In honor of “American Tulip Day,” the Sun Valley Group partnered with Dutch partners Anthos and iBulb to hand out 100,000 tulips to surprised (and delighted) residents and tourists in San Francisco
All around Union Square in downtown San Francisco last Saturday there were smiles, tears — even a marriage proposal — and there were thousands and thousands of bright, beautiful tulips, free for the taking.
In honor of “American Tulip Day,” the Sun Valley Group in Arcata, California, collaborated with Dutch partners Anthos and iBulb to hand out 100,000 tulips to surprised (and delighted) residents and tourists. The giveaway, modeled after similar efforts in The Netherlands, was intended to promote tulips in the United States. Bill Prescott, Sun Valley’s marketing and communications specialist, said set-up took about five hours — and then the tens of thousands of flowers were scooped up by some 5,000 visitors in less than three hours.
“The thing that has stayed with me from the day was just the appreciation and joy in people’s faces,” Prescott said. “People were tearing up, kids were in awe — some of the tulips were taller than they were. So much of our job is about the business side, so it was wonderful for all of us just to see people feeling so much joy around our flowers.”
The giveaway, modeled after similar efforts in The Netherlands, was intended to promote tulips in the United States.
Prescott noted that the goodwill kept going even after the event, as people shared stories and photos
“People were tearing up, kids were in awe – some of the tulips were taller than they were,” said Bill Prescott, Sun Valley’s marketing and communications specialist. “So much of our job is about the business side, so it was wonderful for all of us just to see people feeling so much joy around our flowers.”
on social media. A number of traditional news outlets, including the San Francisco Gate, also covered the giveaway.
This was the first year Sun Valley and its partners promoted American Tulip Day. They began planning the event last fall and it was “a mad dash” to get organized, Prescott said, “but worth the effort.” He said they hope to plan and promote a similar event in 2019.
You can read more about the event on the Sun Valley and iBulb blogs.
The Sun Valley Group has also been an active participant in the Society of American Florists’ Petal It Forward campaigns featuring “random” events happening across the country on the same day since 2015. Read about that nationwide effort —in which industry members are encouraged to walk the streets with flowers, surprising busy commuters with two flowers or bouquets – one to keep and one to share. The Petal It Forward efforts have generated positive exposure and feelings for flowers and the floral industry through media and social media coverage.