Meet The Brand Behind The Times Square New Year’s Ball Drop

Ken Makovsky

I recently joined my wife for a New Year’s event hosted by Waterford Crystal. It was a spectacle to go to the top of One Times Square to take in Manhattan from above, and of course see the famous New Year’s Eve ball up close. If you didn’t know, the Irish brand manufactures the 2,688 glass triangles that make the 6-ton sphere.

During the event, my mind of course wandered to marketing (as usual). Our job as marketers is to find white spaces of attention, and connect people with our brands in an authentic, meaningful way. We think of the Super Bowl as the marquee moment of the year for brands.

But New Year’s, and the 10-second countdown to say goodbye to 2018, will be watched by over 1 billion people around the world. Waterford, the 238-year-old brand, exclusively owns that 10-seconds. What an incredible opportunity.

If you’re reading this (thanks moms, dad, and friends I spammed), you probably didn’t know about Waterford’s involvement unless you paid close attention to Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper mentioning the brand by name each time they talked about the ball. The ball doesn’t feature any Waterford branding…because that would be tacky. What an incredible challenge.

From a quick search, Waterford has done an excellent job in traditional PR. I’ve heard the brand mentioned in every segment on nearly every single news outlet. But my mind races about how they could build even more brand <3 and of course $$ through a more integrated approach.

What comes to mind? Monetizing this exclusive brand moment with NYE-themed products for every price range, behavior-based paid social to drive sales, and digital & IRL brand experiences that tap into powerful emotions of entering a new year. Feel free to contact me if you work for Waterford. I’m always up for a free trip to Ireland…

New Year’s is an important time for most. It’s our arbitrary reset time to unsuccessfully become a runner or lose the 7.5 pounds you gained at your in-law’s over the holidays. Personal failures aside, New Year’s is a time to give yourself an excuse to have hope and see challenges and opportunities from a fresh perspective. Whether it’s a professional or personal challenge, I hope you take the time to see it for what it is: an opportunity to be better and do better. Happy 2019!