When one of Sheffield's most renowned artists approached us to deliver the PR for his biggest exhibition to date, we couldn't wait to get started. Pete McKee's '6 Weeks to Eternity' took a nostalgic look back at summer holiday memories and featured 30 new works by the renowned Sheffield-based artist, as well as memories from the public.
The brief
Pete and his team were clear in their objectives - they wanted to make 6 Weeks to Eternity Pete's biggest and best exhibition to date.
The free two-day event was set to take place at the Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham and the team wanted to attract an audience of over 6,000 people, engaging with Pete's loyal fanbase across Yorkshire to secure interest in the event and, in turn, drive footfall.
Delivery
The two-month campaign started with a launch event at Sheffield's Moor Market, where members of the public could submit their own personal holiday memories for inclusion in the exhibition.
This gave us a great talking point to speak to the media about, garnering interest and securing coverage about the forthcoming event.
On the back of this event, we then worked with the media across Yorkshire, approaching target journalists to place pre-event interviews and competitions with key publications.
Exclusive reveals of Pete's new work for the exhibition were given to handpicked titles, and we invited selected journalists to visit Pete at his studio for one-to-one interview opportunities.
As the opening date neared, we then moved our focus to securing media attendance at an exclusive VIP preview event.
Photography, filming and interview opportunities were offered at the event, as well as the chance to see the exhibition first-hand, before it officially opened its doors.
The results
Over the two-month campaign, more than 30 pieces of coverage were generated - all in relevant, target publications, including the Yorkshire Post, BBC Look North, BBC Radio Sheffield, The Sheffield Star, Rotherham Advertiser, Exposed Magazine and Sheffield Telegraph.
However, importantly, the coverage translated into attendance. More than 8,000 people attended the event over the two days, with McKee saying it left him 'blown away'.
- 8,000people attended the event
- 30+pieces of coverage in target media
