Toyota Presents Sports Illustrated’s 50th Anniversary Tour

To celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Sports Illustrated and the unique role of sports in communities across America, a mobile Anniversary Tour will travel to more than 25 states over 50 consecutive weeks, bringing SI to life in a highly interactive, personal way. Mirroring the state-specific sections of the magazine’s 50^th Anniversary editorial content, the Toyota Presents Sports Illustrated’s 50th Anniversary Tour will visit local sporting events nationwide, including many of the state events featured in the magazine, as well as a variety of other locations.

Launched in Newport, Rhode Island, with an elaborate kickoff celebration on Friday, July 11, 2003, and headed to California for a dramatic closing event in July 2004, the Tour will crisscross the country, beginning in the nation’s smallest state and ending in its most populous.

Comprising a traveling "village" of interactive exhibits, activities and programmed events that will cover approximately 45,000 square feet, the Tour will both celebrate sports and share the history of SI through the stories and images of the athletic events and personalities that have been captured in its pages. In addition to highlighting national sports, the Tour will also be customized at different stops to reflect the unique local events and competitions selected by the editors of SI and showcased in the magazine.

The 50-week Tour will be open for a minimum of 200 days and will reach an estimated 2.5 million people over the course of the year. A fleet of five SI-branded Tour vehicles, which will cover more than 25,000 miles over the course of the year, includes three 53-foot tractor-trailers containing tents and equipment and two Toyota Sequoias carrying crew members.

The grassroots sports experience will cover nearly 45,000 square feet and will include:

• Toyota Field, an enclosed theater that will feature an original film highlighting the greatest sports moments of the past 50 years as selected by the editors of SI. David Robinson, Sports Illustrated’s 50th Anniversary Ambassador of Sports, will narrate the film. Outside the tented structure, visitors will experience a "tailgate party" featuring three new Toyota truck models.
  Also featured in Toyota Field is Picture Yourself on the Cover, where visitors can also pose against a backdrop of Toyota’s NASCAR Show Truck and receive a free commemorative photograph produced by Canon.
• Best Buy "Best Seat in the House, " which will showcase the latest consumer electronic innovations for catching your favorite teams or playing games. Partnering with Best Buy to equip the Best Buy Best Seat in the House are Bose Corporation, Philips Electronics, Sharp Electronics and Toshiba.
• Starter will display the following three elements: an exhibit profiling the Starter All-American Teen from each state, telling their stories through text and life-size photographs; the Starter/Shaq Dunkman, an interactive basketball experience; as well as other baseball, basketball, football and soccer challenges. Visitors will be able to check out a replica of Shaquille O’Neal’s locker, complete with his size 23 shoes.
• Sports Illustrated For Kids 25-yard dash, an activity zone where kids of all ages can participate in fun relays and races.
• A designated autograph area, where athletes will be on hand for photos and signings. The Tour’s footprint will also highlight the past 50 years in sports through the eyes of the magazine, including some of its most memorable covers and great photography.
• Dedicated exhibit areas will showcase SI’s community sports outreach partners, YMCA of the USA and the National Recreation and Park Association, highlighting the different ways that these organizations are working together to enhance the quality of sports in America’s communities.
• Live entertainment, including acts from the Best Buy Concert Series , as well as athletic performances and other special appearances will be featured on the Tour’s main stage. Participants from local YMCAs and parks and recreation programs will also be a part of the main stage activities.

On the road, Sports Illustrated employees will partner with Jack Morton as well as its community outreach partners to staff the Tour. A core crew of five will travel with and run the Tour operations for the duration of the 50-week calendar.

About Jack Morton Worldwide

Jack Morton Worldwide has designed, constructed and will operate the Anniversary Tour. Jack Morton, which has created mobile marketing programs for clients including The Home Depot, Lifetime Television and AT&T, creates experiences that help the world’s leading companies improve performance, increase sales and build brands. The experiential brand communications and event marketing agency integrates live events, branded environments and interactive experiences to engage and transform audiences including consumers, business customers and employees. Headquartered in New York, Jack Morton has a staff of over 600 employees throughout the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The company is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE: IPG), and operated within IPG’s Sports and Entertainment Group, comprised of best-in-class companies from the world of sports and entertainment. For more information, visit Jack Morton online at www.jackmorton.com.