The Race For Amazon's HQ2 Is Heating Up, And This Mayor Is Slaying The Game • Creative Campaigns • WeRSM

In case you didn’t know it, Amazon is looking to create a second HQ somewhere in the States. Its first one is located in Seattle, and is known as a regeneration catalyst for Emerald City.

To give you an idea of what Amazon may bring for the lucky city that will be selected to host its second HQ, consider this: Since opening its headquarters in Seattle in 2010, Amazon has attracted “more than $38 billion in investments, through job creation, infrastructure investment and philanthropic efforts”.

This, all in a city that was suffering from neglect and lack of means to grow and prosper. Amazon, didn’t solve all this problems of course. Some even claim that it has created a load more. However, it restarted Seattle’s economy, making it the most tech-friendly city in the U.S. So, the news of the creation of Amazon’s second HQ have cities competing against each other, in a bid to secure Jeff Bezos’ decision.

While we’re pretty sure that most city mayors are conducting discussions behind closed doors, there’s Sly James, Mayor of glorious Kansas City, MO, who caught our attention leading a brilliant campaign.

.@barkleyus alongside Kansas City Mayor Sly James, led a brilliant campaign to bid for Amazon’s #HQ2

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Mayor Sly James and his office, partnered with local agency Barkley to lure decision-makers at Amazon. Betting on the fact that Amazon’s force relies heavily on user reviews, Barkley along with Mayor Sly James started leaving 5-star reviews, injecting a bit of Kansas City facts and subtle propaganda in it. You know, every little helps. You can find them all here; they’re legit and all purchases are verified

Barkley even produced videos starring the Mayor giving his opinion on the (not so usual) products purchased – and they’re hillarious.

We don’t know whether Kansas City will win the bid, but if it was up to us due to its creativity and fun factor, it would win hands down.

Credits
Mayor’s Team:
Sly James – Kansas City Mayor
James Roberts – Director of Communications
Morgan Franklin – Business Development Officer at EDC

Barkley:
Katy Hornaday – EVP / Executive Creative Director
Berk Wasserman – VP / Group Creative Director
Chris Cardetti – VP / Group Strategy Director
Jimmy Keown – Strategy Director
Howard Laubscher – VP / Strategy Director
Matt Pruett – Creative Director
Joe DeSalvo – Associate Creative Director
Jeremy Gilberto – Associate Creative Director
Jordan Breindel – Associate Creative Director
Justin Smith – Writer
Jim Howard – Senior Writer
Megan Adams – Art Director
Alissa Funk – Writer
Travis Kramer – Lead Design Director
Holly Taylor – Senior Designer
Tifany Wrzesinski – Senior Project Manager
Dustin Schirer – Creative Production Director
Nick Stout – Creative Producer / Camera 1
Griffin Davis – Creative Producer / Camera 2
Carson Catlin – Senior Motion Designer
Melany Esfeld – Executive Producer
Tashia Neuhaus – Associate Producer
Lauren Alexander – Integrated Production Manager
Luke Hurd – Technical Director
John Hornaday – VP / Account Director
Lindsey Ingram – Engagement Director
Bailey Grover – Content Director
Shannon Scribner – Content Producer