Branding an event is as important as branding your business. What’s it all about? How do you get people to attend? By having fun.
Every year, Frenchtown NJ, a Delaware River town and my home base, has an end of summer event call Riverfest. It is fun but was never especially distinctive. Two years ago some guys started dressing up like Vikings and created an event within the event called the Paper Boat Races. Kids make paper boats, drift them down the river and see which one wins. Simple and fun. The Vikings moderate it and all the spectators can see the race from the bridge.
Just by being fun, goofy and original, the Riverfest Vikings became a favorite part of the day for everyone. I am a big supporter of Frenchtown and thought it would be great to use the love of the Riverfest Vikings to brand the festival, so I got them together for a photoshoot. First some high school-style headshots in the studio then a group shot by the river. We used a green screen so we can clip and insert backgrounds later.
Once we got the shot down by the river it seemed like a great time to up the ante and spontaneously do a video. So I sent them into the river, gave them their lines and let them work their magic. It’s a short clip and the guys are hilarious. I think we’ve successfully branded the spirit of Riverfest.
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