CASE STUDY: The Who: Live At Kilburn 1977
Overview: Opening in 79 screens in all major markets across the United States, The Who: Live At Kilburn 1977 was a very successful event. The DVD debuted at #1 on the Billboard Video chart as well as the Amazon Music DVD chart. Tickets sold out quickly at the ArcLight Theatre in Los Angeles with the announcement that Roger Daltrey would participate in a live Q&A. Another significant addition was the inclusion of exclusive never-before-seen footage of The Who’s first performance of Tommy in 1969.
Presentation: Originally shot on 35mm and slated for release through Image Entertainment, theatrical presentation was the perfect platform to premiere this package. Audience members expressed that they felt as if they were actually at a Who show, watching Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Keith Moon, and Jon Entwistle play their greatest songs with unmatched ferocity.
Web Promotion: In efforts to aggregate information about the premiere, D&E built a microsite for the event, which included links to every participating theatre’s website for easy purchase of tickets as well as information on the release of the DVD and an opportunity to pre-order the DVD or Blu-Ray from Amazon. An interesting note, according to sales tracking data, there was a noticeable gain in DVD sales of The Who: Live At Kilburn based on web-traffic coming directly from the microsite.
In-Theatres: Just like major studio releases, D&E mounted posters at all participating theatres and posters visible to foot traffic in densely populated areas such as the Clearview’s Chelsea Cinema in New York City. Web banners and digital slides were created and displayed on the websites of every participating exhibitor, as well as being included in email newsletters. Due to this exposure, both fans and theatre goers were aware of the event several weeks in advance of the theatrical premiere.
Radio Campaign: Legendary classic rock radio station KLOS partnered with D&E to host the premiere and provided great on air exposure promoting the event. Radio stations participated in on-air announcements of the event as well as hosting the premiere in major markets through out the country, including New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Diego, Omaha, Grand Rapids, Las Vegas, and Columbus, OH.
Press: Luminary publications such as The LA Times, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Rolling Stone, Reuters, and other press covered the premiere as well. At the Los Angeles screening, members of the press were invited to field questions one on one with Roger Daltrey prior to the screening. Some of these photos, articles, and videos are available below.
Conclusion: After the premiere, message boards were ablaze with fans sharing their experiences. “As soon as The Who hit the stage, I had a smile from ear to ear.” Said one fan from Portland, OR “What a wonderful gathering of Wholigans,” another said who attended the screening in New York, NY. D&E’s events offer fans a chance to cut loose and really enjoy themselves along with their idols on the big screen. This kind of loyalty is rare to see on off-nights such as Monday or Tuesday in theatres and is a reason that theatre partners remain excited about working with D&E on its events.
