The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP) was eager to create an event on par with its iconic celebrations like Picklesburgh and Highmark Light Up Night®. Their newest flagship event, Oktoberfest Pittsburgh, was gearing up to debut in Downtown Pittsburgh, but it needed a dynamic visual identity and communications strategy to effectively raise awareness for the new Fall programming. That's where Gatesman stepped in to bring the exciting new event to life.
We needed to ensure the event's visual identity was welcoming and celebratory, with the right mixture of Bavarian tradition and Steel City spirit. Our creative team struck a perfect balance between fun and elegance, giving off the overall aesthetic of a classic yet new Oktoberfest celebration. Meanwhile, our PR and social media team found unique ways to engage the community and developed a public relations strategy perfectly tailored to spread the news about Oktoberfest Pittsburgh.
This PR strategy even resulted in on-air stunts by live news anchors using props provided by our team!
Our PR and social media team organized press events to boost event awareness, securing coverage from local news outlets, seeing over 11 million viewers across TV, radio and online. Social media engagement was amplified with organic and paid content, while programmatic and paid social tactics generated over 14 million total impressions. Now that’s something to raise a stein to.
After the branding and PR efforts were set in motion, 11 days were jam-packed with live music and celebration, even coinciding with the foot traffic of NFL’s Sunday Night Football.
The event saw 80,000+ attendees eager to enjoy Ferris wheel rides, stein-holding competitions, dachshund races, barrel races, German cuisine and more. This collaborative effort far surpassed The PDP’s original expectations and laid the groundwork for a unique annual experience in Downtown Pittsburgh.
Team Gatesman at the opening day of Oktoberfest Pittsburgh.