AKA, the independent fully integrated agency for the arts, culture, leisure and tourism markets, has secured a partnership for Matilda The Musical (a Royal Shakespeare Company [RSC] production) with Capco (Covent Garden’s management company) for the festive period. The partnership sees the installation of a giant Miss Trunchbull’s chair in Covent Garden as part of the social campaign, #BeMoreMatilda – which will run until early January 2019.
Bringing the show to life outside of the theatre, the experiential installation enhances Covent Garden’s magical Christmas shopping experience by offering something new and exciting for shoppers to interact with. Designed by Matilda The Musical’s award-winning set and costume designer Rob Howell, the installation dares shoppers to sit on the headmistress’s chair, take a photo and then upload it to Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #BeMoreMatilda to get the chance to win a hotel stay and tickets to see the musical.
Taking over 200 hours to create, the high steel chair stands proudly in Covent Garden’s Central Avenue – a short walk away from Matilda The Musical’s home at the Cambridge Theatre. Aligning with the growing demand for more immersive experiences industry-wide, the chair is helping to build greater brand awareness for Matilda The Musical by engaging with shoppers as they enjoy visiting Covent Garden’s stores this Christmas.
AKA collaborated closely with the RSC, Howell and Capco on the partnership campaign. As well as the chair, the campaign consists of a shop-front vinyl takeover and a special performance from Gina Beck, who plays Miss Honey, and Sara Munday, who is one of the four actresses who share the title role of Matilda, at Covent Garden’s annual Christmas lights switch-on on Tuesday 13 November.
“The Miss Trunchbull chair installation truly captures the spirit and narrative of the musical, encouraging people to #BeMoreMatilda,” said Nicole James, Head of Marketing, Matilda The Musical, London. “It has enabled us to reach new audiences by giving visitors to Covent Garden, who may not have considered seeing Matilda The Musical, an insight into the world of Matilda and a chance to win the opportunity to see it come to life in London’s West End.”
Kirsty Vallance, senior partnerships manager, AKA said: “The RSC are such a prestigious organization and a long-standing client of ours, so we are delighted to work with Matilda The Musical globally and bring them creative opportunities that entice new and existing audiences. This partnership was sought to raise awareness for the production during the festive period. And to do so, we wanted to inspire people outside of the theatre and bring a small element of a thrilling live performance to Covent Garden.”
Credits:
- Kirsty Vallance – senior partnership manager, AKA
- Lucy May – senior account manager, AKA
- Siana French – social media manager, AKA
- Nicole James - head of marketing, Matilda The Musical, London
- Rob Howell – set and costume designer, Matilda The Musical