Submitted by Jonathan Rosenblum on
The federal treasury will pay out $36 million over five years to the Burson-Marsteller PR firm to promote redesigned $5 and $100 bills. According to the Treasury Department's Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the bills need to be promoted and explained to businesses, the media and others in order to ensure that new security features, including "optically variable ink" and watermarks are fully understood. The contract requires that some of the $36 million build on the Treasury's "Color of Money" campaign, which promoted $10, $20 and $50 notes. Among those crucial public promotions: "Uncut sheets of fresh crisp new $1.00, $2.00, $5.00, $10.00 and $20.00 greenbacks right off the press will delight someone special in your life. They make an especially unique gift for that 'hard-to-buy-for' person."