Historic Preservation Meets American Idol

"now, it seems, preservation is almost cool -- or at least cool enough for a corporation such as American Express to hitch to the same upscale marketing machine that has backed everything from the U.S. Open Tennis Championships to the Best Chef Awards."

"When the credit card company Thursday kicked off a Chicago-area 'American Idol'-inspired contest, an online vote that will let people pick a favorite landmark from a list of contenders vying for $1 million in rehab funds, it took a page from the playbook of "cause-based' marketing, which seeks to engage consumers with interactive programs rather than simply inundate them with advertising."