For brands that can say they have successfully navigated the live event landscape in the first half of the year, they have done so by going virtual. This was certainly the case for Ford and their first ever virtual booth at this year’s Essence Festival.
As plans to be involved in-person were derailed in the face of Covid, Ford leaned on UWG in partnership with Bluewater to quickly find a solution that would engage a virtual audience and allow for content to be front and center at this year’s Essence Festival. With having been involved in the festival for years, we knew exactly what to do and sprung into action.
Our team at Bluewater worked with Ford and UWG to create a fully virtual booth experience that would showcase their branding and products. The booth included the ability for virtual participants to explore Ford vehicles, including navigation into the interior and even video content. Additionally, there was a virtual Ford stage where attendees were able to view all live and on-demand content associated with Ford’s presence at the event. A virtual Ford owners lounge was also password protected and accessible only to Ford owners or premium giveaway recipients. This space also included a celebrity meet-and-greet. Lastly, we teamed with UWG to create a photo activation that allowed users to choose an overlay, take a photo, and download it for use in multiple places.
“As we worked to build the first-ever virtual ESSENCE Festival, we turned to our partners at Ford, who immediately rose to the occasion and created a space for past and new attendees that honors the traditional festival experience in a new and reimagined way,” wrote Essence Festival. “Ford created a dynamic and interactive space that brings what is typically a traditional on the ground ESSENCE Festival in-person engagement to life virtually.”
Our team at Bluewater was proud to move quickly and help execute this unique experience, and also ensure that restrictions on in-person gatherings didn’t slow Ford down – instead it just shifted their priorities and their strategy. As a long time sponsor of Essence Festival, Ford knew it needed to remain involved somehow. That’s why when Essence said the event would go on virtually, Ford was quick to team up with UWG and Bluewater to create an Essence experience that will not soon be forgotten.
To learn more about how Bluewater can help you pivot your traditionally in-person event to a virtual one, be sure to contact us today.
