Just before Christmas, Virgin Holidays appointed agency Launch PR to create an experiential event that would raise awareness of its January sale, an important time of the year when people are looking for an escape from the protracted winter weather. Despite such a tight deadline, Launch generated widespread media coverage across print, TV and online - even managing to make a mark in the US, Asia, the Middle East and India.

"What we did was to find a creative theme that linked with Virgin's 2010 advertising campaign," says Launch PR's senior experiential manager Dan Keene. "The ad campaign used a scantily clad model and the strapline We've Taken Off Everything We Can. When we began our research we found Burlesque trending very strongly on Google because of the release of the Christina Aguilera/Cher movie. So we saw an opportunity to create an experiential event around that theme that would fit in with the creative tone of the ad campaign."

Keene and his team decided to use the model from the ad, Kimberley Holladay, to front the event, which took place in and around Trafalgar Square in London: "Essentially, we decided to try and break the Guinness Record for the world's biggest ever Burlesque dance. We brought together hundreds of dancers for a photo opportunity on Trafalgar Square then went to a venue nearby to make our attempt on the record."

National and regional press

The record attempt failed, but the PR campaign didn't. "The prospect of burlesque dancers in Trafalgar Square on a freezing cold January day was enough to raise the media," says Keene. "We got 90 pieces of coverage in media such as The Sun, Mirror, FT and Sky News. A lot of girls who took part were from outside London, so we also managed to reach regional press."

A key component of the campaign involved getting the burlesque community to back the event. "Authenticity was important, because it only takes one negative comment on twitter or Facebook to have a damaging impact on your brand," says Keene. "So we worked with Sarah Kay, a leading burlesque figure who helped us make sure we got the right dancers involved. We also had Virgin Holidays staff involved, which added to the credibility of the overall campaign."

Viral distribution

PR experiences these days need to have a digital expression too, so it was important to get the right visuals for digital distribution: "We had our own teams taking photos and making a video for viral distribution. That was the content which has made its way around social and international media outlets."

While some brands go down the Flash Mob route, Launch decided to keep everything legal, ensuring it had the necessary permissions and protection while on location. "If you're going to get the media assets you want you need to stay in control."

The Virgin sale is still ongoing, so it's too early to tell how much impact the event will have on the marketing effort. But Virgin seems happy enough: "It was right for the brand, because consumers always expect something quirky and interesting like this from Virgin," says Keene. "And the client has asked us to extend the work. We're just devising a burlesque workout which will help people get beach ready for their holidays!"