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The Renaissance Festival of Nebraska

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The Challenge

For over a decade, The Renaissance Festival of Nebraska was synonymous for taking place the first two weekends of May. In 2024, the festival expanded to three weekends. Our challenge in 2025 was to increase user generated content, continue to brand the festival as a three weekend event, and achieve attendance goals.

The Approach

1123 created an immersive campaign that reached various audiences, inviting them to step through their radio, TV, and billboards and into the Renaissance period and surround themselves with art, history, and an exciting festival experience.

Key Challenges Included

  • Time and Attention: Every spring there are dozens of events and activity options daily as people seek to get outdoors. The correct media placements and attention grabbing creative are vital. 
  • Earned Media Limited: The Annual Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting was held the same weekend as the first weekend of the festival, limiting news coverage. 
A group of people dressed in elaborate Renaissance costumes pose on wooden bleachers under a "Jousting Arena" sign outdoors, with one woman in ornate attire seated at the center front.
Two knights in armor joust on horseback at a medieval festival, surrounded by cheering spectators and colorful flags, with a stone archway and trees in the background.
A group of people dressed in elaborate Renaissance costumes walk outdoors, smiling and raising glasses in celebration. Trees and rustic buildings are visible in the background.

Strategy Highlights

  • Creative Messaging: The campaign balanced branding the festival while also getting more narrow and highlighting the themes of each weekend.  
  • Traditional Reach Mediums: Media was placed on TV, Radio, and Billboard across Omaha and Lincoln. These traditional mediums provide mass reach, high-frequency exposure, and elevate brand awareness.  
  • Well-Timed Public Relations: PR is critical for festivals because it drives awareness, builds credibility, and influences attendance. We understood the landscape and put an emphasis on weekend #2 and #3 for Earned Media efforts.    

The Impact

  • Record Weekend: Weekend #3 was all about Legends and Lore and set a single weekend festival attendance record!  
  • Media Exposure: KETV, WOWT, KHGI, and Omaha World-Herald, among others, provided fantastic festival coverage!  
  • User Generated Content: The festival had increased organic engagement on social media. Vendors, festival attendees, and community organizations all took to social media to share their experiences.