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They rode into town and set up blue and gold tents in the parking lot next to Heinz Field. They speak exotic-sounding languages. They wear strange-looking outfits. They do things most of us thought humanly impossible. Who are these people? Where do they come from? What do they want?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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When the Cirque du Soleil entourage arrived in Pittsburgh, they might as well have been from another planet. That\u2019s how foreign this concept of a theatrical (complete with a story line, live music and outrageous costumes and makeup), animal-less circus was.<\/p>\n

Based in Montreal, Canada and employing some 2,400 people representing more than 40 nationalities, Cirque du Soleil was producing seven different shows on three different continents.<\/p>\n

As part of its strategy to expand into new markets, Cirque\u2019s maiden voyage to Pittsburgh was pivotal for both the circus and the city. Coming off a disappointing turnout in another town, Cirque was looking to fill seats and pump up its performers. As far as Pittsburgh was concerned, a successful Cirque run could raise its hip quotient considerably.<\/p>\n

Cirque planned to introduce itself to Pittsburgh via the show Quidam. According to the program, quidam is a \u201cnameless passerby, a solitary figure lingering on a street corner, a person rushing past, a person who lives lost amidst the crowd in all-too-anonymous society.\u201d Billboards and print ads boasted a headless man holding an umbrella. \u201cHmmm\u2026,\u201d you could almost hear Pittsburghers saying. \u201cThat\u2019s a little weird.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Cirque\u2019s local public relations agency, our task was to encourage our fellow Pittsburghers to go where they had never gone before, to seek out the strange new world that came to life under the grand chapiteau (the big top) for 10-plus performances a week.<\/p>\n

More than that, we had to convince them that the Quidam experience was worth the price of admission. Ranging from $45 to $125, tickets were by no means cheap.<\/p>\n

So Markowitz Communications set out to make Cirque du Soleil the place to be, the cool event, the hot happening. Opening night was Thursday, May 9, 2002. There wasn\u2019t much time.<\/p>\n

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The Planning<\/strong>
\nFrom the day we got the account to opening night was less than six weeks \u2014 and counting.<\/p>\n

Working closely with Cirque\u2019s unit publicist Anita, we decided to unleash a hard-hitting, heart-pounding public relations campaign. We wanted to get the buzz going before the Cirque caravan ever hit the Parkway and got stuck in traffic.<\/p>\n

So we started talking. We talked to our media contacts in an effort to line up preview stories. We talked to our Cirque contact to line up interviews with the artistic director and performers.<\/p>\n

Saul Markowitz embarked on a fact-finding mission that took him to Cirque central. Speaking precious little French (\u201cau revoir,\u201d he said as he boarded the plane), he traveled to Montreal to learn more about Cirque\u2019s history, its passions, its very raison d\u2019\u00eatre.<\/p>\n

He returned to Pittsburgh with new story ideas, new insights and a new vocabulary<\/p>\n

(\u201cBonjour,\u201d he said on his first day back in the office. \u201cJ\u2019ai eu un temps merveilleux, merci de demander\u201d).<\/p>\n

In addition, we were busy introducing Anita to Pittsburgh \u2013 its neighborhoods (the Strip District soon became a favorite hang out), its events (thanks to our connections, Cirque would have a presence at the upcoming marathon), its institutions (the mayor\u2019s office and the Convention and Visitors\u2019 Bureau, to name just a few) and its media (print and broadcast reporters).<\/p>\n

Another key component of our public relations strategy centered around the opening night performance and party. Anita entrusted us to make sure the right people \u2013 Pittsburgh\u2019s movers, shakers and talkers \u2013 were on the invitation list. Given our experience in creating memorable grand openings (Dave & Buster, Palomino and Krispy Kreme), our influentials database is ph\u00e9nom\u00e9nal, if we do say so ourselves, in French.<\/p>\n

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