Messaging, branding, media, website, & social media/email strategy for a local music festival.
Lost Woods is an intimate, immersive indie music festival held in a whimsical forest sanctuary in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The festival's founders had a "crazy idea" to build an event where adults of all ages could gather, connect, and "find themselves" amidst music and nature.
The challenge was to strategically market this boutique event to a wider, paying, audience while clearly defining its unique, laid-back, magical, and nature-focused vibe. The marketing campaign needed to balance the ethereal atmosphere with essential, real-world logistical information for an event set in a remote location with limited cell service.
The entire communication strategy was built around the core tagline: "Find Yourself At Lost Woods". The messaging focused on positioning the festival as an escape from the everyday and an opportunity to connect with music, nature, and community.
Vibe-Setting. Copy emphasized that the forest setting is an active part of the festival, creating an atmosphere of wonder and intimacy that larger events cannot replicate.
Phased Approach. The content production calendar was structured in three phases to build hype: Headliner Hype & Vibe Setting, Full Lineup Drop & Artist Deep Dives, and Final Countdown & FOMO.
Artist Focus. Detailed artist spotlights were created for the diverse lineup, which included headliners like Hippie Sabotage, as well as Salt Fox, Jim Swim, Dearborn, Anna Graves, Sun Centauri, Charlotte Blu, and Jack Lion.
Pre-Arrival Announcements & Guidance. Emails and social posts communicated headliner news, ticket information, and critical "Know Before You Go" checklists to attendees.
Branding
The branding aimed to translate the "ethereal, enchanting, chill, eclectic, and imaginative" feeling into tangible offerings. Lost Woods already had a logo, but we wanted to create a whole brand around it. Using colors and icons from the previous year’s website, we crafted a unique style that included gradients, custom grains, and microanimations to make the social and static designs align with the concert experience.
Social media templates for artist announcements, artist spotlights, ticket price changes, and festival countdowns.
Social media stories designed for collaboration with other organizations.
A static poster and table tent for advertising offline.
Website
Not everyone needs a full, multi-page website. Sometimes, a landing page will do, and that was the case with Lost Woods. A key function of the site was to provide a one-stop-shop for all information about the festival. This included:
The media strategy outlined the need for high-end video production. Some of this was already available through previous years’ galleries supplied by Good Era, DRONE GUY, and Elliot Tensen, and was able to be pulled together for social media posts. Other series, such as a tour of the facilities, were produced throughout the lead up to the event.
Headliner Announcement
Ticket Price Teaser
Lost Woods Music Festival
“IFC totally nailed the vibe for Lost Woods, from the website to the social posts that got everyone talking. They helped us turn a wild idea into a real, lasting festival for the Cedar Valley community. We honestly couldn’t have built this foundation without them.”
Salt Fox Founders - Lost Woods Music Festival
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