2019 Diamond Award Winner and PRism Award

Turning a Festival Into a Movement — WonderBus and the Mission Behind the Music

CLIENT

  • The Shipyard + The Elevation Group

INDUSTRY

  • Events, Mental Health Advocacy, Community Impact

TIMELINE

  • 3 weeks

SERVICES

  • PR Strategy

  • Media Relations

  • Messaging Development

  • Stakeholder Coordination

MEDIA HITS SECURED

  • 55+ across print, broadcast, digital, and social

The Challenge

In the summer of 2019, Cleveland-based event promoters, The Elevation Group, teamed up with Columbus marketing firm, The Shipyard, to launch WonderBus, a new, two-day music festival in Columbus, Ohio. While the event promised an exciting lineup of national acts, what set it apart was its mission: to elevate the conversation around mental health.

But just weeks before the festival, few people knew about the cause behind the concert. Despite previous press releases and outreach, media coverage was minimal—and the story behind WonderBus wasn’t being told.

The Solution

Enter Team Fleisher Communications. With just 21 days until showtime, we jumped in to shift the narrative—and fast. We reframed the media pitch to focus not just on the artists, but on the deeply personal reasons behind the festival’s creation. That included working directly with The Shipyard’s Chief Strategy Officer and his family to sensitively and powerfully share the story of losing their 17-year-old son to suicide—a tragedy that sparked the company’s commitment to mental health advocacy.

At the same time, we carefully managed the concerns of festival promoters who feared the coverage would be too heavy. Our strategy balanced hopeful messaging, the festival’s high-energy music experience, and its larger social purpose.

We also:

  • Personally curated a media list based on trusted relationships with Central Ohio reporters

  • Coordinated interviews with care, attending each one to ensure messaging was on point

  • Organized a VIP press event to kick off festival weekend and generate live, on-site coverage

  • Integrated #LaLaLa (Listen, Ask, Love, Act, Link, Advocate)—the mental health platform launched by The Shipyard—into the PR narrative and visual branding

The Results

Over the span of just three weeks, Team Fleisher delivered:

  • 55 earned media placements across print, TV, radio, digital, and podcast outlets

  • Coverage in nearly every major Central Ohio news outlet, many of which had previously passed on the story

  • Media that highlighted both the mission and the music, with personal stories that deeply resonated

  • A live musical performance on a network morning show

  • The long-sought Business First “Newsmaker” profile for The Shipyard’s CEO

  • Estimated reach: well over 1 million impressions

  • Attendance: 11,000+ people for WonderBus’ inaugural weekend

Most importantly, we helped change the conversation—showing how music and storytelling can reduce stigma, create community, and elevate purpose.

What the Client Said

“What an achievement! The coverage in such a short period of time with little notice is outstanding. You are true professionals with energy, focus, and talent. I am very grateful. From all of us at The Shipyard — thank you, thank you, thank you.”

WHY IT MATTERS

WonderBus was more than a music festival. It was a community catalyst. And Team Fleisher made sure the world knew why.

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