ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Take a look at the failed Fyre Festival's promotional pitch to investors

Over 400 "Fyre starters" were paid to promote the event on social media, but not all labelled their ads as required by the FTC.

The three-day party was supposed to be on a private beach on the island of Great Exuma in the Bahamas.

Fyre Festival's leaked advertising pitch reveals a lot about what the festival runners had planned.

The leaked document, first reported by Vanity Fair, lists "Fyre Starters" as the event's main form of advertising, with slides dedicated to 400 social media personalities — including Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and Hailey Baldwin — who would be paid to drum up sales by posting about the event.

Aside from these so-called Fyre Starters, the pitch does not seem to include any other form of advertising.

Also, according to Vanity Fair, many of these brand ambassadors did not note that they were advertising for Fyre Festival when they posted promotional pictures and videos for the event, which is required by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In effect, they could have been accused of misleading their fans if they didn't note that the post was an ad.

ADVERTISEMENT

The document also reveals the company planned for five festivals over five years in honor of the five elements of the earth, saying in the pitch, "Throughout the next five years, we will traverse the globe to find untouched lands and convert them into unparalleled experiences."

This year was supposed to be water-themed.

After a few slides about the the festival's business model, the pitch featured slides that were likely meant to be inspirational, but after the event's catastrophic weekend, are anything but. For example, one slide simply reads:

"WHAT IF WE REIMAGINED WHAT IT MEANS TO ATTEND A MUSIC FESTIVAL?" over a picture of an outdoor concert. But after the festival's fast flame-out, the phrase takes on a whole new meaning.

The next slide is just as unfortunate given the new context: "THE ACTUAL EXPERIENCE EXCEEDS ALL EXPECTATIONS AND IS SOMETHING THAT’S HARD TO PUT TO WORDS," the slide reads. Fyre Festival-goers who were stranded for hours without food, water or shelter might have a different take on that.

ADVERTISEMENT

Under "Summary," the slide states: "These weekends go beyond the beauty of a remote beach, its vast landscape and perfect waters. The focus is on a global audience coming together in sharing a life changing experience."

Beyond the beach may be correct. The fans who showed up barely saw a beach before having to wait in a crowded airport to get a flight home.

Ultimately, Vanity Fair said it best when it described the pitch deck as "an amalgamation of a Miami Beach spa package with selfies you might find saved on a teenager’s smartphone," not like something to actually invest in.

Fyre Festival is now facing an $100 million lawsuit after fans, who had spent between $1,200 and $100,000 on tickets, were stranded on an island with no festival, no shelter, and no food and water — until the cheese sandwiches pictured above were handed out).

ADVERTISEMENT

A statement on the Fyre Festival website reads that the team was "overwhelmed" by the amount of people coming and the amount of work that had to be done to retrofit the island for the festival. All guests this year will be recieving a full refund, according to the website, and VIP passes to next year's Fyre Festival.

After the fiasco, the Bahamas reportedly banned the festival organizers from doing further business on the island, according to TMZ. Neither Bahamas tourism officials nor Fyre Festival officials were immediately available for comment. The festival's website says next year's event will be at a US beach.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng

Recommended articles

Here's everything to know about being a virgin on your wedding night

Here's everything to know about being a virgin on your wedding night

7 do's and don’ts of the Holy month of Ramadan

7 do's and don’ts of the Holy month of Ramadan

Top 5 sweetest celebrity mother-child relationships that stand out for us

Top 5 sweetest celebrity mother-child relationships that stand out for us

International Women's Day: 5 Nigerian female celebrities championing women’s rights

International Women's Day: 5 Nigerian female celebrities championing women’s rights

Top 5 female directors in Nollywood

Top 5 female directors in Nollywood

6 things that will break a Muslim's fast during Ramadan

6 things that will break a Muslim's fast during Ramadan

5 benefits of fasting during Ramadan

5 benefits of fasting during Ramadan

5 reasons Easter was more fun when we were children

5 reasons Easter was more fun when we were children

Dos and don’ts of supporting Muslims during Ramadan

Dos and don’ts of supporting Muslims during Ramadan

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT