The Situation
Cirque du Soleil’s one-of-a-kind show, CRYSTAL, blended circus art with the world of ice skating, taking the Cleveland audience on a never-before-seen journey into a whimsical frozen playground. Five performances took place at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in July 2022. Irvin PR was charged with leading the PR strategy.
What We Did
Groundwork: Prior to developing a PR strategy and timeline to guide our campaign, Irvin PR developed a SWOT analysis and market research. Findings helped us to better determine a clear direction for best tactics in messaging, earned media, community outreach and social influencer initiatives in the Cleveland market for our target audience.
Advanced Media & Community Relations: Irvin PR identified a steady trickle of community engagement and media opportunities in the weeks leading up to the show.
- Cleveland Guardian’s First Pitch – Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team, the Cleveland Guardians, had a stretch of home games the week CRYSTAL premiered. CRYSTAL performers (including a juggler, an acrobat, and the main character of the show) choreographed an acrobatic stunt as it threw the team’s first pitch.
- Custom Cookie Creations as Media Drops – One local baker, plus a great social media following and incredible artistic baking skills created the perfect recipe for a CRYSTAL-themed custom treat. We dropped off a goody bag with the treats and a news release to each of the main TV stations.
- Event at Cleveland Skating Club – Given that this show was on ice, we identified a local ice-skating club as a partner, and brought an exclusive, “So You Think You Can Skate?” experience to the kids in its program. Two CRYSTAL skaters surprised the kiddos with a performance skating class. The media was invited to attend.
- Influencer Relations – Local influencer Cleveland Vibes, has more than 60k dedicated followers on Instagram. Irvin PR identified four Cleveland landmarks—the iconic Cleveland script sign, Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Playhouse Square and The Arcade Cleveland—where two acrobats posed for some very Instagram-worthy reels.
Week of Show Media: In addition to joining TV morning shows for in-studio appearances leading up to the premiere, traditional media and influencers were invited to attend an exclusive rehearsal with behind-the-scenes access to stunts, wardrobe, and character interviews.
The Results
Cirque du Soleil’s CRYSTAL received more than 35 traditional (TV, radio, online and print) media placements on the local level, estimating a publicity value of nearly $450k. Three local influencers published 14 posts totaling more than 500k impressions and an additional $60k in earned media value.
35
Media Placements
$450k
Estimated Publicity Value
14
Posts Published
500k
Impressions
$60k
Earned Media Value