#HMATurns40 Years in Review – The 1990s
This year, HMA Public Relations is celebrating its 40th anniversary. So much has happened in this world since then that we are taking some time each quarter to look back. (If you missed our post on the 1980s, click here.)
This quarter, we are taking a trip down memory lane through the 1990s, the decade where the current leadership of the agency comes into being, some significant client projects happened, three HMA staffers were born and one key player today first joined the team:
1990: HMA coordinates the grand opening for Superstition Springs Center in the East Valley, the first large-scale retail center in that area; three songs – Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinéad O’Connor, “Vision of Love” by Mariah Carey, and “Because I Love You (The Postman Song)” by Stevie B – dominate the music charts; In Loving Color premieres on FOX.
1991: Scott Hanson acquires Ed Moser & Associates from Ed Moser and the firm becomes known as Hanson, Moser & Associates; Madonna and Janet Jackson rule the music scene with “Justify My Love” and “Love Will Never Do,” respectively; John Grisham’s The Firm is published; Michael Jordan wins his first (of six) NBA Championships; U.S.S.R. comes to a formal end; and the Hubble Telescope is launched.
1992: HMA becomes a founding member of the Phoenix Network, later renamed the Public Relations Global Network, an international network of more than 50 independently owned and operated public relations firms around the world; Bill Clinton is elected President of the United States (though he formally takes oath of office in January 1993); Johnny Carson hosts his final Tonight Show; Boyz 2 Men tops charts with “End of the Road;” Hurricane Andrew hits the United States; the star-studded Dream Team dominates the men’s basketball tournament at the Summer Olympics; and Charles Barkley is traded to the Phoenix Suns.
1993: Abbie S. Fink joins the agency. She was also the first woman elected to the Active 20-30 International Board of Directors; HMA plays a key role in the first gaming compacts signed by Arizona’s Indian Tribes and Arizona Gov. Fyfe Symington; HMA coordinates the grand opening for Arrowhead Towne Center in the West Valley, the first large-scale retail center in that area; the agency signs national retailer Montgomery Ward and coordinates four simultaneous grand openings with celebrity spokespeople include Ed Asner, Vanna White, Mike Ditka and Tommy Lasorda; Kim Campbell becomes the first female Prime Minister of Canada; Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk awarded the Nobel Peace Prize; Ty Warner USA launches the first Beanie Babies; Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List debut in theatres.
1994: HMA receives Copper Anvil Award on behalf of Arizona Department of Administration for state’s first bilingual PR campaign, “Discrimination Elimination;” HMA assists in the announcement of KPHO-TV becoming the new CBS affiliate in Phoenix; Friends and ER debut on NBC; O.J. Simpson flees police in his white Ford Bronco; Major League Baseball players go on strike, causing the season to be canceled; Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction, The Lion King and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective debut in theatres; Amazon and Yahoo founded.
1995: Scott Hanson earns APR designation from Public Relations Society of America; Oklahoma City bombing rocks country; after a stint in baseball, Michael Jordan returns to the NBA; O.J. Simpson is found innocent; Major League Baseball ends strike; Steve Fossett becomes the first person to make a solo flight across the Pacific Ocean in a hot air balloon; Toy Story debuts; Jerry Garcia and Selena pass away; Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” dominates the airwaves.
1996: Annelise Krafft and Marissa Baker are born; Scott Hanson does his last sportscast at KPHO-TV; HMA manages national and international media relations for city of Tempe for Super Bowl XXX; Fox News Channel debuts; Pokémon mania sweeps the globe; Dolly the Sheep becomes the first mammal to be successfully cloned; Independence Day transitions Will Smith from rapper and sitcom star to major movie star; Major League Soccer makes its U.S. debut; Tickle Me Elmo released; Clinton appoints Madeleine Albright as first female U.S. Secretary Of State; Michael Jordan’s Bulls win a record 72 games.
1997: Autumn Jarrett is born; Arizona Legislature ratifies Statewide Uniform Plumbing Code on behalf of HMA client P.I.P.E.; Ellen DeGeneres comes out as gay on her popular sitcom; Diana, The Princess of Wales, dies in an automobile accident evading paparazzi; El Nino wreaks havoc across Pacific Coast; Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule; Tony Blair becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; Mother Theresa dies; a civil jury finds O.J. Simpson guilty; Tiger Woods (21) becomes the youngest-ever golfer to win the Masters; Titanic crushes box office records.
1998: The Monica Lewinsky scandal dominates the national news cycle; FDA approves Viagra; Europeans introduce Euro; Arizona Diamondbacks play their first Major League Baseball game; gay student Matthew Shepard fatally beaten in hate crime; Michael Jordan wins his 6th NBA Championship; Ford buys Volvo; Titanic wins 11 Oscars, tying a record; Frank Sinatra passes away; Seinfeld signs off.
1999: Soap star Susan Lucci wins first Emmy after 19 nominations; Family Guy, SpongeBob SquarePants and Sopranos debut; Legoland California opens; Columbine High School Massacre devastates the nation; world panics over Y2K; JFK Jr. is lost at sea when his plane crashes near Martha’s Vineyard; film critic icon Gene Siskel passes away; Star Wars starts a new trilogy; Napster and My Space debut; Lance Armstrong wins first Tour de France; Alison Bailin graduates high school.
