MTV Music Awards 2008

The MTV Europe Music Awards 2008 were staged live at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.

The EMA’s are MTV Europe’s biggest annual project.

At this point, it was MTV’s most ambitious attempt at creative synergy across all media.

Creative brief - 'The circus comes to town'. Reflect the mysterious carnival like nature of an event that rolls into a different European city every year. Build expectation with a creative execution that works across all platforms and in 17 different European languages.

The creative solution was built around the idea of ‘sound and light entities’, the embodiment of Music Television, which are seen all over Europe.

Their activity is captured in various ways. Through CCTV, filmed on mobile phones, camcorders etc.

Eventually these entities congregate in Liverpool and take over the city for one night.

Executed in a style which suggests that the whole thing is being monitored by some mysterious agency, the creative expertly answered the pan-euro brief, and was rolled out across TV, poster, press, digital billboards, on line, off air marketing, event branding, merchandise and ticketing.

A total of 14 different films were made. Teasers, nomination spots, show host, competition, voting and tune in promos.

Teaser and promo compilation.

Stills taken from the opening title sequence for the show. The entities arrive in Liverpool.

Opening title sequence.

Online and digital played a huge part.

All the nominating and voting for the awards was done online and through mobile applications.

There was also a digital advertising campaign, which culminated on the night with an alternative hosting of the show online by Perez Hilton.

Posters

Ticketing.

Merchandise examples.

Marketing activity in Liverpool included a media ‘takeover’. Including numerous poster sites, banners and digital billboards. Featuring this huge one outside Liverpool Lime Street Station.