A 21-foot cactus and other ways cities are vying for Amazon's headquarters
— -- When Amazon announced its plan to accept bids from cities for the location of its second headquarters, various U.S. cities developed elaborate plans to catch the attention of the e-commerce giant.
On Sept. 7 Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos first laid out the terms of the project called HQ2. Today, the window for cities to submit those bids has closed. Bezos has promised that 50,000 people will be hired to work at the new headquarters.
Amazon will announce the location of its second headquarters sometime next year. More than 100 cities submitted bids.
Amazon said it wanted a metropolitan location that had at least 1 million residents. Some cities put together buzz-worthy gimmicks to convince Bezos that their location would be the right choice.
Here are some of the cities that went all out in their bids:
Tuscon, ArizonaSun Corridor Inc., an economic development group, sent a 21-foot Saguaro cactus to Bezos as an Amazon headquarters welcome gift. Amazon refused the plant and instead donated it to a local museum, according to Laura Shaw, chief marketing officer of Sun Corridor Inc.
Stonecrest, GeorgiaOn Oct. 5, Mayor Jason Lary and the Stonecrest City Council voted to de-annex 345 acres of land and officially call it the city of Amazon. "There are several major U.S. cities that want Amazon, but none has the branding opportunity we are now offering this visionary company,” the mayor said in a statement after the announcement.
Detroit, MichiganTwo of the state's biggest football rivals joined forces on the field in a show of support for the city's bid to host Amazon H2Q. Head football coaches from the University of Michigan and Michigan State set their differences aside in their biggest game of the season and sported headsets on the sidelines with the text #AmazonDetroit printed on the earpiece and speakers.
Danbury, Connecticut and Frisco, TexasMayors in both cities posted separate videos on social media asking Amazon's voice control system, Alexa, where the best city for the new headquarters is located. The gimmick in both videos ends with a female voice answering the name of each respective city.
Birmingham, AlabamaThe city launched its campaign by setting up giant Amazon packages at three locations around the city. Residents posted photos on social media to draw attention with the hashtag "Bring A to B."
Amazon did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.
