Cases

Royal Netherlands Embassy and Consulate NY400 Campaign

2009 marks the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage to New York—a time to celebrate the long-standing, 400-year relationship between the Netherlands and the United States. Through a year-long series of events collectively called NY400, the Royal Netherlands Embassy and Consulate and The Hague have been working to highlight and expand this friendship, increasing awareness of Dutch achievements and contributions to the United States and strengthen relationships among opinion leaders in both countries.

Americans had benefited greatly from Dutch contributions to the United States. The Dutch were among the first responders after the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, providing support and counsel on living with water. Dutch designers and architects are often featured in American building and fashion. Furthermore, the Dutch are exemplary in their approach to cultural and religious tolerance. The Ogilvy PR team has worked to highlight these and other Dutch contributions through various initiatives in 2009.

The team worked with representatives from the Embassy and Consulate General’s office to refine their messaging to move perceptions of the Dutch beyond windmills and tulips to incorporate these achievements. Throughout 2009, Ogilvy PR is providing event support, conducting ongoing media outreach, executing pitches for upcoming events, and securing thought leadership engagements to support the refined messaging. In addition, the Ogilvy PR team has developed a NY400 widget, conducted extensive blogger outreach, and provides ongoing social media counsel to the NY400 team.

In addition to supporting the NY400 campaign strategy, all of tactics work in tandem to help keep the Netherlands top-of-mind beyond 2009 for their ongoing contributions to American society and infrastructure.