Year Two: Igniting Positive Change
The creators of B. PHL felt a responsibility to address the unique circumstances we as a nation have faced in the festival’s second year, and set out to tell the story of innovation through three key lenses: economic recovery in the wake of COVID-19, social justice and racial equity, and personal creativity and inspiration.
We supported B. PHL and leading festival sponsor Independence Blue Cross through the shift to a virtual-hybrid format, which over three days offered attendees convenient access to keynote addresses from celebrities like Issa Rae, actress, writer and producer; America Ferrera, actor, director and producer; Pitbull, Grammy-Winning global superstar, entrepreneur and motivational speaker; M. Night Shyamalan, screenwriter, philanthropist, director and producer; and Nick Offerman, actor, writer and woodworker. The three-day festival also offered panel discussions, networking opportunities, a virtual film festival, cooking demos and other creative experiences, and a concert with Philadelphia’s own Amos Lee.
Along with our client partners, we recognized that, to make a virtual event truly impactful, it must stand out – which B. PHL certainly achieved. Brian Communications secured and planned poignant and timely discussions around diversity in the C-suite and board room, employee mental health, and wrongful conviction, while also coordinating a virtual tour of Penn Museum and a session on self-care.
Through a targeted earned media strategy, we also helped tell the story of B. PHL 2020 through a mix of local and regional media outlets including NBC10, KYW Newsradio, iHeart Radio, The Philadelphia Inquirer, PBS39 and more.
B. PHL 2020 attracted a global audience and convened some of the biggest and brightest visionaries during a time when this strategic and thoughtful content was clearly needed most.