Case Study
On Ilkla Moor Baht’at
The story highlighting the decline of Yorkshire’s national anthem began with a press release promoting a local brass bands’ work. It attracted national interest and featured in The Daily Telegraph, was discussed on Radio 4’s Today Programme, and attracted a film on the BBC’s ‘The One Show’.
The media interest helped us convince Welcome to Yorkshire to commission ‘On Ilkla Moor Baht’at – a song and film reworking this famous folk song to support the tourism agency in raising the profile of Yorkshire, and raise money for charity.
Cause UK brought in a wealth of talent, led by songwriter Eliot Kennedy, featuring Brian Blessed, the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Alistair Griffin and Lesley Garrett.
We organised photos, press releases and sound and video links to maximise coverage across radio, TV, traditional print and online. On the run up to filming the story featured on ITV Calendar News, BBC Look North, The Yorkshire Post, The Daily Mirror, the front page of The Ilkley Gazette, The Press, TheTelegraph & Argus, The Sheffield Star, Sheffield Telegraph as well as an active social media profile on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Filming on the moor took place on May 12, 2012.
The story made the front pages of the Telegraph & Argus and Ilkley Gazette, and appeared on the news ‘And finally’ bulletins of BBC Radio 4 with a feature on BBC World Service with listening figures of 153 million worldwide. In addition, there were news features on BBC Radio Two, BBC Radio Leeds and BBC Online with features on Calendar and Look North. Coverage was far and wide regionally with the Yorkshire Post and the Sheffield Star’s YouTube film. The Yorkshire Post and Telegraph and Argus also produced online videos of the filming on the moor for their online news pages.