In 2020, prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, an unconventional marketing campaign was designed to launch a new venue and bring audience awareness to a new show, from the producers of Sleep No More.
Picture this: a world where traditional paid media takes a backseat and word-of-mouth reigns supreme.
That was the challenge laid before me for the launch of a new venue from the producers of Sleep No More.
With a nod to the clandestine nature of the production, I set out to craft a campaign that would ignite curiosity and spark conversation
With a venue located three blocks from Trinity Church, the campaign sought to engage the local arts community by engaging the Trinity Youth Choir to help create a marketing spectacle. Clad in their choral robes and Sleep No More‘s iconic brand masks, the choir would embark on a candle light processional from the church to the new venue.
At dusk, as Wall Street Executives emerged from their offices to begin their evening commute, the pilgrimage would commence.
A symphony of secrecy and spectacle, the children would sing a haunting aria from Charles Gounod’s 1862 opera, each note a whisper, revealing the plot of this new show, and beckoning the curious to follow. The odyssey would culminate in the grand unveiling of the new immersive venue.
In the weeks that following, whispers of the event would echo through the streets of New York, spreading like wildfire through the collective consciousness.
The campaign would continue, teaming with influential groups that spoke directly to the producers’ chosen target audiences. Scheduled events would include a concert with Pitchfork darling Ambient Church and an exclusive influencer dinner for rabid fans of the Sleep No More show.
This experience of intrigue and invention would be a testament to the boundless possibilities of brand, theme and imagination, engaging consumers beyond the realm of traditional advertising.
