Everett Mall’s kissing marathon was designed to see who could maintain the longest lip lock after 13 hours. The exposure the event received was tremendous: a live radio remote, front-page coverage in two local papers, and a segment on the evening news.

On Valentine’s Day, Mall of America’s Rotunda was host to 92 simultaneous weddings. The mass ceremony was conducted by a county district court judge, and broadcast live on a co-sponsoring radio show. All 92 couples were flown (together) on a honeymoon trip to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Although Fox River Mall was enjoying sales increases, the fine jewelry category ranked well below other merchandise areas in market share. An innovative telemarketing campaign titled “A Gift of Jewelry? Bright Idea!” was created to increase jewelry sales two weeks prior to Valentine’s Day. The mall’s jewelry merchants exceeded the previous year’s sales by 11 percent.

When municipal records showed a 69% increase in dog licenses issued, Brentwood Mall saw the opportunity to hold an event. “Paws on Parade” included a ‘Pet-Owner Look-alike Contest’, dog obedience performances, an obstacle tournament for dogs, a pet fashion show, and a hamster race. The promotion produced a noticeable increase in traffic and received extensive coverage. Non-profit interest groups raised $3,000 and the local S.P.C.A. found homes for 30 dogs and cats.

Speculation over new taxes on the rich contributed to a first-quarter sales slump at Cary Towne Center, in the affluent city of Cary, North Carolina. The solution was “Instant Tax Refund,” a gift-with-purchase program that focused on the benefits of using mall gift certificates as the premium for the promotion.

When Crocker Galleria in San Francisco, California, was approached to assist Project Open Hand prior to their annual food and gift festival fund-raiser, it provided an opportunity for shoppers to participate in a worthwhile community project.

Low birth weights triggered an unusual alliance of business and media in Monterey County, California. Northridge Center initiated the challenge of giving women incentives for using the program’s “Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby” handbooks. The incentives include T-shirts and packets of mall coupons, which are distributed to women who return the completed handbook at the end of each trimester of their pregnancy.

Heritage Mall, with a strong rural and urban market, celebrated its 12th anniversary country-style. Shoppers were invited to participate through a cowboy boot-shaped mailer; recipients could redeem the mailers for one of 2,000 cowboy boot mugs. A “Cash Cowboy” randomly handed out $6,000 in gift certificates, and shoppers could win a trip to Branson, Missouri.

Mall Del Norte hosted a four-day “Shoe Trade-In Sale” during the 1992 back-to-school season. Shoppers could exchange used shoes for $5 towards the purchase of a new pair; the used pairs were then donated to the Salvation Army. The promotion produced an 1,120% return on investment, and compared to the year prior, sales increased 43%.

When the California Restaurant Association approached Broadway Plaza about hosting the Third Annual Bay Area Restaurant Olympics, Marketing Director Kaycee McKenzie saw the potential for increasing the center’s community goodwill. The association and corporate sponsors picked up most of the costs, and around 4,000 people attended the event.