While baseball fans are following the playoffs, we’re following the florists. Last week we reported on retailer BJ Dyer’s, AAF, AIFD, efforts to corral seven florists representing the seven playoff teams to participate in a friendly baseball bet and, more importantly, a PR blitz to keep the media updated on the bet.

This week, the florists on the winning side of the playoffs — Colorado, Phoenix, Boston and Cleveland — are celebrating their sports teams and their respective payoffs.

Dyer and partner Guenther Vogt, AAF, of Bouquets in Denver are anxiously awaiting tomorrow’s payoff from Philly Phanatics Scott and Chad Kremp, AAF, of Kremp Florist: a box of locally-grown posies. Diamondbacks supporter Ken Young, AAF, of Phoenix Flower Shops is looking forward to his delivery of Wrigley Field Ivy from Chicago Cubbies fan Bill Sheffield of Ashland Addison Florist Co. Sox super fan Rick Canale of Boston’s Exotic Flowers is happy to accept a “rose bowl” sized arrangement from the Rose Bowl’s Los Angeles native, Hank Maarse, of Jacob Maarse Florists. Representing the Indians, Rick Fracci of Fracci Florist in Cleveland, is ready to sink his teeth into a Big Apple bouquet from New York’s own Dean Georges of Irene Hayes Wadley & Smythe Lemoult Florist.

More importantly for these florists is the PR coverage they’re getting as a result. The Bouquets duo mmediately sent out a press release with the news of their win — and that they're donating the bouquets to pair with meals prepared by Project Angel Heart, a Colorado-based nonprofit group that delivers meals for people living with life-threatening illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS and cancer. In addition, the bet between the florists got coverage in The Denver Post, The Rocky Mountain News and on FOX 10 News in Phoenix.

Now, the Bouquets duo is busy working up a new wager with their next face-off against Arizona’s Young — and they’re not missing a chance to convey the “drama” of the bet to the media: “Ken’s a confident Diamondbacks fan, so we’re pushing him for a maximum ante to back-up his team,” Vogt says in the release they sent on Oct. 9. “Free flowers for Rockies fans living in Phoenix is a strong possibility.”

Next, the Rockies will take on the Diamondbacks in Phoenix on Thursday for game No. 1 of the National League Championship Series, while the Indians will match up against the Red Sox in Boston on Friday for game No. 1 of the American League Championship Series. The league champs will advance to World Series game No. 1, scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 24.

Knowing that the final wager would need to be something that’s headline-worthy, the florists have told the media via press release that the loser of the series has to work for a weekend in the winner’s flower shop. In addition, not missing an opportunity to put flowers in the spotlight, the loser will also create, as stated in the release, “a grand floral arrangement to congratulate the 2007 World Series Championship team.”

 

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