Events screened...

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Brand stand


The drive of event and marketing agencies to find novel ways of engaging media-weary and blasé consumers has seen a significant growth in experiential marketing.

A new survey by the experiential marketing agency  Jack Morton Worldwide reports that 75% of marketers plan to increase spending on this function in 2008.

                                           Rob da Bank tunes up for Bandstand

Jack Morton’s reputation for reaching this increasingly sophisticated and selective consumer audience has resulted in a new project which launches in May ‘08. This sees the agency working on a major music event in partnership with Vauxhall cars and the Sunday Best festival, to herald in this summer’s live music calendar.

"Corsa presents Bandstand steered by Sunday Best" is an indoor festival created around the sound and imagination of Sunday Best, one of the UK’s leading independent record labels and party organisers. Brit and Grammy Award winner Mark Ronson takes the headline slot to lead Bandstand’s celebration of British musical exuberance.

Bandstand’s origins lie in Bestival, Sunday Best’s festival, and its independent status has found synergy with the youth demographic of Corsa’s consumer base of 20-something urban dwellers.

This urban cue was seized upon by Sunday Best’s Josie Lynwode, inducing a magical park-like world of fauna, animals and characters. This imagery pervades all channels of communication and the theming of the event at both venues which includes specially liveried cars while a dedicated web portal - www.bandstandevents.co.uk – gives artist line up information and interaction with the different characters specifically created for the event.

Ben Turner from Graphite Media, artist manager for Rob da Bank and all things Sunday Best, explains: “Vauxhall Corsa have been refreshing to work with on the joint creation of Bandstand. They have completely understood the creative vision of Rob and Josie, and together we have created a fresh and fun event, and hopefully will set a new benchmark for indoor concepts. We believe that the Corsa demographic is on point with the Sunday Best audience.”

The Bandstand venues, in London’s Old Billingsgate and Liverpool’s Carling Academy wil be transformed to host the Bandstand main stage arena, live acts and DJs surrounded by park benches, eccentric look-a-likes and paths leading off to different areas, bringing the outdoor experience indoors.

Richard Hughes, group marketing manager at Vauxhall comments: “In Sunday Best we have found a partner who shares our vision about doing something different, fun and totally unique.”

The event features an Alice In Wonderland inspired room, CS Lewis meets a traditional English garden party with an upscale Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. Guests can sip cocktails by the creators of the Bollywood Bar experience at Bestival and immerse themselves in the wonder of White’s Bar, inspired by the C’Mons character from the Corsa commercials.

To add to the party drama, exhibitionists can dip into a fancy dress funbox and engage in the acting-out of Alice In Wonderland themes. Elsewhere, a Time Machine Disco sports a DJ booth created from a time machine while DJs make unannounced appearances to create a climate of unpredictability in this more intimate party space.

Sunday Best and Bestival founder Rob da Bank has brought together live British talent headlined by Mark Ronson and joined by Rob da Bank himself, The Cuban Brothers and Sunday Best’s resident DJ’s Sombrero Sound System plus many more.

Julian Pullan,MD, Jack Morton Worldwide, London said: “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to unite and work with two such vital British brands for this exciting event which really speaks to the power of experiential marketing to create truly engaging, advocate-building experiences.”


Bandstand launches at London’s Old Billingsgate - 3rd May ‘08
Liverpool’s Carling Academy – 10 May ‘08


RK  __________________________