80/35
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The vision: to create a nationally recognized music event and prove, once and for all, that Des Moines isn’t boring. As the first event of its kind – in a medium-sized Midwestern city – there would be challenges attracting big-name acts and drawing big-city crowds.
As a founding member of the Des Moines Music Coalition (DMMC) organization behind 80/35, I was proud to be there from the inception to help lead the team that gave life to this multi-day festival. From shaping the name and look to establishing the anything-can-happen personality to determining how we recruit engaged stakeholders, every aspect of the brand was carefully fashioned to foster the longevity of the music festival.
That even included refreshing the theme and developing dynamic new tactics every year to make sure the event felt new to those familiar with it — and cool to those who hadn’t heard of it just yet.
MUSIC TO OUR EARS
From the start, the 80/35 music festival was a smash hit — exceeding initial expectations and growing year after year. Backed by a strong brand with a smart strategy, the festival has drawn more than 30,000 annual visitors to Des Moines while attracting top-tier acts like Run The Jewels, David Byrne, St. Vincent, Nas, Wilco, Kesha, Weezer and the Wu-Tang Clan.
BRAND DEVELOPMENT:
CRAFTING AN ICONIC PERSONALITY
Our team heard the city’s demands for something extraordinary and answered with a mash-up of music, creativity and culture. From beneath the shadows of downtown Des Moines’ insurance buildings, an iconic event emerged that gave young professionals and families another reason to move to the metro. Targeted advertising and social engagement tactics drove ticket sales and boosted awareness.
ANNUAL PROMOTION:
BRINGING BACK THE MAGIC, AGAIN & AGAIN
To attract the kind of crowds required to maintain a music festival when so many of the acts are unknown to market, it needs to be about more than the performances. It must be made into a cultural event. Each year, a comprehensive marketing strategy was developed to deliver a unique event theme with deep potential. This fresh creative worked across multiple platforms to capture the imagination of both avid music fans and casual observers — from those who planned to see every band to those who came down just to be a part of the crowd. Each year, uniquely engaging creative tactics left fans of the festival eagerly anticipating the reveal of the following year’s theme almost as much as the next line up announcement.
GAMIFICATION & SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT:
ENCHANTING THE CROWD
Guerilla tactics and gamified promotions engaged our target market at ground level with ideas ranging from glorious to goofy — including some, um, “leave-behinds” dropped by a magical mare. For the “80/35 Poop Scoop,” colorful unicorn “plops” that were placed all around the Des Moines metro set our audience on a hunt to find the enchanted droppings in hopes of snagging coveted tickets. The first to find the rainbow-hued heaps were encouraged to post their discovery on social media, increasing awareness and driving ticket sales for the festival. Plus, since many of the prized poos were hidden in and around 80/35’s partner organizations, the event’s sponsors also experienced a magical boost in awareness.
SOCIAL/BROADCAST CONTENT:
DRAWING A CROWD
The magic of 80/35 comes to life on social media and broadcast TV. Videos such as the 10th Anniversary Puppet Show captured the child-like wonder of the city’s biggest music festival, while building hype and driving ticket sales.
