping courtesy of the Corpus Christi Caller Times

Our client, Stripes, donated new soccer nets to nine different youth soccer leagues in and around Corpus Christi and began rehabbing a soccer field as a Field of Dreams for one particular team. The program made sense for the brand and the community, and the timing was ideal with the 2010 World Cup starting that week.

What we didn’t anticipate was the extreme outpouring of gratitude from those who were receiving the donations. The presidents and directors of the soccer leagues that I spoke with to coordinate the donations could not say “thank you” enough and kept telling me that we just didn’t understand what this would mean to their all-volunteer, not-for-profit organizations.

While in Corpus to help with the donations and coordinate media coverage, there were several times when I was literally stunned at the response we got – from parents, from kids, from soccer team coaches and even from the maintenance worker at one of the soccer fields at a city park, who gave one of the most sincere and heart-felt expressions of gratitude, telling us that the impact of this program on the kids would be immeasurable.

It doesn’t get much better than having a seven-year-old little boy walk up to your client, shake his hand and say, “Thank you for the cool new nets for my soccer team.”

On the surface, the client donated soccer nets and some turf for a new field. But what we really did was offer some much-needed financial relief to organizations that often don’t get any breaks; helped lower registration costs next year across the leagues so it’s a bit easier on families with kids who want to play soccer; and made sure thousands of kids, who often see nicer fields when they play “away” games, can take pride in playing on their home fields because they look much nicer.

No big budgets, nothing glamorous or cutting-edge about it. But we sure did find a way to make a mark on our client’s hometown community. Made a mark on me, too – reminded me why I love doing what I do.

Last Thursday, something bigger than words can describe started here at Firehouse. It’s an initiative born out of Mark’s belief that big ideas can make a difference, and that the power of prayer is, well, powerful – and can be life changing.

Anna Basso is a 16-year-old girl who lives in Dallas and whose family also lives next door to Mark – they have been neighbors for 10 years. She’s been battling Stage 4 Ewing’s Sarcoma (a rare type of bone cancer) since November 2009 and has a tough fight ahead.

Anna has become an inspiration to us all, and while she is getting terrific medical care, it’s going to take more than that to help her win this fight.

To encourage Anna in her battle against cancer, the agency set a lofty goal of getting one million prayers for her. It all comes together at http://www.1millionprayers.com, where friends, family and even strangers are pledging to pray for Anna and sending their collective goodwill her way.

Please join us in supporting this amazing young woman, day in and day out. A special time has been set aside every day to pray – 12:12 p.m. This time is a direct reference to Romans 12:12 – Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Anna can really feel the strength of each individual behind her.

Pledge to pray for Anna on the website (1millionprayers.com), and help us spread the word via Facebook and Twitter (#1million4anna).

This news clip does a great job of telling the story of the 1 Million 4 Anna project, with footage from a party we hosted for Anna on April 22.

DIY expert and “Today Show” correspondent Lou Manfredini wanted to use a Rug Doctor machine as part of a home cleaning segment on the “Today Show” this morning. So, we arranged for the machine and a range of cleaning products to be sent, and I (along with my good friend Schubert Pereira from Rug Doctor) went to 30 Rock to help Lou prep for the segment.

Here’s a little recap of past 18 hours in NYC…
• After a quick rehearsal on Monday evening to see how the product would be used, Lou took us on a brief after-hours tour of Today Show studios (pretty cool stuff)
• Found out the segment producer was a fan of Rug Doctor, as well
• Got a “Good Morning” from Hoda Kotb as we walked into the building with her on Tuesday morning
• In the Green Room, we sat next to Daniel Wright from “The Biggest Loser”
• Then Ann Curry walked into the Green Room and stood next to me to greet some guests
• Our segment followed a hilarious interview with Sandra Bullock
• The Rug Doctor cleaning solutions and machine got some good airtime
• And the visual of the Rug Doctor machine cleaning the carpet on-air made two people in the Green Room say “Wow” and “That works really well” — and they had no idea we were from Rug Doctor

Pretty good trip to 30 Rock, I would say. Here’s the segment — take a look for yourself…

Picture of rehearsal:

While recognizing them as leading a trend in restaurants to move to healthier fare, Zinczenko specifically called out the Seared Scallops and Spinach Salad for the improvement to its nutritionals — they reduced the fat and calories by 80%, bringing it to just 400 calories and 4 grams of fat. And trust us, it tastes great!

Oh look, it’s time for lunch!

Check out some more Mac Grill work that has been helping to move the needle.

I’ll admit, I’m probably not what you’d picture as a typical NASCAR fan. I’m a 30-something professional, a Volvo-driving suburbanite, and I don’t particularly like beer.

But I’ve been to multiple races at Texas Motor Speedway. I signed my name on the start/finish line before the 50th running of the infamous Daytona 500. I know the difference between “hot” and “cold” pit passes. And I’m a huge fan of NASCAR’s recently implemented double-file restarts.

I am hooked on the sheer spectacle of the event. The sights, the sounds, the cars, the personalities -– it’s all really great theater. And when I catch a race on TV, I love it when the announcers (often retired drivers or pit crew chiefs) get into the strategy and the physics of the race.

But what has become an even more interesting piece of the NASCAR pie (or chili and cheese-laden Frito pie, as the case may be) is observing the relationship between the drivers and the brands they represent.

These guys -– whom most people assume are a little rough around the edges –- are very effective spokespeople. One of the first times I heard a driver interviewed after a race, I was blown away by how sponsor-conscious he was after just having driven 180 mph for three hours. I mean, it takes me a while to re-focus after my own 30-minute commute!

As a PR professional, I’ve worked with executives who’ve had weeks to prepare for an interview and don’t end up hitting all their key messages the way these drivers do.

Yes, the drivers are paid (and paid well) to represent these brands. But as long as NASCAR fans remain 75% more likely to buy sponsor products and services, the drivers are some of the most influential brand representatives around. And from a NASCAR-lovin’ PR gal’s perspective, I can appreciate the skill these guys display on the track, as well as the job they have to do off the track.

Speaking of the track, I’m counting down the days to the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 8 –- how ‘bout you?