• YouTube
• Linked In
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Follow us on:

• People
• Clients
• Work
• Services
• Life
• Contact

Austin & Williams Launches the Intrepid

November 11, 2008

By: Megan Kigallen

On November 11, 2008, the Austin & Williams staff was part of the reopening celebration of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, putting an exclamation point on nine months of creative and marketing development that culminated this historic event.

The Veterans Day event served not only to honor those who have served our country, but to rechristen the ship, which opened to the public just a few days earlier. The ceremony featured numerous dignitaries and special guests, most notably U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York Governor David Paterson, and President George W. Bush, accompanied by First Lady Laura Bush.

The President was presented with the Intrepid Freedom Award, and he laid a ceremonial wreath in honor of American veterans, assisted by former NASA astronauts Scott Carpenter and Buzz Aldrin. The First Lady joined Mrs. Sally Hoover Casale, whose grandmother christened the USS Intrepid in 1943, in the official rechristening of the ship as a museum. A flyover of F-16s wowed an estimated 5,000 guests, including sailors and Marines visiting on the USS Bataan and approximately 2,500 veterans, who attended the event, which was held on the newly transformed Pier 86. At the conclusion of the ceremonies, the veterans marched from the Intrepid to 42nd Street and 5th Avenue to join with other veterans in New York City's annual Veterans Day Parade.

"Not only has it been great working with everyone at Austin & Williams, but the dedication, commitment, turnaround and compassion has been so tremendous, accomplishing lofty goals under intense deadlines," said Susan Marenoff, Executive Director of the Intrepid Museum. "And need we say that the product – the creative, the output – is simply fantastic."

The Intrepid is one of America's leading historic, cultural and educational institutions.  Since it originally opened in 1982, the museum has welcomed more than 10 million visitors.  She served proudly in World War II, went on to serve as one of the primary recovery vessels for NASA, saw three tours of duty off Vietnam, and assisted with submarine surveillance in the North Atlantic during the Cold War. In September 2001, long after the ship was decommissioned and transformed into a museum, she served as temporary field headquarters for the FBI as it began its investigation of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. Today, she continues her service as a premiere educational center and a monument to all who have served our nation in uniform. The mission of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is to honor our heroes, educate the public, and inspire our youth.

Austin & Williams was named Agency of Record for the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in February 2008. By awarding A&W such a prestigious title, the Intrepid has entrusted the agency with all creative, marketing, and advertising duties, and the agency has certainly rose to the challenge:

In the first month it was open, the Intrepid Museum welcomed 56,000 visitors, surpassing their goal of 40,000.

Museum membership has increased by more than 50 percent.

November 2008 revenue was up nearly 40 percent from November 2006 when they closed for renovations.

The museum went from having 0 volunteers (since they all were "let go" when the ship closed) to now having 85 dedicated volunteers. (Figures updated 12/5/08)

Simply said, the men and women at Austin & Williams consider it truly an honor to be a part of the Intrepid's latest mission.