Creating a St Andrew’s Day ceilidh
In October 2005, the Scottish Executive invited Barkers to create an event encouraging the people of Scotland to come together in celebration of Scotland’s patron saint, St Andrew. The challenge was to launch an occasion from scratch within eight weeks and to develop inspiring communications encouraging people to attend.
The decision was made to hold a ceilidh, and together with Unique Events, Barkers created an indoor and outdoor concert in Edinburgh’s Lawnmarket. This free event, under the One Scotland brand, brought together some of Scotland’s finest musicians to celebrate St Andrew’s Day.
Barkers used a variety of communication methods. These included Ad Scooters, press adverts and on-screen advertising at train stations. Posters were distributed to pubs, cafes, bars and coffee shops and a push email was sent to subscribers of the Edinburgh Winter Festivals programme site.
Extensive media relations also took place. We instigated a photo call on Edinburgh Castle’s esplanade with some of the event’s key musicians. A Daily Record St Andrew’s Day supplement was developed, and we sourced quotes from over 30 celebrities and all of Scotland’s Lord Provosts. A web site was designed, and featured a message board encouraging ordinary Scots to express what ‘My One Scotland’ meant to them.
The evening was a success, with 4,500 people attending, and positive reviews in the press. The Scotsman even called for the ceilidh to be made an annual event.