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Over the weekend, WNBC 4 launched an updated version of the classic "We're 4 New York" station image campaign. The original (see it here) first rolled out in 1992 when a new general manager, Bill Bolster came from St. Louis came in to revitalize the station. At the time, some dismissed it as a promotional campaign that made New York look like it was a generic Midwestern place. It actuality, it was filled with high production values from the photography to the music composed by Edd Kalehoff. The campaign was also briefly revived in 2002 after during the Olympics.
We talked with David Hyman, WNBC's Vice President of Programming and Creative Services about why they brought back the classic campaign now and what they are going to do with it.
Why bring back We're 4 New York now?
There are many reasons for it. We were considering doing a fresh new branding campaign, which we haven't done in a few years and we thinking about different messages and what our message is exactly and all of the different platforms we are living with now. And we all started talking about 4 New York.
There are really very few campaigns that have had this resonance and response that 4 New York had over the last fifteen years or so. Very few broadcast campaigns in New York have had that kind of reaction and response and legs. We were thinking about it and we were thinking New York is strong, the station is strong and it was probably a great idea to bring back what is considered to be a great branding campaign.
I have talked to people, across all ages and stripes, when I mentioned 4 New York people just had this sort of wonderful glowing response to it. While we certainly don't make our decisions based on that, anecdotally it was interesting to find that out. It has changed a lot since its infancy in '92. This new campaign is more sophisticated than the original one. At the end of the day it is something that has a tremendous positive upbeat message, it doesn't make any overt claims really and it is something that makes you feel good.
Do you have a lot of the same people musically on board like Edd Kalehoff?
Edd did the original music and the new arrangement as well and interestingly enough Andrea McArdle, who sung on the original one, her daughter Alexis [Kalehoff] sings on the new one. So it is also sort of a generational passing of the baton as well.
Are you going to put this up on the website?
We have countless versions of it, right now it is just the original version of it, but in the coming weeks we will be revealing all kinds of new versions that include all of the NBC and WNBC talent. It will be across all of our platforms - web, broadcast, digital.
We intend to have the viewers and New Yorkers in general involved in the campaign as it evolves as we move towards the summer, asking New York and asking our viewers if they are they 4 New York and we will encourage people to tell us what 4 New York means to them. There is no telling where that may lead us. I think it is an anthem for New York that few other campaigns that we have done or anyone else has done over the years. We are very excited to see the direction it takes.
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Will it be four minutes long and feature a Matt Lauer with hair like the original?
Good lord NO!
But it was really catchy.
Butt Bongo Dan [news director] ain't no blowhard Bolster. No secual harassment suits against him, no. Just craziness.
I guess it was relatively cheap to bring back old b-s like the 4 NY campaign. And you're right, it's something like a station in St. Louis would do for promotion.
Kinda different from 1992; WNBC's a 3rd or 4th place station these days.