Peter Mayer Public Relations helped JFG Coffee celebrate the return of its iconic sign to the Charlotte, NC, skyline with a relighting event on the patio of the VBGB Beer Garden at the North Carolina Music Factory.

The April 30 affair kicked off the city’s Historic Preservation Month and concluded a successful two year campaign for JFG, a subsidiary of Reily Foods. Following the sign’s removal for refurbishment in 2009, Peter Mayer’s PR team worked with JFG and Historic Charlotte, Inc., a nonprofit preservation organization, to develop a program ensuring the preservation of other vintage signage in the region. Their joint effort, called “Save Our Signs,” raised more than $13,000 to restore these local landmarks.

Last Saturday four local television stations sent news crews to cover the event as citizens and representatives from Historic Charlotte Inc., JFG Coffee, VBGB Beer Gardens and the North Carolina Music Factory counted down to relight the sign just after sunset. Articles online and in the Charlotte Observer, which ran stories Saturday and Sunday, garnered more than $11,100 in earned media and 1,117,350 impressions.