In 2012, the Central Park Conservancy asked Source Communications to conceptualize a unique event that would celebrate the reopening of Central Park’s lawns to the public for spring. The Conservancy specifically sought an event that would attract media catering to a younger audience.
To highlight the work that the Central Park Conservancy does to restore, maintain and enhance Central Park, Source created a spring kick-off event with an inaugural “first mow” of the Park. The event that Source envisioned would feature remarks by Doug Blonsky, Central Park Conservancy President, Adrian Benepe, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation Commissioner, and an honorary celebrity “Ambassador of Spring.”
Source Communications secured Aziz Ansari, comedian and star of NBC’s “Parks and Recreation”, to join the Conservancy for no fee as its first “Ambassador of Spring.” After appearing alongside Blonsky and Benepe at a press conference, Ansari ceremonially mowed Sheep Meadow – one of Central Park’s most popular lawns. Source secured numerous regional and national press outlets to attend the event, including the New York Daily News, MTV, Gothamist, Yahoo!, AskMen, and more. In less than 48 hours, coverage of the event went viral and appeared in over 240 regional, national, and international print, broadcast, and online outlets including 1010 WINS, NY Daily News, New York Post, FOX, NBC, AOL, BlackBook, CBS News, DNAInfo, Flavorwire, Huffington Post, IMDb, MTV, Newsday, NY 1, Omg! Yahoo!, People, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and more. The event was such a success that the Conservancy plans to continue the tradition for years to come.
