CHALLENGE:
Marking the 40th year of the Edinburgh International Book Festival we once again are media sponsors and creative partner, producing content across the festival. Given the Festival’s historic significance and the desire to resonate with both past attendees and a new generation of literary enthusiasts, the task was to craft a blend of emotion, nostalgia, and contemporary engagement. The team were looking to amalgamate the festival’s legacy with the theme ‘The Joy of Words’ and engage audiences before, during and after the festival with dynamic video marketing content.
We were tasked with creating their pre-roll video which is played to every event attendee across the festival with the potential of reaching 265,000 people and engaging these audiences across the festival’s social media channels.
Event Pre-roll Video
SOLUTION:
As with all projects, meticulous planning and execution is key. With our vast back catalogue of content, we were able to lean on key moments from past festivals and perfect sentiments to craft the narrative. This effort was used to develop the pre-roll and documentary in parallel. Keeping the audience’s social behaviour in mind, we produced a variety of micro-content tailored for platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. This content ranged from event highlights, author spotlights, and behind-the-scenes peeks to interactive challenges and audience testimonials. All to drive buzz and excitement around the festival.
Festival Social Videos
EXECUTION:
We spent many days ahead of the festival sifting through 7 terabytes (over 7,000BG) of our own and supplied archive footage from the festival locating key sound bites and visuals from festivals past. We also sourced the very first news article from the archive, licencing this for use in this and the documentary. The social media campaign took centre stage in the run-up to the festival.
During the festival we worked onsite and remotely with the team to craft visually engaging social content which was rolled out across platforms, ensuring a consistent stream of engagement.
Our work on the “40 Years of Words” continues and will serve as the magnum opus, capturing the spirit of the festival across four decades, anchored by the inviting narration of Val McDermid. This film will delve into the festival’s origins, key milestones, and provide an immersive journey for viewers.
Festival Social Videos
IMPACT:
The pre-roll video became an essential part of the festival’s opening ritual, setting the tone and emotion for attendees. Using this online and at events made this an incredibly valuable piece of content. Our social media videos garnered thousands of interactions, with visitors often sharing their own festival memories, further enriching the festival’s narrative.
Attendees, whether present physically or joining virtually, felt more connected and involved, echoing sentiments of inclusivity and representation. Stay tuned for updates on the festival documentary “40 Years of Words”!
EXPLORE:
Feeling Inspired?
Get ahead: