Ticket for Tibet Festival
When
20 April 2008
Client
Ticket for Tibet Foundation
Web site
Ticket for Tibet
Brief
Devise a media strategy that will focus optimal media attention on the Tibet issue. Let this form the backdrop for a spectacular public event. And coordinate the organisation of the third edition of the Ticket for Tibet Festivale
A sponsorship activity
BKB worked on the third edition of the Ticket for Tibet (T4T) Festival free of charge.
T4T is the colourful, non-profit festival that draws attention to the unique Tibetan culture and the situation of the Tibetan people. The festival offers a diverse programme including Dutch and Tibetan music, art, workshops, films, debates and sports activities.
Bløf
After two successful editions in 2005 and 2006 (Eindhoven), the third edition of T4T was the best year to date. The ingredients: a journalists’ trip to Dharamsala, a number one hit in the Dutch music charts and a festival attended by 10,000 people. The day after the festival, the Lower House adopted the motion put forward by Femke Halsema (GroenLinks - political party) to invite the Dalai Lama to the Netherlands.
Tibetan monks at the festival ground in the Amsterdam harbour.
Media strategy
BKB developed a carefully constructed media campaign. T4T received extensive news coverage; for a week in the Giel-mobiel, on the daily Pauw & Witteman talk show, KlinkFM, De wereld draait door and eventually also in the Lower House.
An important part of the campaign was the trip made by a group of Dutch journalists to the North Indian city of Dharamsala. This is where the Dalai Lama has lived in exile since 1959. BKB organised and took part in the journalists’ trip.
Members of the group included Radio 3FM, daily newspaper The Press, VARA presenters The Jackals and Rails magazine. Peter Slager and Chiem van Houweningen jr. from the popular band Bløf also joined the trip. Their travel reports resulted in a wave of publications and commentary in the Dutch media.
"The Jackals" had a weekly item about Tibet on the most-watched prime time television programme The World Keeps Turning.
Tibet was the spark that ignited a heated discussion on a possible boycott of the Olympic Games in Beijing, due in part to interviews and performances on popular television and radio programmes.
The Festival
The T4T Festival 2008 relocated from Eindhoven to the NDSM terrain in Amsterdam. The industrial shipyard in Amsterdam North was transformed into a large festival ground with different stages, tents, sports fields and a traditional Tibetan village.
Among the artists, all of whom performed for free, were Bløf, Racoon, Moke, JW Roy, Osdorp Posse, the Scene, Jeremy’s, de Heideroosjes and Wende Snijders.
Dutch politicians (Femke Halsema, Hans van Balen, Harry van Bommel) made an appearance. Of course, many Tibetan musicians and artists (Loten, Namgyal Lhamo, Tashi Norbu, Hosoo) also dropped by.
Single
There’s no better exposure than a number one hit. Bands including Bløf, Racoon, Di-Rect, JW Roy, Gerard van Maasakkers and Agua de Annique worked together on the benefit single: If you can ever come back again. Within two weeks the song was number one on the Download Top 50.
A selection from the media file
Radio and TV: Pauw & Witteman, NOVA, RTL Boulevard, 3FM, KinkFM
Daily and weekly newspapers: Volkskrant, Telegraaf, NRC, Trouw, Algemeen Dagblad, Parool
And numerous online media: NU.nl, NOS.nl, OOR.nl
If you would like to see the complete media file, please send us an mail.