Cavalia
The U.S. premier of Cavalia, a thrilling equestrian spectacle created by Cirque de Soleil co-founder Normand Latourelle, was in Dallas in March 2006. Featuring 44 magnificent quarter horses and 34 acrobats, aerialists and riders performing on a 160-foot wide stage, the multimedia performance also included projections, special effects and live music, under North America’s largest touring tent – 26,264-square feet and rising nearly 10 stories high.
Cavalia arrived in Texas after receiving much critical acclaim. CNN’s Larry King called it “The greatest show I have ever seen;” The New York Times: “A celebration of the unique emotional and physical bonds between humans and the animals;" the Los Angeles Times described it as “Blissful play, haunting score… striking aerial grace,” and Variety called it “A magical, mythic experience.”
The Project
Brynn Bagot Public Relations was retained to develop a comprehensive public and media relations campaign to build recognition for Cavalia, garner media exposure and create buzz surrounding its Dallas premier. All media relations were designed to complement Cavalia’s print, radio, outdoor and online advertising.
While unique in its way, as only Cirque du Soleil productions can be, Cavalia was not the first show of its kind to tour Texas. BBPR researched archives for shows of similar content and surveyed friends and colleagues, sampling the perceived target audience and media to determine interest. We also asked these individuals what they knew about Cavalia and if they had preconceived notions about the show that might have been influenced by similar performances.
We visited another market to see a performance of Cavalia; meet the cast (including the horses), crew and development team. In the process we got a better understanding of how Cavalia operates and tours on such a grand scale. In our review, we combined what we’d learned about similar shows to our first-hand impressions of Cavalia and developed a plan for promoting it to the Dallas-Fort Worth market.
Our Implementation
BBPR identified important dates throughout the five-week run to maximize media outreach opportunities. Included: the raising of Cavalia’s arena, an Opening Night event, opening weekend, the fact Dallas was the production’s final U.S. touring location during its current run, Spring Break and Easter holiday special offers, as well as decisions to extend the run based on the surge of ticket sales.
We developed a timeline for distributing press releases and media advisories for each event and key date. We produced creative press kits and hand delivered them to target media. We followed up with calls to secure reviews, coverage and media attendance at all events. We organized a preview for press prior to opening night to give TV stations, equestrian publications and select media an up-close-and-personal opportunity to video or photograph the performance. (Cameras were not allowed during portions of the show to prevent spooking the horses.) Nearly all the local TV stations were there, and we made special arrangements to accommodate those unable to attend. We set up one-on-one interviews and tours of the stables during the preview to allow time for the media to speak with the founders, performers and trainers.
BBPR collaborated with Cavalia on a guest list for Opening Night festivities that included local celebrities, City of Dallas and Town of Addison officials, arts patrons, VIPs and a broad selection of television and print media. We created a prioritized seating chart for media and VIP guests, and our team was on-site to coordinate interviews and tours with key personnel.
The Results
Thanks to the show’s success – sold-out performances and overall ticket sales – our client extended the run for two weeks beyond the originally allocated performance schedule.
Dozens of area publications and media outlets (metro, regional, business, community, lifestyle, society and equestrian) attended either the media sneak-peek performance or VIP opening night.
We also received expanded local and regional print media coverage, critic reviews, radio interviews and TV segments for the show. All major Dallas-Fort Worth TV stations (CBS, Fox, ABC, NBC, Univision, WB33 and HD News) covered Cavalia from tent-raising through final performance. An example of the incredible coverage: WFAA-TV Channel 8’s “Why Guy,” spent an entire day learning an acrobatic portion of the performance (in full make-up and costume) that was filmed and edited for his looping entertainment reports.
Print coverage included hundreds of hits including calendar listings, event profiles, critic reviews and extension notices, etc.
Fun Fact
There is a real bond and communication between the trainers and the horses. By talking, using finger and body gestures, and clucking their tongues, the trainers make a game out of the routines. This approach takes more time than other methods but gives better results. It can take from six months to 10 years for a horse to be trained for Cavalia. For instance, Equestrian Co-Director Frédéric Pignon has been working with beloved Fasto for 13 years.