We had great placement for our City of Renton ad during yesterday's superbowl. While we had paid for placement in the pregame coverage, they played our ad as the last local ad prior to the National Anthem. Sweet! (As a reminder, this ad was paid for through the hotel/motel tax, which is earmarked for promoting Renton as a destination)

Here is an article from the times on the topic:

Renton uses Super Bowl ad to boost image
By Karen Johnson

Times Southeast Bureau

Squeezed between ads for beer and cars, football fans might notice a new sponsor during today's Super Bowl pregame show: the city of Renton.

Read the whole article here

See the ad by clicking here

After 10 years of improving our city's economic fortunes with active marketing, we're taking our ahead-of-the-curve marketing campaign to the next level. You will surely enjoy this new ad!



Click here to see Almost Live Host John Kiester in Renton's new television ad


RENTON, WA-The Renton Community Marketing Campaign will showcase the
city and its brand "Renton. Ahead of the Curve" in a television
commercial to be aired during the NFC Wild Card game, featuring the
Seattle Seahawks, and during the Super Bowl XLII pre-game show.

The advertisement features actor/comedian John Keister, who regularly
panned Renton on his groundbreaking comedy show "Almost Live," which
was produced and broadcast by KING-TV from 1984 to 1999.

"Remember all those jokes we used to make on 'Almost Live' about
Renton?" Keister reminisces in the commercial.

Over the past decade, Renton has undergone a remarkable transformation,
shaking a historic blue-collar image and becoming one of the fastest
growing communities in King County.

"With exciting developments under construction such as the Seattle
Seahawks' Virginia Mason Athletic Center and The Landing, our 68-acre
mixed-use neighborhood, as well as great neighborhoods, a diverse
business community, excellent schools, Renton Technical College and
Valley Medical Center, Renton is a dynamic place to be," said Mayor
Denis Law.

The Renton Community Marketing Campaign celebrates its 10th anniversary
in 2008. The partnership includes the City of Renton, Renton Chamber of
Commerce, Renton School District, Renton Technical College, and Valley
Medical Center. The partnership has been recognized nationally for its
"Ahead of the Curve" brand and as one of the first in a trend of
communities working to market themselves.
"Ahead of the Curve is more than just a marketing slogan," said
Alex Pietsch, administrator of the city's Economic Development,
Neighborhoods and Strategic Planning Department, who coordinates the
campaign's marketing efforts. "It is a way of life here in Renton.
We're taking that message to a new level by running this advertisement
on television. And, with the Seattle Seahawks locating their
headquarters and training facility in Renton this year, we could think
of no better place to start than their first playoff game."

Previous marketing efforts have focused on radio and print
advertisements. This is the campaign's first foray into broadcast
television.

"If people haven't thought of Renton since 'Almost Live' was on
the air, we hope this ad will give them reason to come down and give us
a look," added Bill Taylor, CEO of the Renton Chamber of Commerce.
"Whether you have a young family and are looking for an affordable,
close-in community to call home or a company in need of a centrally
located headquarters, Renton is clearly is a community with a tremendous
amount to offer."

A copy of the advertisement is attached. For more information about the
City of Renton visit rentonwa.gov.

Hororary Citizen of Renton John Kiester (wearing neck tie) sits with the final cast of KING5's "Almost Live."


Nine years ago, In May 1998, I and the rest of the City Council concurred in the proclamation by Mayor Tanner which bestowed the rank of Honorary Citizen of Renton upon John Keister, host of the hit television show "Almost Live."

John Keister, bless his heart, arrived in person to accept the Mayor's proclamation. Mr. Keister, who hosted the beloved comedy series though many emmy-winning seasons, and who was a part of the extraordinary comedy team for the show's entire 15-year year run, was a crack-up at the council meeting. To amuse his many Renton fans in the crowd, he quipped that he would proudly display his Honorary Citizen of Renton Proclamation next to his coveted Radio Shack Battery-of-the-Month Club Membership certificate in his office. This comment drew howls of laughter from Mayor Jesse Tanner and all the rest of us who had the ability to look critically at ourselves, and recognize where our city could improve. John Keister also told us that we had done too good of a job over the previous few years, and it was getting hard to make fun of Renton anymore. I was gratified by this observation, being in my fifth year on city council, and Jesse Tanner was likewise gratified as he was performing remarkably in his third year as mayor.

One year later, in 1999, Almost Live went off the air.

I enjoyed reading the memory by Spirit of Washington Dinner Train Owner Eric Temple described in the Seattle Times:

Eric Temple remembers cringing, with a guilty laugh, when he first heard "Almost Live" host John Keister's quip on late-night TV, back in 1992:

"I hear there's a new dinner train," Temple recalls him saying. "I guess things are going great for them — except once people get to the winery, they are refusing to go back to Renton."The Times went on to give Mr. Temple his due credit for helping turn Renton's image around.

I am very grateful to Mr. Temple, and others like him who invested in this community, for helping us improve our city and making it a more fun place to live.

When "Almost Live" went off the air in 1999, I missed the show immensely even though it poked fun at our city. Even as a Renton official I had looked forward to watching Almost Live each week. After all, Renton did have some significant issues we were working on. And the show was part of the Northwest experience of the 80's and 90's, like the Kingdome, Dick's, the Elephant Car Wash, and Chubby and Tubby's. Besides, "Almost Live" made fun of absolutely everywhere in the Northwest: Seattle Downtown, Queen Anne, Ballard, Fremont, Wallingford, Bellevue, Mercer Island, Kent, Auburn, Olympia, Bellingham, Tacoma, Spokane, Oregon, and Idaho were all widely lampooned by the show. In addition, no Seattle politician, celebrity, or sports teams was immune.

Almost live was so successful that it was televised nationally on Comedy Central, and it launched impressive and well-deserved careers for Bill Nigh (the Science Guy), Pat Cashman, Ross Shaefer (the original host) and of course John Keister.

I am sure that if "Almost Live" was in production today, they would still find a few things to tease Renton about. Last year we would have endured countless jokes about lipstick on mirrors, for instance.

And right now, while we are still working to try to get the right mix of businesses at the Landing, I can practically hear John Keister reporting in the John Report: "The city of Renton has spent 38 Million dollars to bring in what they have called the greatest new urban village to ever grace the Northwest. The Anchor Store?..Ross Dress for Less!...Citizens of Renton are reporting that they have not been this excited since Sizzler held an all-you-can-eat steak night."

Or how about, "Renton just spent $50,000 to figure out that the new Sonics owners never had any real intention of staying in the Seattle area...appearantly Renton and four people in a submarine at the bottom of Puget Sound were the only ones who did not know this."

Well, we don't need the Sonics, and the council will step in and push for the right mix of shops at the Landing. We just need to keep our sense of humor, not be afraid to admit our mistakes, and aim for the stars.

Stealing from Mr. Keister's trademark style...

I am Randy, and this was my report. Thank You.