On September 11, ten years ago, the nation was stunned as American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center’s North Tower.
The initial questions surrounding that crash were answered less than 20 minutes later when United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower. The second plane made it seem virtually impossible that any of this was an accident.
Ten years later as the nation remembers this tragedy, mourns the loss of life and memorializes Ground Zero, one experiential marketing company has been directly involved in the rebuilding of lower Manhattan and the World Trade Center.
“The 9/11 attacks touched the hearts of millions of people around the world who watched the events of that day unfold,” said Mark Nichols, VP of design and development for Global Experience Specialists (GES). “As Americans, we all stand together in our resolve to remember those who innocently died or sacrificed their lives to help others.”
Last fall, GES was approached by mOcean, a marketing and branding company based in Los Angeles, and they assembled a team to meet with Silverstein Properties Inc. (SPI), the developer of New York City’s World Trade Center Towers 2, 3, 4 and 7. The task was the creation of a unique marketing and sales experience that would help SPI with leasing nearly nine million square feet of commercial space in these towers.
“This high-profile and history-in-the-making project is an opportunity for America to show the world that the memory of everyone involved in that tragic day will shine through the rubble and destruction,” said Nichols. “GES and mOcean worked together to create an experience that highlights the project’s world-renowned architects and the thriving community surrounding the site. The result is a 6,200 square-foot Marketing Experience located on the 10th floor of 7 World Trade Center, overlooking the Ground Zero reconstruction.”
SPI provided the basic idea for the space. Then, mOcean and GES employees from California to New Jersey took it from there.
“The challenge was that there were so many stories to tell within the space,” said Nichols. “Distilling it down was a challenge. It’s an experience; an emotional component. It’s not the display, scenery or lighting, it’s the overall emotional takeaway. You can’t help but be moved by what happened here.”
When initially contacted, GES jumped at the chance to work on the project, although the reality of what they were doing didn’t hit until they got to Ground Zero.
“We were really excited about this unique opportunity to assist in telling the story, but when I got to the site, I had some trepidation, just like anyone who experienced 9/11,” said Eddie Newquist, executive vice president and chief creative officer for GES. “We spent some time talking about it and addressed the project in such a way that acknowledges the tragedy, but looks toward the future.”
Now that the project is finished, Newquist has seen the effects the transformation of Ground Zero has had on the community.
“You can feel the neighborhood alive again, it is strong and rebuilding,” he said. “Our team was affected with a spirit of optimism and excitement of what this (area) can be again. It’s a rebirth of lower Manhattan with a very respectful bow to the tragedy. It’s looking toward the promise of the future for everyone who lived through this. The entire experience became a celebration of the community.”
Among the exhibits and environments GES created is a 40-foot long mural of how the New York City skyline will look once the towers are completed. Another area is a flex space used for press events, school group tours and parties. It incorporates a neighborhood model that includes the 13-foot tall Freedom Tower and is lit from the interior.
The space also includes several interactive stations to learn about working in the area and leasing space in the new towers. The 2,500 square-foot space overlooks Ground Zero and has a massive video monitor that plays several videos of Tower 7, the residential tower.
As visitors are escorted through the experience, they are given an overview of the redevelopment project. A guide controls the audio, lighting and video wirelessly from an iPad as visitors learn through multimedia, exhibits and an introduction to the three world-renowned architects who designed the towers.
“The GES team is honored to be part of the next chapter in World Trade Center history,” said Nichols. “It’s a very special project to every member of our team. After 9/11, I personally felt kind of helpless. There wasn’t much any of us could do. So to actually use my skill sets and talents to participate in rebuilding something that was torn down so horrifically was an amazing opportunity. It has become more personal than ever expected.”
