Category: Best use or integration of experiential events
Advertiser: KONZERTHAUS DORTMUND
Product/Service: KONZERTHAUS DORTMUND
Agency: JUNG von MATT
Executive Creative Director: Tobias Grimm (Jung Von Matt)
Executive Creative Director: Jens Pfau (Jung Von Matt)
Account Executive: Peter Stroeh (Jung Von Matt)
Junior Copywriter: Alexandra Stock (Jung Von Matt)
Junior Art Director: Samuel Huber (Jung Von Matt)
Junior Copywriter: Julia Radlwimmer (Jung Von Matt)
Junior Art Director: Katrin Stanek (Jung Von Matt)
Junior Art Director: Thimon Machatzke (Jung Von Matt)
Senior Account Manager: Annette Krebs (Jung Von Matt)
Account Director: Franca Harder (Jung Von Matt)
Director: Banjamin Wolff (Markenfilm)
Director Of Photography: Timo Schwarz (Markenfilm)
Editorial Journalist: Carsten Meincke (Mhoch4)
Producer: Ludger Gorschlüter (Markenfilm)
Producer: Sandra Garsztecki (Markenfilm)
Managing Partner: Johannes Bittel (Markenfilm)
Managing Partner: Bernhard Jungwirth (Mhoch4)
Post Producer: Ulrike Kramer (Infected Postproduction)
Producer: Anna-Lena Tisson (Mhoch4)
Editor: Annett Kiener (Infected Postproduction)
Media placement: Event - On Board Of The Titanic Memorial Cruise - 15.04.2012
Media placement: Viral - www.youtube.com - 16.04.2012
Media placement: BLOG - http://www.the-unfinished.de - 12.04.2012
Campaign Description
Thanks to Hollywood, the tragic sinking of the Titanic remains a highly emotive event a hundred years on.
Everyone knows the most famous personal stories that played out on the Titanic, including the final concert held by the 8 musicians who continued to play into the night to help reassure frightened passengers. None of the 8 musicians survived.
The hundredth anniversary of the Titanic was a global phenomenon. 2 boats were sent carrying the descendants of victims, Titanic fans and members of the worldwide press on a historic voyage to the site of the sinking.
This provided exactly the right setting in which to turn the eyes of the world to the musicians of the Konzerthaus and their passion for music. No one knew whether the expedition would work or not. Only one thing was certain: the idea had enormous potential.
In the end, the music expedition was of a purely emotional nature and had no financial logic, but that also meant there were no restrictions either.
The musicians were visibly kitted out with our logo and shown as such – around the world, including in the German media, since sponsoring is allowed there.
Effectiveness
The Konzerthaus Dortmund relies on international musicians just as a football club relies on star footballers. However, it is not particularly well known on the international music scene because it is still very new. Nevertheless, it has what every good musician has: the passion to give everything, right up to the final chord.
The challenge, therefore, was to capture for ourselves a global audience and to come up with a campaign, which would resonate with every international orchestra director and solo artist.
That is how we came to launch the first ever music expedition on board of a Titanic memorial ship sailing from New York. The mission was to complete what was not completed: the final concert of the Titanic musicians.
On 15 April 2012, we sent 8 musicians from the Konzerthaus Dortmund on an expedition entitled ‘The Unfinished’. The destination: 41° 44' N, 49° 57' W, the place where the Titanic sank precisely a hundred years ago in the middle of the North Atlantic.
There we bestowed final honours on the deceased musicians. At exactly 2.20am, our expedition ensemble – under the eyes of the world’s press and many very moved passengers on board – played the final song Nearer My God to Thee – but this time to the final note.
That final note was consigned to the ocean as a memorial buoy, honouring the deceased musicians. Therefore, it was that after one hundred years, the The Unfinished’ became ‘The Finished’.
It was a stirring moment indeed, including for the camera crews on board, since while everyone was reporting on the same thing on the ship, The Unfinished provided a moving sub-plot. We made use of the media attention around the hundredth anniversary, and drew the whole world’s attention to the Konzerthaus Dortmund.
Implementation
The Konzerthaus Dortmund relies on international musicians just as a football club relies on star footballers. However, it is not particularly well known on the international music scene because it is still very new. Nevertheless, it has what every good musician has: the passion to give everything, right up to the final chord.
The challenge, therefore, was to capture for ourselves a global audience and to come up with a campaign, which would resonate with every international orchestra director and solo artist.
That is how we came to launch the first ever music expedition on board of a Titanic memorial ship sailing from New York. The mission was to complete what was not completed: the final concert of the Titanic musicians.
On 15 April 2012, we sent 8 musicians from the Konzerthaus Dortmund on an expedition entitled ‘The Unfinished’. The destination: 41° 44' N, 49° 57' W, the place where the Titanic sank precisely a hundred years ago in the middle of the North Atlantic.
There we bestowed final honours on the deceased musicians. At exactly 2.20am, our expedition ensemble – under the eyes of the world’s press and many very moved passengers on board – played the final song Nearer My God to Thee – but this time to the final note.
That final note was consigned to the ocean as a memorial buoy, honouring the deceased musicians. Therefore, it was that after one hundred years, the The Unfinished became ‘The Finished’.
It was a stirring moment indeed, including for the camera crews on board, since while everyone was reporting on the same thing on the ship, The Unfinished provided a moving sub-plot. We made use of the media attention around the hundredth anniversary, and drew the whole world’s attention to the Konzerthaus Dortmund.
Outcome
The response was overwhelming and exceeded every expectation. Countless reports in the world’s press – TV and print – came out in the days following the event. The event was watched on TV, heard on the radio and seen in blogs, social networks and newspapers in Canada, the USA, Russia, Europe and Asia. We even made the headlines in a range of media in Germany.
Innumerable e-mails and enquiries have bombarded the Konzerthaus since the campaign. While the voyage was still underway, musicians were asking whether they could play at the Konzerthaus. The mail shot elicited enquiries from a wide range of musicians, too. Another aspect of our success was that we obtained new sponsorship funds through the campaign, thus enabling us to pay international celebrity musicians and artists well. It was a complete success for the Konzerthaus Dortmund, the musicians and, of course, our audiences who can now hear more international stars than ever before.