Coyne PR has worked collaboratively with Hard Rock International on a range of breakthrough initiatives throughout the agency’s long-term relationship with the iconic global brand.
Committed to its “Save the Planet” motto, Hard Rock International partnered with Willie Nelson for the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance, a non-profit organization founded by Willie’s wife Annie Nelson, biodiesel advocate Daryl Hannah and members of the biodiesel community to promote sustainable biodiesel practices. Coyne PR and the Hard Rock team launched an event at Hard Rock Cafe New York in Times Square that featured locally grown produce, carbon offsets and green transportation for celebrities. The event linked Willie Nelson to other iconic music stars that have joined Hard Rock’s Ambassadors of Rock program and served as the official launch of the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance. The event garnered more than 227 million media impressions, including the New York Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Fox & Friends and MTV.
Hard Rock International is governed by the motto “Love All, Serve All.” As agency of record for Hard Rock, Coyne PR has helped to raise both awareness and funds for Hard Rock’s various philanthropic campaigns, benefiting a variety of charitable organizations, including The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, WHY (World Hunger Year), Global Angels Foundation, The Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation, and Musicians On Call.
Hard Rock’s most successful and well received philanthropic campaigns are the annual PINKTOBER breast cancer awareness campaign, benefiting The Breast Cancer Research Foundation; the “Imagine There’s No Hunger,” campaign benefiting WHY; and the Signature Series T-shirt program, benefiting artists’ personal charities. Coyne PR coordinates unique media opportunities for each step of the campaign, which consists of a large-scale launch event, a product component and a series of live performances at local Hard Rock Cafes across the globe. Coyne PR works with talent, charity partners and Hard Rock executives to leverage their individual areas of expertise and find distinctive media niches for each. PINKTOBER, “Imagine There’s No Hunger” and Signature Series T-shirts remain cornerstones of Hard Rock’s philanthropic agenda as a result of the great response the campaigns receive from media and consumers alike. Hard Rock International’s The campaigns have raised millions for Hard Rock’s charity partners, with that number continuing to grow each day. The campaigns received coverage in both local and national press including: “Good Morning America,” USA Today, Rolling Stone Magazine, InStyle Magazine, MTV, “EXTRA!,” People Magazine and Ok! Magazine, garnering more than 1.1 billion impressions for the Hard Rock brand.
In 2003 Hard Rock International challenged Coyne PR with creating a global crisis communications strategy for Hard Rock’s 170 properties, including company-owned cafes, franchise cafes, hotels, casinos, bars and the Hard Rock Theme Park. Coyne PR created a comprehensive guidebook, established team structures and protocols, implemented system-wide training sessions, executive media training, posters in every cafe, wallet cards for all managers of every cafe worldwide, and the creation of a toll-free hotline. To date, Coyne PR has handled more than 250 situations from natural disasters (Hurricane Katrina destroying the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi), food recalls, employee issues, criminal activity and even celebrity deaths (Anna Nicole Smith).
