Established in 1998, Pickathon is an independent, all-age music festival hosted on Pendarvis Farm in Happy Valley, OR, just 30 minutes outside of Downtown Portland. Taking place over the course of three days in early August, attendees enjoy performances on immersive, artistically-designed stages by some of the best new and established musicians from around the world spanning the genres of indie rock, folk, experimental, electronic, and beyond. Considered a leader in sustainability practices, Pickathon has reduced festival waste by working with Kleen Kanteen to offer collectible steel tumblers in place of disposable cups, and by switching from disposable plates and utensils to reusable bamboo. Visitors of Pickathon enjoy a magical and storied weekend of music discovery, wellness activities including yoga and massage, as well as some of the best food, beer and wine the region has to offer, all set against the beautiful backdrop of the Pacific Northwest.
While Pickathon has become a summertime staple for denizens of the Pacific Northwest, Pickathon and A&O wanted to expand Pickathon’s audience nationally and globally while still maintaining Pickathon’s independence and ethos of sustainability and inclusivity amidst the cancellation of Sasquatch, the 2018 hiatus of MusicFest NW and hiatus of What The Fest. Our campaign emphasized building relationships on a national and international level while maintaining the strong pre-existing relationships that Pickathon has built over its storied 20-year history.
For our second year working with Pickathon, A&O focused our efforts on the 20th anniversary of Pickathon and its legacy. This included highlighting up-and-coming acts of the past who have enjoyed success after Pickathon and using this history of success to promote up-and-comers who performed at the 2018 festival. A&O specifically targeted press with affinity for Pickathon’s core values and who have expressed excitement for the acts performing at 2018’s festival, including writers from Rolling Stone, The Ringer, Uproxx, and more. With Pickathon’s focus on creating and promoting video content throughout the year, we also positioned Pickathon as the world leader in broadcasting, archiving, and creating year-round video content of performances at a music festival.
Through A&O’s efforts, we achieved local, national, and global media placement in over 100 outlets for music, art, travel, and pop culture. Pickathon was featured in Rolling Stone, The Ringer, CNN Travel, Uproxx, Austin Chronicle, the Austrian-based Vorarlberg Online, Newsweek, and many more. Key members of press were invited to the festival, all of whom left enamored with Pickathon’s independent vision of what a music festival can be and who expressed gratitude to both Pickathon and A&O for the opportunity to cover the festival.
Learn more about A&O COMMUNICATION AND MARKETING SERVICES.
PORTLAND & NEW YORK
info@aopublic.com
347-395-4155
2124 NE 57th Ave
Portland, OR 97213