The West End Partnership was looking for an event to raise worldwide awareness of the area, to ultimately drive visitor numbers in the long run. Cake created a 30m square maze in the heart of Trafalgar Square, encouraging visitors to “Get Lost In The West End”. Inside the maze, visitors were able to read about lesser-known hidden facts around the West End, whilst a performance space at the heart showcased some of the area’s cultural expertise. The maze generated over 220 pieces of coverage, worth £4 million, with a circulation of 602 million. Coverage appeared in key markets such as the US, China, mainland Europe, New Zealand and Russia as well as the UK. Over 35,000 people passed through the maze and overall the campaign delivered a Return on Investment of 38:1. By the end of November 2010, footfall in the area year to date had increased by 3.1%, with sales in the area up by 7.5%.
Cake created the idea of encouraging people to ‘get lost in the West End’ and take time to explore its lesser-known hidden gems. To do this, a 30 metre square maze was constructed in the bustling heart of the area - Trafalgar Square – and remained there for a week. Along each pathway, dozens of interesting lesser-known facts about the culture and history of the West End were highlighted on specially-made world-famous blue plaques.
The event was supported by a thorough integrated on and offline PR strategy. Pre-event, listings press were targeted with announcements about the event. A photocall was staged the evening before the maze opened, with images syndicated nationally and internationally, hitting papers the next day. During the course of the week, broadcast crews from around the world were invited down to film inside the maze, and interview representatives from the West End Partnership as well as the various performers making appearances. All content was placed across dedicated social media channels, such as Flickr and Facebook. Finally, for those unable to make it to the maze, video highlights packages of the event were created and syndicated, allowing for further coverage online and through broadcast channels.
Results
Generation of over 220 pieces of print, online and broadcast coverage.
Summary
“The maze provided the perfect platform for us to show off the wealth of hidden gems we have here in the West End of London. From the reactions of visitors to the maze, to the widespread coverage it received both in the UK and further afield, we were absolutely delighted with the campaign.” Jace Tyrrell – Campaign Director, West End Partnership
National and international TV coverage on 12 channels across the UK, USA, Russia, Spain and China
Coverage highlights include half or full-page spreads in the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, Corriere della Sera, Die Welt and The New Zealand Herald and feature pieces on BBC London News, ITN, CCTV China and Kanal 1 Russia
A PR value over £4 million
A total circulation of 602 million
A campaign media ROI of 38:1
Over 35,000 people passed through the maze
By the end of November 2010, footfall in the area year to date had increased by 3.1%, with sales in the area up by 7.5%