Score! We’re the new agency for Orlando City Soccer!
Here’s another holiday gift… We’re the new marketing agency of record for Orlando City Soccer Club – the 2011 United Soccer League (USL) PRO Champions! Our team will be responsible for overall marketing, including creative development, media buying, public relations, and social media campaign development.
2012 is more important than ever for Orlando City to make an impact in Central Florida and the entire soccer world. We’re excited to contribute to the team’s growth and have a slew of great ideas to help achieve their ultimate goal of becoming the 20th MLS franchise.
The 2012 USL PRO regular season begins on April 7th, and the full 2012 USL PRO schedule should be released by mid-January. The Disney Pro Soccer Classic in late February is a pivotal moment for the team to attract large-scale attendance and area support. The event will feature Orlando City (the only USL PRO team invited), six MLS teams and Sweden’s BK Häcken. MLS Commissioner Don Garber will also be in attendance, and will meet with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to further assess the Central Florida market’s viability for an MLS franchise.
The Holiday Cheer 100 2.0 campaign will soon draw to a close, but we’re not done yet! We have a few awesome challenges left to show your friends, neighbors and strangers alike the true spirit of giving as we (quickly) approach Christmas day. There’s no better way to celebrate the holidays than by brightening someone’s day with a small act of kindness!
We hope you’ll join us in finishing the Holiday Cheer 100 with a bang by spreading the word and participating in our daily challenges. Check our Facebook page every morning until December 24th for a new challenge to show those around you how much you care!
Here’s a recap of some of the Holiday Cheer 100 2.0 challenges so far:
We’re happy to share that Acropolis is now the official marketing agency for Orange Blossom Pilsner, LLC! We’ll be responsible for the overall marketing strategy, as well as a new website, package design, social media marketing, and public relations.
For those who aren’t familiar, the company was founded in 2003 by Orlando native and self-taught craft brewer Tom Moench. The flagship beer, Orange Blossom Pilsner (OBP) boasts 2.3 teaspoons of orange-blossom honey per bottle and is a past award winner at the Great American Beer Festival. Other varieties include Orange Blossom Pilsner Squared, a high-gravity version of OBP, and Toasted Coconut Porter, which is currently only available in draft but will be released in bottles in January.
As a participant in the UCF Business Incubator Program, Tom’s business strategy has been more thoroughly developed and he now plans to open his own brewery in Orlando. Tom hopes to be producing the three current beers in Orlando by 2012, as well as release three new beers within that first year.
We’ve been fans of OBP for years, and we’re really excited about this opportunity. We can’t wait to help OBP take off nationally. Cheers!
For the third straight holiday season, we helped provide a great Christmas for two families through the Howard Phillips Center for Children & Families. Our team collected gifts for the families, which included five children ages 3 and under, as well as their parents. The Center for Children & Families is a wonderful organization that truly makes a difference in the lives of families who face overwhelming challenges like child abuse, sexual trauma, developmental disabilities, and lack of access to medical care. To make a monetary donation via Orlando Health, visit http://bit.ly/vGmjNd.
Yesterday, a few Acropolistas decorated our Christmas tree! Enjoy a holiday tune while you check out the festivities:
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Orlando’s always had soccer. Club teams, school teams, adult teams. But now we’ve got pro soccer – our own Orlando City Lions, and they mean business. In their first year playing in Orlando they took it all, winning the 2011 USL Pro Soccer Championship! Pretty cool, right? We think so and wanted to congratulate the team. So we designed custom Orlando City kicks and sent ‘em along to President Phil Rawlins as a little thank you from Acropolis for a great season. Think they can pull a repeat in 2012?
We’re excited to welcome Teresa Tatlonghari to the Acropolis team as our new senior director of client services. With more than 15 years of agency experience, Tatlonghari’s expertise and passion for the industry will be advantageous to both the agency and our clients.
In her new role, Teresa will lead strategy development, create and execute marketing programs, and manage client budgets. She will also serve as a key member of Acropolis’ management team, as well as supervise and mentor the account services team.
Teresa is a graduate of the University of Central Florida (go Knights!) with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations. Teresa is joining us from Anson-Stoner in Winter Park, where she served as account supervisor overseeing branding and promotional campaigns for both national and regional clients.
Teresa is a proud self-proclaimed “soccer mom” of two boys who likes to spend time with her family and working out the day’s stresses at the gym. Here’s a little more about Teresa:
Favorite color: Pink
Favorite food: Mediterranean
Talents: Multi-tasking
Phrase you say most often: Because I’m your mother, and I said so.
Coolest thing that’s ever happened to you: Ran into the musician Pink at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. She was walking through the lobby with her hubby, Carey.
Last week we had a farewell gathering for our friend Malauna Steele of the EarPhone Project, who has been using some Acropolis office space for the EarPhone Project: Orlando. She was so sweet to make us a very special dessert, even dubbing it “The Acropolis!” (As if we need an excuse for desserts…)
Yum! Thanks Malauna!
Although we will miss seeing her smiling face around the office, it’s not a goodbye only a “see you later,” as Malauna will be touring the country with the EarPhone Project making stops in select major cities across the U.S. (including Orlando!)
We’re excited to welcome Chris Poluski to Acropolis as our new account coordinator. Chris will be an integral part of the Account Service team, helping keep client projects on track, on time and on budget.
Originally from Plano, Texas, Chris is a graduate of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, with a degree in computer engineering and minors in economics and Spanish. Chris is joining us from Disney Destinations Distribution Marketing, where he served as the marketing project coordinator. A stickler for organization and time efficiency, Chris is sure to be a great asset for us here at Acropolis.
After a long day of work, Chris loves to unwind by watching just about any sporting event in person or on TV – it doesn’t matter. Here’s what else Chris wanted to share:
Favorite color: Blue
Favorite food: Anything served in or on a tortilla
Hobbies: Running, cheering for the Dallas Mavericks, and walking my dog, Charlie
Talents: Does waking up without needing an alarm clock count?
Phrase you say most often: “I’m just saying.”
Coolest thing that’s ever happened to you: I had the opportunity to hike around New Mexico for a week. We woke up one morning and climbed to the top of a mountain to watch the sun rise. The entire experience was amazing.
We’re happy to announce that the Acropolis family has adopted Floyd, a 33-year-old manatee, as our collective son. After a bit of deliberation, we decided Floyd was meant to be ours because he has a bit of the creative flair that we value here at Acropolis.
According to Save the Manatee Club, Floyd has appeared in films and magazines (he must have a taste for advertising, even if he’s just advertising himself!). He also enjoys challenging everyday norms – at least, the norms of a typical manatee’s lifestyle.
Acropolis has worked with Save the Manatee Club for more than 10 years, providing creative executions for public service ads, quarterly newsletter, Web banners, postcards, billboards, renewal materials and much more.
We’re excited to plan an office field trip to see Floyd at Blue Spring State Park in the winter, and hope you’ll join us in saying, “Welcome to the family, Floyd!”
You can adopt a manatee too! Visit Save the Manatee Club’s website for more details.
We’re excited to welcome Andrea Gill to Acropolis as our new Art Director. In her role, Andrea will be an integral part of the creative team, using her skills to develop concepts and design work in print, digital and broadcast mediums.
Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Andrea is a graduate of the Institute of Technology ORT in Buenos Aires, with a degree in graphic arts. After moving to the United States, she attended Valencia Community College and obtained an associate’s degree in graphic technology.
After a long day of work, Andrea loves to unwind by working out. Here’s what else Andrea had to share:
Children: A young son, Brando
Favorite color: Depends on my mood
Favorite food: Argentine empanadas
Hobbies: Working out, working out, working out!!!
Coolest thing that’s ever happened to you: Moving to the States when I was 22 years old by myself. It took guts but I have loved every single day here.
We’d like to introduce our summer interns Liz Holman and Raina Bahu. Liz is assisting our account services team, while Raina is helping out in the public relations and social media department. We’re excited to share the agency experience with them – and for the fun and fresh ideas they can bring to the group here at Acropolis!
LIZ HOLMAN (left)
Hometown:Woodbury, MN
College/Degree: Senior at Iowa State University, studying marketing with a minor in advertising
Favorite color: Lime green or purple
Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends, reading, watching movies, laying/being outside in the sun
Talents: Swimming and cooking (I try!)
Coolest thing that’s ever happened to you: One of the coolest things I’ve ever done was swimming with dolphins at Discovery Cove
RAINA BAHU (right)
Hometown: Originally from Chicago, IL, but moved to Bradenton, FL six years ago
College/Degree: Senior at the University of Central Florida, studying advertising and public relations with a minor in marketing
Favorite food: Plain toasted bagel with plain cream cheese from Einstein Bros. Bagels
Hobbies: Spending time with friends and family, online shopping, singing really loudly when I’m driving, etc.
Phrase you say most often: “No worries!”
Coolest thing you’ve ever done: Skydiving in Hawaii when I was 18!
Our client, Envirobrite, wanted to have a little fun with a video illustrating that there are smarter ways to save money when it comes to lighting. Check out what we created for them.
We must still be channeling the force because our “Welcome to Lando” mixed media campaign for Lucas Films & ReedPop won a gold Addy at district. Now on to Dagoba. I mean nationals.
We recently laced up our running sneaks and headed out to beautiful Lake Eola for the 17th Annual Corporate 5k presented by IOA. More than 14,000 people from Central Florida participated in the race, which weaves through Downtown Orlando business areas and residential neighborhoods.
In what has become a bit of a tradition, most Corporate 5k teams wear customized company t-shirts. We took that idea a step further and created individual shirts for each Acropolis team member. From “I’ll be running through your mind later” to “You better run. I’m a hugger,” each shirt showcased our team’s personality.
We’re excited to welcome Marybeth Bailey to Acropolis as our new Digital Marketing Specialist. In her role, Marybeth provides client strategies and solutions across the digital platform, including online marketing campaigns, SEO and pay-per-click.
Born and raised in Winter Springs, Fla., Marybeth is a graduate of the University of Central Florida, where she received her bachelor’s degree in marketing. Outside of work, Marybeth enjoys day trips to the beach and taking her Labrador, Riley, to the park.
Favorite color: Teal
Favorite food: Chicken fingers and fries
Hobby: Being outside/active with my dog Riley
Talents: Pay-per-click!
Phrase you say most often: “That’s awesome!”
Coolest thing you’ve ever done: Went skydiving in Hawai’i
The annual Orlando ADDY Awards were presented by AAF Orlando recently, and the Acropo-team received not one, not two, but three Silver Awards!
Our out-of-this-world Star Wars Celebration V “Lando” campaign – which involved an online petition, Facebook page, lots of tweets, stickers, lightsabers and a BIG Star Wars fan named “Scott Moon” – was awarded a Silver in the Mixed/Multiple Media category.
We also took home two Silver in the self-promotional category: The pay-it-forward, random-acts-of-kindness project called Holiday Cheer 100, as well as our new (and unforgettable) on-hold music! In case you haven’t called our office in awhile, here’s a sample of what you can expect—
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Well, Brandy didn’t make it. But we all had fun, and I mean come on, Brandy and Scott got to go to the Superbowl. Thank you to everyone voted and spread the word. We got a ton of love from friends, family and strangers. Even the Pepsi people where showering us with compliments about the spot. Next year pug, you are going down. haha.
Now this is cool. Starbucks just launched its mobile payment program that automatically deducts funds from your pre-loaded Starbucks Card. Place your order, take out your smartphone, scan it at the counter, and congratulations. You’ve just paid for that vente cafe mocha, double espresso shot.
Think about that. No more opening your wallet to take out plastic, cash, gift cards or—if you really forgot everything—a pen and a checkbook.
Last week our team headed over to Lizzy McCormack’s in downtown Orlando for a tweetup in support of Brandy’s “Psshh” SuperBowl commercial. Good turnout! One of the TVs streamed live Twitter feed to capture the conversations of the evening, and anyone who used @lizzymccormacks in their tweets received a free Orange Blossom Pilsner (OBP). It’s a local beer created by Tom Moench.
Check them out on Twitter and on Facebook. Thanks again to @lizzymccormacks for hosting!
We’re all about having a good time while we work. And our newest team member, Helen Nadon, certainly understands that. As our new traffic and production manager, she keeps client projects – and the good times – rolling. In her new role, Helen oversees our production department, leads the Monday morning traffic meetings, and makes sure our projects are on time and on budget.
And with more than 20 years of experience working with large in-house creative departments, national agencies, printers and merchant partners, she knows what she’s doing! Helen is already a valuable member of our team and brings a high level of efficiency, organization and streamlined processes for our clients’ needs. Her talent will ensure that our production pieces achieve the highest possible quality as we continue to keep new and innovative print and production trends at the forefront. Take a look below to get a little more scoop about Helen!
Hometown: Orlando, FL
College: UCF
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Food: Too many to mention, but if I have to pick a favorite, then potato chips. On yeah, and blue crab. Almond Rocha comes to mind also.
Hobbies: Various, but my favorite thing in the whole world to do is laugh.
Talents: Rapier wit. Decent cook. And with a container of Oxyclean, I can get almost any kind of stain out of clothes. And, I make up songs for my pets and sing to them.
Phrase you say most often: “What did I do with that _____?” (fill in the blank here)
Coolest thing that ever happened to you: Married the man of my dreams.
A while back Brandy had this idea. He heard about Pepsi Max and Dorito’s “Crash The Superbowl” Contest, and wanted to submit one. He got a couple people from around the office and shot it on a lunch break. He submitted it to the site, we all had a laugh and got back to work. A month or so goes by, and lo and behold, it made it to the Top 10. Now he is the only Floridian in the running, so local radio and TV is banging on the door and everyone is rallying behind the Sunshine State. If he makes it to the Top 3 for Pepsi Max, PSHHHH will air during the superbowl. That’s right—The Superbowl. So go vote. Everyday. Seriously. E v e r y d a y. Let’s do this Florida. Brandy’s commercial on The Superbowl. Damnnn.
VOTE. VOTE. VOTE.
There’s one office in our building that’s beginning to look a lot like a day at the beach. Colorful, framed photos of old boats, shimmering crystal clear shores and an island paradise grace the walls. A large world map commands attention. This is the office of explorer, traveler, photographer and our Public Relations Account Supervisor, Amanda Jackson.
Amanda recently joined us from Ypartnership here in Orlando and has extensive experience in media relations for travel and leisure markets. In fact, she directed an extensive campaign for the Honduras Institute of Tourism, netting more than $12 million in media coverage! Her work has been recognized with a silver Travel Weekly Magellan Award, a bronze Cushman/SATW Award, and two Adrian Awards from the Hospitality Sales Marketing Association International.
In her role at Acropolis, Amanda will direct public relations and social media initiatives for our clients. We can’t wait to see the kind of work she’ll generate.
These last few weeks, we’ve started to know Amanda a little more. Here’s a snapshot we wanted to share with you:
Hometown: Palm Harbor, FL (just north of Clearwater)
Hobbies: Dabbling in photography (complete amateur), reading (we even have a book club called ‘Wine and Words’) and just about anything involving spending time with friends and family.
Phrase you say most often: “No worries”
Coolest thing that ever happened to you: Meeting my two nephews for the first time. One is nearly four years old, and the other is nine months. I can only imagine how thrilled I’ll be when I have my own!
True story. There is way too much negative in the world. This is our effort to do more good, spread more happiness, and hopefully inspire you to do more nice yourself.
Orlando’s always had soccer. Club teams, school teams, adult teams. But now we’ve got pro soccer – our own 
Well, Brandy didn’t make it. But we all had fun, and I mean come on, Brandy and Scott got to go to the Superbowl. Thank you to everyone voted and spread the word. We got a ton of love from friends, family and strangers. Even the Pepsi people where showering us with compliments about the spot. Next year pug, you are going down. haha.
Now this is cool. Starbucks just launched its mobile payment program that automatically deducts funds from your pre-loaded Starbucks Card. Place your order, take out your smartphone, scan it at the counter, and congratulations. You’ve just paid for that vente cafe mocha, double espresso shot.
Think about that. No more opening your wallet to take out plastic, cash, gift cards or—if you really forgot everything—a pen and a checkbook.
Last week our team headed over to Lizzy McCormack’s in downtown Orlando for a tweetup in support of Brandy’s “Psshh” SuperBowl commercial. Good turnout! One of the TVs streamed live Twitter feed to capture the conversations of the evening, and anyone who used @lizzymccormacks in their tweets received a free Orange Blossom Pilsner (OBP). It’s a local beer created by Tom Moench.
Check them out on 
We’re all about having a good time while we work. And our newest team member, Helen Nadon, certainly understands that. As our new traffic and production manager, she keeps client projects – and the good times – rolling. In her new role, Helen oversees our production department, leads the Monday morning traffic meetings, and makes sure our projects are on time and on budget.
There’s one office in our building that’s beginning to look a lot like a day at the beach. Colorful, framed photos of old boats, shimmering crystal clear shores and an island paradise grace the walls. A large world map commands attention. This is the office of explorer, traveler, photographer and our Public Relations Account Supervisor, Amanda Jackson.
