The new Times Square ball is a fusion of tradition and high-technology with more than 2,500 Waterford Crystals and more than 32,000 LED lights by Philips.
On the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, when “the ball drops” in Times Square, New York City, to mark the start of 2010, the iconic Waterford cut-crystal sphere will be twice as large as last year, fitted with more than 32,000 LED lights, and wired with the latest high-tech lighting controls that will transform this century-old ritual into a cutting-edge celebration of a brave new future, a perspective that has layers of meaning for the luxury crystal company sponsor of the event.
Waterford Crystal has been the Times Square ball drop’s official sponsor only since 2000, but the dropping of the orb can be traced all the way back to 1907, when the New York Times decided it needed a focal point to draw crowds to its end-of-year celebration at its Manhattan headquarters. The history of Waterford goes back considerably farther — to the year 1783 to be exact — but 2009 was a pivotal year that saw the luxury crystal company brought to its knees by the economic crisis. Quickly emerging from bankruptcy in March 2009, the iconic Irish company(the brand is now owned by KPS Capital Partners, an investment group based in the U.S.) is no doubt eager to see the close of an extremely difficult year, one that saw the shuttering of its historic factory and visitor center in Waterford, Ireland, as its new owners began sourcing its crystal from lower-cost subcontractors in Central European countries, according an article in the Waterford News & Star newspaper.
The first Times Square ball was made from iron, wood and a hundred 25-watt lightbulbs, and the design has evolved over the years. In 2000, the ball got its first official sponsor. Along with several other big corporations, Waterford Crystal paid an undisclosed amount to the Times Square Alliance to become official sponsors of the millennium celebration, and they have continued every year since. In 1998, the New York Times reported that “Christopher J. McGillivary, president of Waterford Crystal U.S.A said the Times Square celebration would undoubtedly be one of the best advertising opportunities in history.” For the 2000 celebration, Waterford produced a ball, 6-feet in diameter, weighing approximately 1,070 pounds. It was covered with a total of 504 Waterford crystal triangles, and each year they updated the ball with a new crystal design. The ball remained in use from 2000-2007. For New Years Eve 2008 the ball got a makeover in honor of its 100th anniversary, when the ball was updated with Philips LEDs that were used to produce colors, patterns, and special effects.
This year’s ball is going to shine “bigger, better and brighter than ever, according the Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins, in an announcement that listed how the orb is growing exponentially in all dimensions, stretching 12-feet across, weighing 11,875 pounds, and festooned with 2,668 Waterford crystal panels and 32,256 Phillips LED lights. Reusing elements of the 2009 design, “Let there be joy,” the new ball also features an angel with arms uplifted as a repeated motif. A total of 1,728 of the new crystals will be added to the 960 that made up last year’s starburst design, “Let there be light.” According to the Times Square Alliance, the new ball is “capable of creating a palette of more than 16 million vibrant colors and billions of patterns producing a spectacular kaleidoscope effect atop One Times Square. And this year’s Ball is 10-20 percent more energy efficient than last year’s already energy-efficient Ball, consuming only the same amount of energy per hour as it would take to operate two traditional home ovens.”
The new ball will become a year round attraction in Times Square, sitting 400 feet above the ground for revelers to enjoy all year long. It symbolizes a bold and confident New York poised to face a bright future despite the economic challenges. For Waterford, the blazing high-tech light show will symbolize the surivival of a legendary brand, even if the company no longer manufactures its own crystal at the company’s own factory.
—Kim Harty