Cirque du Soleil Alegria

Cirque du Soleil redefined how the world viewed the Circus. After a short hiatus, Cirque du Soleil made its return to Vancouver on March 25, 2022 for 3 months at Concord Pacific Place with Alegría – a true classic reimagined in a new light. 

Cirque du Soleil turned to Front + Centre to drive ticket sales, create buzz around Alegria among both media and consumers alike, and help sustain a constant stream of chatter throughout the show’s run.

While Alegria’s return was enthusiastically welcomed by Vancouverites who had been longing for the return of entertainment and sports, the lingering effects of the global pandemic posed some challenges.

The shifting media landscape meant limited newsroom resources, a shrinking number of arts reviewers, and the disappearance of outlets that were once big promoters. Also, the financial pressures resulting from the pandemic meant that potential audience members were likely to hesitate on purchasing tickets, as Cirque shows are typically high-ticket items. 

Staging a large, live production during such an unforeseeable time meant that we had to stay close to the news and be ready to adapt to changes at a moment's notice.

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Yes, the word had shut down, but intermission was over. With its unforgettable soundtrack, exciting acrobatics, surreal costume designs, vibrant sets and playful humor, Alegría joyfully touches the soul and lives up to its global reputation of quintessential Cirque du Soleil spectacle.

At the same time, The Big Top’s return to the same location (Concord Pacific Place) gave a sense of ‘return’ to normalcy and the easy access via transit and parking was a big plus. And with Cirque following all the local COVID restrictions, it provided its guests with peace of mind. 

In times of uncertainty, the arts can be a steadying force. We often turn to music, theater, and spectacle to connect to each other, and to find self-expression, insight, and escape. An uplifting immersive experience, Alegría whisked audiences away to a mystical world sprinkled with visual poetry and acrobatic extravagance at the perfect time.

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There is magic to be found for everyone in Cirque du Soleil, and we just had to spotlight all of the different ways that Alegria was bringing joy to Vancouver. 

The pandemic opened up more opportunities for brand partnerships, supporting local businesses, and exploring non-traditional channels for generating buzz and awareness of the production. Notably, one of these partnerships was between Cirque du Soleil and BC Place. Celebrating the return of arts and live entertainment, Alegria artists put on a once in a lifetime performance on top of the iconic white-domed BC Place to create buzz around Alegria among both media and consumers. 

Even with limited newsroom resources and ongoing restrictions, all of our events (premiere, AMD, BTS, BTR) were all well received and attended. Beyond these events, we were able to also implement turn key tactics like the influencer nights to ensure we were sustaining coverage throughout the run. These influencer nights resulted in a constant stream of digital chatter on social media.