Kelly Killoren Bensimon and PARKER Pens 'Write Big' : What if You Could Share Your Message With the World?

NEW YORK, Dec. 9, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- PARKER's international Write Big contest drew to a spectacular close on December 7th with a magical evening combining innovative art technology and the written word in the heart of New York City. Author and reality show star Kelly Killoren Bensimon was on-hand to help PARKER launch their grand finale celebration.

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Over the past six weeks, PARKER invited people to share their message online at www.parkerpen.com, framing their thoughts with the question What if?

Out of the 160, 000 visitors, more than 53,000 entrants from around the world submitted their personal, topical or philosophical messages to be used in an original event celebrating hand-writing.

Last night, the groundbreaking competition concluded with the winning inspirational messages coming from 10 different countries, in 9 different languages and selected by PARKER's judges for their democratic, original and positive output. These 30 sentences were projected onto the exterior of New York's iconic Museum of Arts & Design* building in a breathtaking display of revolutionary, cutting edge 3D video mapping.

Some of the messages:

What if your small step started a massive change? - Gerri T.

What if you could save a life with a pen? Incredible! - Matthew O.

What if I was a pen, the world would be my notepad? - Daniel L.

Passersby from Columbus Circle and Broadway were astonished to watch these international messages, projected onto the New York skyline. PARKER thus empowered both NYC and its inhabitants during the 2 1/2 hours that the projection ran.

The PARKER holiday pop-up shop**, located just steps away from the projections, was also a popular destination for those wishing to view 2010's pen collections.  

Earlier in the evening, a presentation for press and friends of the brand was held within the Museum of Arts & Design. Author and reality show star Kelly Killoren Bensimon, PARKER President Jean-Charles Hita and Group President Penny McIntyre introduced the evening's proceedings with comments underlining the conceptual thinking behind the event and its natural link with the sophisticated heritage and innovative values inherent to the PARKER brand.

"The Write Big event encapsulates all of our PARKER values: Innovation with its 3D technique, Design with the artistic creation, and Writing, with the written thoughts from people from all around the world," said Jean-Charles Hita. Bensimon added, "I'm thrilled to have been asked to participate in tonight's Write Big event. There is nothing more alluring than the written word. I love the intimacy of a note, and why not write it with an amazing instrument like a Parker pen?"

The Write Big finale was attended by notable guests such as VIPs, NYC influencers from fashion and design worlds and grandsons of the PARKER family, alongside the brand's Group President Penny McIntyre, Jean-Charles Hita and Kelly Killoren Bensimon. Media attendees ranged from The Wall Street Journal, Good Morning America and Glamour to People, US Weekly, and Men's Health.

PARKER's international ambassadors, a group of three globally renowned creative entrepreneurs, could not attend the museum event but participated by including their own messages in the projection, reinforcing the international signature of the contest:

What if I only exist as long as somebody needs me? - Azamat Tseboev, Russia

What if writers invented reality and not the contrary? - Amanda Sthers, France

What if we were all angels? - Beata Pawlikowska, Poland

The public can relive the spectacle of the Write Big event and see exclusive footage of the evening by visiting www.parkerpen.com or Facebook fan page.

SOURCE PARKER