On Thursday, September 12, The Napoleon Group, the leading full-service previsualization and commercial test company, celebrated the move to its new Flatiron headquarters with an invitation-only event for clients, colleagues and friends featuring The Marty Napoleon Sr. Quartet at Toshi’s Living Room.
The Napoleon Group played host to nearly 200 creative directors, art directors, producers, copywriters and account executives from New York City’s top advertising agencies for an evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and several sets of classic jazz. Led by the father of Napoleon Group owner Marty Napoleon, The Marty Napoleon Sr. Quartet includes legendary pianist and Louis Armstrong All Star Marty Napoleon Sr., drummer Ray Mosca, bassist Bill Crow and vocalist and trumpeter Bria Skonberg, DownBeat Rising Star 2013.
Marty Napoleon took to the stage to introduce his father and, with that, the 92-year-old Napoleon Sr., sporting his trademark sailor’s cap, launched into a rollicking and heart-felt rendition of “Baby, Won’t You Please Come Home,” trading notes and solos with Mosca, Crow and Skonberg. Two 45-minute sets of jazz classics followed, including “St. Louis Blues,” “Caravan,” “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” “All of Me” and “Embraceable You.”
The crowd inside responded with standing ovations while an unexpected crowd outside also showed its appreciation: with the Quartet performing on a stage surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, a group of passers-by quickly gathered outside Toshi’s on Broadway to stare, listen and snap photos, separated from the band by only a pane of glass and undeterred by a heavy downpour.
Enjoying the music amid Toshi’s colorful couches, cafe tables and two-story aquarium were creatives and account folk from AFG, Ammirati, BBDO, Con Edison, DDB, Deutsch, Draftfcb, GMR Marketing, Grey, JWT, Louis Armstrong House Museum, Lowe and Partners, McCann Erickson, McGarryBowen, Merkeley and Partners, Mother New York, NBC Universal, Ogilvy & Mather, Publicis Kaplan Thaler, Publicis Healthcare, Strawberry Frog, The Bloc, Tory Burch, Vidal Partnership and Womenkind.
“A flood of finger snappin’ jazz on a rainy New York City night was the perfect way to end the week,” said Jory Sutton of McCann Erickson.
Freelance producer Noelle Nimrichter echoed his sentiments. “The Napoleon Group put on a classy event with some of our favorite folks in the industry. It was a spectacular night filled with music and I look forward to seeing everyone at the next one!”
For his part, Napoleon Group owner Marty Napoleon was grateful for the opportunity to share the unique evening. “We wanted to celebrate our move downtown to a brand new facility and show our appreciation to our clients with an exclusive event that only we could throw,” he said.
“The night was a perfect blend of music, friends and fun,” said Napoleon President Doug Miller. “The Napoleon Group is known for memorable events and I’m sure this will be the first of many.”
The Napoleon Group
Art. Craft. Ingenuity. Those are the deliverables that distinguish The Napoleon Group and the reasons creative thinkers and innovative brands trust us to instill impact and performance in their previsualization and test advertising.
Drawing on an evolving portfolio of specialized services and styles—animatics, cinematics, live production, art, audio, 3D VFX/motion graphics—Napoleon fashions captivating experiences that spark consumer curiosity, inspire brand loyalty and fuel product sales. In short, we provide deeper consumer insights and consistently higher test scores by creating customized content that connects, compels and converts.
Founded in 1985, Th
