• by Fern Siegel , November 19, 2009

It's not just the network news sites that are going hyper-local. "NYC Extreme Local" is an ambitious, experiential marketing push that micro-targets 15 neighborhoods for tourists and residents alike. The campaign runs Nov. 27-Dec. 20.

Borrowing from the intensity of extreme sports, NYC & Company has enlisted brand sponsorships, including American Express, AT&T and YellowPages.com, to promote area shops, restaurants and events -- from the Upper West Side to Brooklyn Heights, Flatiron to DUMBO.

The neighborhoods, businesses and cultural highlights -- 150 events, activities and happenings -- are promoted under the ad theme: "24 days, 15 neighborhoods."

To entice spending in a tough economy, American Express card owners can go to nycgo.com/x and get a $50 statement credit for a total of $300 in purchases at three or more NYC Extreme Local participants.

Ads will appear in outdoor, nycgo.com, digital, the TimeOut New York site and a full page in The New York Times. Social media will be incorporated into the daily mix and a microsite on nycgo.com will highlight each neighborhood beginning Nov. 23, accompanied by a Google map of each specific area.

Jane Reiss, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, NYC & Company, says her agency has been a longtime proponent of customized marketing, citing the star-studded "Just Ask The Local" campaign with Robert DeNiro and Cynthia Nixon.

Reiss states: "NYC Extreme Local includes brand leaders, like American Express, more than 650 merchants and member businesses, and one of the most dynamic new movie productions of the season." She's referring to the "Twilight" saga "New Moon." "New York is known for being a city of extremes, a place of unparalleled energy. This program underscores that reality and message," she adds.

Select merchants will host a late-night shopping party Dec. 7-11 for AmEx cardmembers with DJs/live music, cocktails and retail contests. Participating stores include Diane von Furstenberg, JCrew, Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch and Intermix.