On Monday, shoppers coming out of Macy's probably didn't expect to hear folks debate whether real boobs are better than fake ones, but that was the kind of pedestrian-stopping, rowdy distraction VH1 used to promote its new show The Great Debate. Assembled in the Broadway pedestrian area between Macy's and Herald Square Park, some 2,500 spectators paused to watch students from Yale, Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania energetically argue over pop culture issues on a boxing ring-style stage. Hosting the contest were VH1's Best Week Ever contributor Chuck Nice and comedians Pete Holmes and Amy Schumer.
Overseen by the television network's director of consumer partnerships and promotions, Nancy Ratner, the publicity stunt was designed and produced by Grand Central Marketing, which coordinated permits for the site and approached the schools to find students to compete. The Great Debate's producers, Jon Rubin, Pat Twist, and Karla Hidalgo, served as judges, selecting the winning team that was awarded a $2,000 prize. To draw more attention and bring the crowd into the mix, VH1 gathered food editors, real estate agents, and teens to go head-to-head over other subjects—including best barbecue in New York, Twitter versus Facebook, and best TV mom—that the crowd could vote on.
Aside from being locked into the event date—the show premiered on Monday night and the planning team didn't want to initiate marketing before or during the July 4 holiday weekend—the promotion also faced challenges with finding the right public venue. After a booking conflict at Union Square and an ordinance against amplified sound in Times Square narrowed the choices, Grand Central Marketing worked with the 34th Street Partnership and the city to use Herald Square's newly created pedestrian area, a section that has never been offered before.
Following animated discussions on issues such as La Macarena versus Y.M.C.A., whether Criss Angel is a bigger attention seeker than David Blaine, and if reality TV series Rock of Love is a guiltier pleasure than Flavor of Love, the University of Pennsylvania's team was declared the winner, with Harvard finishing second. Overall, VH1 estimated that the four-hour promotion generated between 20,000 and 30,000 impressions.
