Peter Arnell: Crafting a New Look for a New Year’s Icon

It is a few months into 2024, but it is never too late to talk about the iconic Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop.

Design guru and advertising executive Peter Arnell explained the makeover the glittery globe got to usher in the New Year.  Arnell, who is the Chief Brand and Design Officer for Fontainebleau, said the animated bow tie lighting design on the 12-foot, 12,000 lbs ball was comprised of two triangles shining simultaneously to create the shape, reminiscent of Times Square’s nicknames, “the bow tie.” According to Arnell, the whole thing was carefully patterned to “compliment the iconic ball’s design while showcasing Fontainebleau’s new identity…The goal was to ensure the worldwide audience of over one billion, who witness this historic moment, are introduced at the same time to the new Fontainebleau.”

The 2024 drop was sponsored by Fontainebleau in celebration of the hotel chain’s newest location in Las Vegas and the 70th anniversary of the Miami Beach resort. Arnell, the Chief Brand and Design Officer for Fontainebleau, said the animated design was carefully patterned to “compliment the iconic ball’s design while showcasing the new Fontainebleau identity…The goal was to ensure the worldwide audience of over one billion, who witness this historic moment, are introduced at the same time to the new Fontainebleau identity.”

The connection was further driven home by the performance by Paul Anka, the singer-songwriter known for his classic hits like “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” and “Lonely Boy”. 82-year-old Anka said that his inspiration for writing Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” came while he was in the Fontainebleau, so this event brought him “full circle” as he concluded a world tour.