Gibson Guitars selected Nashville as the location for its first-ever “Gibson Garage.” The concept combined an innovative retail experience with an intimate concert space and interactive elements. REED was tapped to plan an epic grand opening weekend and develop a PR and marketing campaign to get people through the doors.
In Music City, guitar heroes abound. Interactive elements help set attractions apart from the crowd.
We developed a PR, marketing and events campaign that included elements of community relations, advertising and social media. The greatest challenge was Gibson Garage’s location, as the building was located off Nashville’s main strip and away from most foot traffic.
REED handled many important aspects of event planning, including securing local government leaders to attend and speak at the events, preparing scripts, developing a run-of-show, coordinating a ribbon cutting and more. We simultaneously coordinated extensive local and regional media and influencer outreach to strum up buzz. Finally, we employed guerilla marketing tactics by drafting a street team to promote the attraction on Lower Broadway via flyers and word-of-mouth advertising.
In a matter of months, REED secured more than 2,359,639 audience impressions from 42 local and regional media hits. Gibson’s internal PR team handled outreach to trade and national outlets. Local highlights include coverage by Do615, The Tennessean, The Chattanoogan and five broadcast stations. Our team also secured coverage with ten local influencers.
Finally, we welcomed more than 500 guests and invitees during grand opening weekend to five unique on-site events.