1917

case study

With the release of epic war drama 1917 in January 2020, eOne and Kova PR saw an opportunity to

reach beyond a conventional multiplex audience. The film’s historical setting and powerful themes

offered the potential to engage the 65+ market and military organisations. Kova PR’s unique insights and relationships provided a route to these markets.

Winning coverage

To support the release of the film, KOVA built a successful campaign around compelling storytelling

and community partnerships. Our activities encompassed the creation of exclusive featurette and interview content; tailored press releases leading to extensive coverage; competitions; key influencer screenings and special previews; and social media promotion.

Thanks to Kova, the 1917 story was picked up by a vast range of community publications, from The Church of England Newspaper to Gransnet to British Armed Forces Radio. We also achieved coverage in mainstream outlets including the New Statesman and regional BBC radio stations.

Helping heroes

Kova recognised that the experiences of the film’s young heroes had a connection to the challenges facing wounded veterans today. We instigated a partnership with Help for Heroes, a top UK charity with an iconic brand and a huge following, working with those affected by military service.

Kova arranged for veterans supported by Help for Heroes to walk the red carpet at the film’s premier, an event which was live streamed to a Twitter following of over 500,000.

Identifying two real-life veterans whose own stories resonated with those portrayed in the film, we arranged junket interviews with 1917’s director and stars. Kova turned these into two compelling video featurettes which were published across Help for Heroes’ channels and in the Evening Standard.

Spreading the word

Other highlights included a partnership with Rotary International of Great Britain and Ireland (RIGBI), a large charitable organisation founded in the year 1917 with a focus on peace building. Emphasising this strong thematic connection with the film, Kova brought RIGBI on board to host a preview screening with the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO). This packed private event offered a chance for likeminded influencers to see the film together, each of them leaving inspired to spread the message to their own organisations on a local and national level. Following on from this, Kova successfully encouraged NCVO and other organisations to purchase opening weekend tickets as a Christmas giveaway for their hardworking volunteers.

Making an impact

Our campaign reached over 11,000,000 people – the majority of whom can be classed as ‘high impact impressions’. This means that they didn’t just hear about 1917 but engaged with the film and its story in a meaningful way, thanks to Kova’s unique offering.

We’re proud to have played a part in the release