CASE STUDY
Clara Luper National Sit-In Plaza Dedication
Candor managed and drove promotion of this historic event, securing significant earned media coverage and public attendance.
The Client
Community leaders engaged Candor to promote the dedication of the Clara Luper National Sit-In Plaza, a landmark honoring the teacher and original 13 students who helped ignite the sit-in movement in 1958 at Katz Drug Store.
The Ask
Our client wanted to bring the community together for the Plaza’s dedication and sought broad local, regional and national media coverage to promote the event and highlight Oklahoma City’s role as the birthplace of the sit-in movement.
The Campaign
Our public relations team executed three waves of media outreach to sustain interest in the Plaza and dedication — keeping the installation top of mind locally and positioning it as a must-see regionally, while also earning meaningful national recognition of OKC’s role in the Civil Rights Movement.
The first wave promoted the installation of the 4-ton lunch counter sculpture, creating early momentum with a compelling visual.
The second wave focused on building awareness of the 1958 sit-in’s significance and the movement behind it. To spotlight its impact, we pitched interviews with living sit-inners and highlighted the unique collaboration that made this project possible. We developed materials explaining the seven-year process from idea to dedication.
The final phase centered on dedication promotion, encouraging media and public attendance at the event.
The campaign drove real-world action.
Candor also led event logistics and planning, developing and managing a communications plan to inform and invite the public to the dedication. Through social media and email marketing, we reached thousands of people and drove a strong turnout.