HOW I FINAGLED MY WAY INTO THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS...AND OTHER PROJECT SAMPLES Jessica Lewis Marketing, Business Development & Producing JELEWIS18@GMAIL.COM 267-608-9669
DARWIN S THEORY OF EVOLUTION: EXPLAINED IN ONE MEME Lead Marketing Campaign Manager on The Rap Guide to Evolution Arts Centre Melbourne, Australia, April 2014. This hip-hop tour of Darwin s Theory of Evolution was programmed by Arts Centre Melbourne to cultivate the notoriously tricky-to-mobilize youth market not frequently engaged by the venue. Strategy: Mirror the show s cleverness in a non-traditional campaign approach, and make campaign slogans relevant to young audiences. Tactic: translate Darwin s Theory of Evolution into the language of young people - a series of Facebook memes cautioning: Don t sleep with mean people. Meme went viral on social media, affording a 20% savings in marketing spend. Pre-meme, 44% of sales target achieved at 2 weeks out. Ultimately, 143% of revenue target achieved; season extended.
AN EXAMPLE IN RISK- TAKING Associate Producer, White Noise, Produced by Whoopi Goldberg and Directed by Sergio Trujillo New York, New Orleans, Chicago, 2008 2011 Inspired by the real-life white supremacist Gaede twins, this daring original rock musical follows the fictitious but realistic scenario of their rise to Top 40 pop fame when a clever manager codes their music. After all, powerful packaging and a passive public not really listening is a dangerous combination we witness frequently... SAMPLE SONG LYRICS: DO THE LAUNDRY (The girls, now famous, make a promo appearance on Sesame Street singing to millions of children: ) Put the whites over here and the colours over there Before it s too late, separate, do the laundry Take a stand make it clear, take pride in what you wear Before it s too late, separate do the laundry Cause if you mix the lights and darks, the whites are gonna get stained... Discovered development production, acquired commercial rights and oversaw development of two commercial runs in New Orleans (sold out) and Chicago. Efforts attracted Whoopi Goldberg and Broadway heavyweight Sergio Trujillo to Chicago production. Part of marketing strategy team, overseeing art direction and campaign implementation.
HOW I MOBILIZED A CITY Lead Marketing Campaign Manager on We re Going On a Bear Hunt and producer of Melbourne s city-wide Bear Hunt Week, free for families Arts Centre Melbourne, Australia, November 2013 We re Going on a Bear Hunt is the largest ever kids show produced by Arts Centre Melbourne, direct from London s West End. The two-fold marketing strategy involved rallying families via an invitation to free Bear Hunt events for kids and partnering with major Melbourne organizations to secure in-kind marketing support and direct marketing access to new databases. Supported by News Ltd. (Australia s largest circulating news outlet), tens of thousands of Melbournians participated in free Bear Hunt activities for Bear Hunt Week, including a real-life bear hunt at the Royal Melbourne Zoo and readings at local libraries and bookstores. Successful partnership support yielded a 35% budget savings. 161% of ticket and revenue target achieved.
HOW WE BROKE A GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORD Production Executive on largest ever kick-line down the Las Vegas Strip (1700 people) as part of Hats! The Musical promotional stunt Sibling Entertainment Group, Inc., Las Vegas, January 2008 Set Guinness World Record. Spectacle of 1700 Red Hatters in full purple/red regalia stopped the Strip. Hats! The Musical Las Vegas beat aggressive revenue and ticket targets. Hats! The Musical was inspired by the Red Hat Society - the international women s movement and social club dedicated to reshaping the way society views women over 50. Their motto: We re not done and we re not dead. Hats! The Musical played commercially and critically successful runs in Denver, Chicago, and Harrah s Casinos in New Orleans and Las Vegas. Part of event strategy team and coordinated 1700 Red Hat Society stunt participants aged 50 95. To best broadcast the show s spirit, promotion brought over-the-top visibility to this invisible demographic and celebrated the participants.
HOW I MADE 500,000 PEOPLE HAPPY Lead Marketing Campaign Manager, Play Me, I m Yours city-wide street piano project Arts Centre Melbourne, Australia, January 2014 An extensive post-project evaluation revealed: 95% of participants felt more engaged with the company. 77% felt a greater appreciation for Melbourne. 97% interacted with people they may not have otherwise. 500,000 Melbournians engaged with the project, yielding the most successful social media campaign in Arts Centre Melbourne history. For 2 ½ weeks, music filled Melbourne s streets from 26 beautifully decorated pianos inviting the public to simply: Play Me, I m Yours. It was Art Centre Melbourne s largest ever public arts initiative. My carefully crafted social media and outdoor display campaign attracted an opening night attendance of 2500 people. Expected attendance: 65.
WHO SAID OVER-SELLING A STUDENT CONTEMPORARY DANCE SHOW WAS IMPOSSIBLE? Lead Marketing Campaign Manager, The Yard Arts Centre Melbourne, Australia, August 2014 The Yard is an urban dance project conceived and directed by famed Australian choreographer Shaun Parker featuring disadvantaged Western Sydney students. Strategy: combat the challenge of selling student contemporary dance to the public by focusing on the project s genesis, the value of art as a vehicle for social justice, and its ability to change lives. Tactics: in place of traditional advertising, a different approach:»» Recreated the show s development process in Melbourne with the original choreographer, empowering marginalized young Melbournians.»» Partnered with leading human rights organizations and guest artists from So You Think You Can Dance and elsewhere in large-scale panel discussion event. Initiatives generated multiple press covers and additional media, affording a 25% savings in marketing budget. Achieved 129% of revenue and ticket target.
FROM BLACK AND WHITE TO DR. SEUSS : A LESSON IN REBRANDING Lead Marketing Campaign Manager, Arts Centre Melbourne s Families & Youth programs Arts Centre Melbourne, Australia, 2012 2014 Kids & Families July December 2012 Fun and inspiring June performances July August and workshops My first ever Arts Centre Melbourne undertaking was petitioning the executives, including the CEO, to rebrand the Families & Youth program. Rebrand aggressively aimed to better reflect the program's imaginative highquality art and align with the fun and colourful material typically associated with kids products. Families & Youth 2013 2014 Summer/Autumn Book online or call 1300 182 183 Media Partner artscentremelbourne.com.au BEFORE Rebrand contributed to a 600% growth in the Families & Youth database during my two-year tenure overseeing the program. artscentremelbourne.com.au AFTER