Client: Estonian Biathlon Federation
Task: The Estonian Biathlon Federation wished to bid to host and organise the 2027 Biathlon World Championships. The agency’s task was to build the foundation and upon which to build a successful campaign to produce content for IBU (International Biathlon Union) Executive Board and Members at the IBU Congress in Vienna to host the 2027 Biathlon World Championships in Otepää, Estonia.
Background and solution:
After a successful Biathlon World Cup in Otepää in March 2022, which we created the branding for, it was clear that Otepää and Estonia were ready to host the most prestigious biathlon competition there is.
The IBU Congress was held in Salzburg from the 15th till 18th of September, where, among other things, the 2027 Biathlon World Championships destination was decided. The decision had to be made between the two last standing destinations — Otepää in Estonia and Kontiolahti in Finland.
IBU Congress stage. Photo: IBU Twitter account
In Salzburg, both candidates had to produce a 3-minute video and a presentation about their countries altogether. In addition, promotional material had to be produced for distribution to the Board and Congress members.
The creative idea for the video and the presentation was to give an insight into what they would experience if the year was 2027 and the Biathlon World Championships were held in Otepää. For both, video, and the presentation we strictly followed the CVI and the venue branding we created for the World Championships.
In addition to the video and the presentation, an exclusive souvenir – a book of postcards introducing Estonia, Otepää and the Tehvandi Sports Centre was presented to twenty members of the Congress. The souvenir book includes 12 specially produced postcards of surreal places and important people in Estonia. The book was made even more special by the signed addresses of both the President of the Republic of Estonia, Alar Karis, and the Minister of Culture, Piret Hartman. The postcards created for the souvenir book were also produced as stand-alone postcards to be distributed in the Mess Hall booth.
Delegation of the Estonian Biathlon Federation at the IBU Congress. Photo: Blog Puhka Eestis
To create a unified image for Estonian Biathlon Federation representatives, it was also necessary to think about the styling. To do this, we co-operated with known stylist Jana Hallas, who created a branded clothing for the representatives of the Estonian Biathlon Federation. To follow the principle of recycling, we found clothes for the EBF representatives from the Centre for Reuse. The binding element for the outfit was a sash combined from Estonian cultural heritage and the CVI.
In addition, we produced a range of printed material accompanied by a QR code that directed interested parties to the EBF website, where they could also find all the material we had compiled on Estonia and Otepää. The QR code was also displayed on the Estonian exhibition stand.
Somewhat separate from the rest of the material, we also produced a publication for Hillar Zahkna, who was a candidate for the IBU Technical Committee. The brochure was distributed together with other materials to the Congress board and members to persuade them to vote for Hillar Zahkna. Just as the World Championships came to Otepää, Hillar Zahkna was elected to the IBU Technical Committee.
Finally, we are proud to say that thanks to the work of the EBF and us, the IBU Congress has chosen Otepää as the destination for the 2027 Biathlon World Championships.
Signing of the contract. Screenshot: IBU Congress video
According to Aivar Nigol, the project leader on the EBF side, the fact that the World Championships were voted almost unanimously in favour of Otepää by the Congress speaks for a job well done. “We already had a good rapport with La Ecwador from the cooperation before the World Cup stage and that’s why we included them this time again. The framework was already in place from the spring, but thanks to the expertise of the La Ecwador team we put together an impressive concept that perfectly showcased Otepää.”
Results in the media. Screenshots from left to right: IBU Facebook page, ERR, Postimees, Delfi)
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