Renoir making an impression with VisitGuernsey

The ask:

A 2023 Art for Guernsey campaign centred around renowned 19^th century artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir and his relationship with Guernsey allowed us to make a good impression. VisitGuernsey, who are responsible for marketing the Islands of Guernsey as a tourist destination, were keen to seize the opportunity the exhibition provided to drive visits to the destination.

Working alongside LOTUS, our UK partner agency for this client, we were tasked with securing widespread brand awareness in the UK with a goal of increasing bookings to the Bailiwick.

There was much to shout about as Art for Guernsey launched a brand-new exhibition, ‘Renoir in Guernsey, 1883’, as well as the ‘Renoir Walk’, which allowed art enthusiasts to experience key locations synonymous with the artist’s island history. With all this and Guernsey’s brilliant array of restaurants, activities, and beautiful beaches, we knew journalists from key national titles would jump at the chance to cover this campaign.

The result:

Press trips were the primary tactic. We planned itineraries for influential media including The Times, The Guardian, and The Financial Times to visit the island and experience Renoir for themselves. Our team used their local knowledge to develop bespoke itineraries for each of the journalists which showed off everything the island had to offer alongside Art for Guernsey's many Renoir connections.

We engaged our extensive pool of local stakeholders, leveraging our relationships with restaurants, activity providers, and hotels to ensure our journalists had the best bespoke experience. We also worked closely with Art for Guernsey Founder David Ummels to provide our journalists with a series of private gallery viewings, giving them a unique, private opportunity to see 10 of Renoir’s most famous paintings.

The result was four successful media trips. Coverage was achieved in The Guardian, The Financial Times, Apollo, Wanderlust, The Times, and The Art Newspaper. The collective reach of these publications was 13,098,134 – representing mass brand awareness for the island.

In terms of impact beyond coverage numbers, the Renoir exhibition saw huge local uptake, with over 15,000 visitors to the exhibition, while 30% of tickets sold were to off-island visitors.

“The fact that 30% of all ticket sales for the exhibition were to off-island visitors evidences how successful the PR activities were in promoting ‘Renoir in Guernsey, 1883’ to our target demographic. The combination of press trips, promotional events, and broadcast activity, helped achieve coverage across top national and international publications, attracting more visitors to the island and helping extend the season into the shoulder months, which is a key part of the VisitGuernsey marketing strategy. We’re delighted with the results of the campaign.”

Mary Putra, Director of Communications & Marketing, States of Guernsey