Indy Goes International to Form a Brand Identity for the Largest Short Film Festival in the Midwest
Branding • Creative Development • Campaign Development • Social Media • Earned Media • Paid Media • Grassroots
Overview
Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, Heartland Film was founded in 1991 with the mission to curate, promote and celebrate thoughtful and engaging films from diverse perspectives. The films selected and exhibited annually in October – whether they inspire conversation, ignite imagination, or shift perspectives – all have one thing in common: they are films that do more than just entertain.
2018 was the premiere year for Heartland Film’s new Indy Shorts International Film Festival, July 25-28, at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. With 100 films shown, Indy Shorts became the largest short film festival in the Midwest. It is also one of the largest cash awarding short film festivals in North America, bestowing $30,000 in cash prizes across multiple categories.
BACKGROUND
The Heartland International Film Festival is held each October in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Presenter of Indy Shorts International Film Festival annually in July
Goal to inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film.
Academy Award qualifying film festival
Named Movie Maker Magazine’s “Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee
Heartland Film Festival was one of my first clients as an independent contractor back in the mid-nineties. I have seen the Festival grow immensely over the years, so when Bohlsen Group was approached to create the brand identity for the new Indy Shorts International Film Festival I was thrilled.
Vicki Bohlsen,
Founder & President of Bohlsen Group
BOHLSEN GROUP HIRED TO DEVELOP BRAND FOR HEARTLAND FILMS’ INDY SHORTS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Heartland Film had been running an international film festival for 27 years when they approached Bohlsen Group to help develop the brand for an additional film festival they were adding to their slate, one that featured short films, which are defined as 40 minutes or less.
Dubbed Indy Shorts International Film Festival, Bohlsen Group developed a unified marketing plan that included the event brand development, earned media, paid and digital strategy, and grassroots marketing.
Developing the overall event look and feel included the creation of a spokesperson. Iggy, a beer drinking garden gnome, was given the personality of a fun-loving film fan micro-influencer and was used to develop short witty social videos, garner earned media coverage, organic social graphics and on-site promotion.
The 2019 goal was to capitalize on the success of the 2018 Indy Shorts International Film Festival, expand on the brand identity Bohlsen Group had created for Indy Shorts, raise awareness about Heartland Film programming and the art of short films, and generate ticket sales.
Results
Indy Shorts surpassed its festival attendance goal in the first year by 10%, increasing attendance 35% year over year.
EARNED MEDIA
Earned 64 media placements, resulting in over 47 million potential impressions and placed 41 calendar listings, resulting in over 26 million potential impressions
VIDEO
Created six videos featuring Iggy for use on social media and beyond.
PAID MEDIA
Garnered almost 1.2 million impressions and 6,000 clicks to the Indy Shorts website within the one-month period, helping to increase the festival’s ticket sales year-over-year.