The Brand
Universal Music Canada (Umusic) is part of the world’s leading music corporation, Universal Music Group. Some of its biggest clients include Taylor Swift, Drake, Justin Bieber, Eminem and the chart-topping rock band Imagine Dragons.
Aside from managing some of the world’s favourite artists, Umusic also puts on fan events and award show events to promote their artists in cities around the globe. Umusic teamed up with Fervent Events in 2017 to create an immersive marketing event for the popular band, Imagine Dragons.
Pop-up Shop & Immersive Marketing
Umusic and their merchandising company, Bravado, were looking for a way to promote one of their highest profile clients, Imagine Dragons, who would be in Toronto to headline the June Much Music Video Awards.
Instead of using more “traditional” marketing avenues, Umusic approached Fervent Events with the idea of setting up a pop-up shop that went beyond the status quo. A retro-futuristic space decked out with classic arcade games, this pop-up would generate buzz by the creativity of the space itself rather than focusing solely on selling merchandise. Plus, it would also serve as an inventive backdrop for a meet-and-greet with the band.
We managed all creative and logistical aspects of the event including the custom build of surreal 3-D landscape taken from the bands album artwork. We took care of permit management with the City of Toronto, designed fake walls, vinyl prints, lighting elements, custom built props and brought in ten retro arcade machines.
Event Staffing & Pop-ups
Fervent successfully designed, produced and managed Umusic’s 2-day MMVA pop up, developing and implementing the entire program from start to finish.
All of the staffing logistics from door management to event staff inside the venue were managed by Fervent Events. Drawing from our extensive roster of brand ambassadors, we hired a team of outgoing and energetic event staff to engage with fans. We also hired photographers and retail workers to manage the merch sales inside the venue. Fans loved the arcade games, and our friendly brand ambassadors were helpful and engaging.
The Results
- Created significant promotional buzz surrounding the upcoming release of Imagine Dragon’s new album ‘Evolve’ with radio stations and newspapers across Toronto covering the event.
- Provided an impressive backdrop for a fan meet-and-greet with the band.
- Hit retail sales targets meant to help off-set marketing costs.
