Have you ever been to a festival and you end up getting lost from your friends? Your phone can’t get any signal, the battery has died or you lose it?
If there was a procedure put in place at festivals that makes finding your friends easier this could help to improve the overall festival experience, reduce the risk of health incidents and means that everyone involved in the festival not just including festival-goers but the team running the operation have a better time.
What’s the challenge?
Create an exciting campaign and brand for when you get lost at festivals, focusing on embracing the spontaneity and good times you have at a festival but providing a safe space that covers the health and safety issues that can occur at these events.
Who are we talking to?
Teenage/young adult festival-goers (16-25) - the emphasis being specifically festivals where it isn’t as ‘family friendly’. This is because there are already more precautions put into place and also festival-goers that attend these are less likely to get lost due to not consuming high amounts of alcohol or drugs.
How to be on-brand
I want to embrace ‘British Humour’ and British Festivals. Focusing on the nostalgia you have when you have been to a festival - remembering all the random, hilarious things that happen when you embrace spontaneity, which a lot of the time happens when you do get lost. Shocking, exciting and funny.
Why does it need to be designed?
I have attended many festivals in the UK and abroad and I haven’t seen anything in place to help to reconnect with your friends when you get separated. It is an extremely common issue as there are lots of crowds, it’s dark and festival-goers are intoxicated or have taken substances. The only system festival providers put in place is a Welfare or First Aid tent, which isn’t specifically for if you’re lost, but if you are unwell or injured.
It needs to be designed because when you are lost you can experience a lot of emotions and can potentially be put in danger. Causing you to feel: stressed, anxious and scared.
//THE FOLLOWING CONTENT CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE WHICH MAY BE OFFENSIVE TO SOME VIEWERS AND/OR BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN.
THE CONTENT IN THIS IS AIMED AT AN ADULT AUDIENCE.//
FUTURE EXPANSION OF ASTRAY
The GPS device would work best by being available to buy online beforehand on the ASTRAY website or also promoted on ticket selling sites. It can also be promoted and available to buy at the entry gate and the ASTRAY Lost Point at the festival. The main benefit of the GPS device is that you can locate your friends without always relying on a phone, it gives the user flexibility as it comes with a remote.
A future development idea is that it would be beneficial to have sponsors on the food and drink stands, therefore helping to fund ASTRAY. These sponsors would preferably relate to the most popular British comfort foods. For example, these could include brands such as Heinz and Lucozade. This would provide comfort, a sense of wellbeing and ease the anxiety that some people may be feeling, therefore reinforcing that ASTRAY is a safe place. It can also play further into the joke of being a 'lost child.'
ASTRAY offers multiple coping methods to explore at the Lost Point and therefore has an added benefit of becoming a part of that memorable festival experience. This is valuable because everyone reacts differently when they are lost, therefore, catering to a wide and diverse target audience. What started as a negative experience might have a positive outcome.
It also gives the companies running the festival valuable PR benefits and contributes to their Corporate Social Responsibility. Festival organisers often have to cope with bad press about crime and substance abuse, they are aware this does take place and instead of dismissing it, they can use ASTRAY to provide secure and safe places.