Experiential
Harry Potter Times Square Takeover
To launch its new global campaign, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child needed a major event to recapture the imagination of Potter fans around the world. So we went as huge as Hogwarts and made magic real with a groundbreaking immersive experience in Times Square. Nearly 360 degrees of custom content. 51 perfectly synched screens. Four city blocks. 1.6 billion impressions. As Experience Director on the project, I wrote the treatment, presented the vision at a global summit of stakeholders, and partnered with our ECD and Director of Content to oversee every aspect of the creative execution.
National ADDY Silver Award. AdWeek Experiential Award. The One Show Shortlist. AdWeek’s Top Stunts and Innovations. Inc.’s Top Marketing Stunts. Agency: AKA
How a play helped thousands of good people find jobs
Arena Stage was producing a new play about the dignity of work called Good People, and they needed an earned media activation that could garner attention for the production. I had an idea…what if we created and hosted our own job fair. I made hundreds of cold calls until I got in touch with our Council Member who immediately signed on. But it’s become so much more—now an ongoing, bi-annual event (8 years running) in partnership with local government and over 100 companies to date, including Walmart, Hilton, and the U.S. Army. It strengthened our connection to the community. Continues to create great press. And the best part, it actually helped people get back to work.
In-house Marketing: Arena Stage
FEATURED ON
Pure imagination transforms a theater
into Wonka’s Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has generations of fans with huge love for the brand and Wonka-sized expectations. So when this beloved story was coming to Broadway, we knew we needed to immerse audiences in the magic at every single touch point—including the theatre front of house. We sweetened the audience experience before they even set foot inside by transforming it into Wonka’s factory—and they devoured it…like kids in a candy factory. Full of Easter Eggs and hidden jokes, our interactive activation was the show’s most shared content on social media, creating everlasting organic buzz. And we garnered the highest advance sales of any show that season. #SayCharlie
Gold Davey Award. Agency: AKA
Fiddler on the Roof x Carnegie Deli
“Could be the greatest development in Jewish comfort food since lox and bagels,” said WNBC-TV. “That’s my boy,” kvelled my Jewish mother. Still pinching myself that I got to invent and name a sandwich for New York’s most iconic deli to promote the revival of one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals. Miracle of miracles, indeed!
Agency: AKA
A Guinness World Record for The Music Man
Arena Stage needed its production of The Music Man to become the must-see event of the summer in DC. I had an idea for a stunt that could get all eyes—and ears—on us. “76 Trombones” wouldn’t be enough, so I turned up the volume by creating the world’s largest trombone ensemble. We partnered with a music education non-profit, FAME, and together we got 368 musicians, ranging in age from 9 to 79, to perform the show’s iconic song at Nationals Stadium. Even an epic hail storm couldn’t stop us from pulling off the impossible and nabbing that world record. It was worth the hearing loss, right?
In-house Marketing: Arena Stage
How a musical that broke the internet stayed viral
Be More Chill was an earworm musical that shot from obscurity to Broadway thanks to a legion of devoted young fans, 300 million album streams, and countless UGC. We needed to keep that momentum going as the show began performances on Broadway, so we got into the heads of Gen Z and created a digital karaoke contest. The music and the fans were a powerful combination that garnered press, boosted engagement on social and web traffic, and turned into ticket sales.
Agency: AKA
Play-ful Pride
So I had a cheeky idea to promote Arena Stage at Pride and deepen our connection to the LGBTQ+ community. Somehow, I got the powers that be to trust me, negotiated directly with an underwear wholesaler, secured a printer, booked models (friends of friends), and ended up with the most popular booth at the festival. We doubled our order the next year. And the next. Even my favorite president from Independence Day posed with a pair of my mighty tightie whities. But the secret was, the underwear was a fun conversation starter…which opened the door to talking face-to-face with people who may not have known about our theatre, and getting them to sign up for our newsletter to turn them into ticket buyers.
In-house Marketing: Arena Stage
