Joy to the Polls

One thing we can agree about is that modern democracy is complicated. Being tapped to strategize, design, book and execute a non-partisan program aimed at celebrating our right to vote? Not a complex proposition. And whatever the outcome, we at AdHoc wouldn’t have wanted to be working on anything else during this most tumultuous of elections. 

Joy To The Polls ignites positive exuberance around voting, entertaining people in line, ensuring they stay the course to cast their ballots, while defusing any potential for intimidation or unrest. We mobilized a vibrant coalition of voters from multiracial, working-class neighborhoods by bringing the music they love directly to their polling location. We turned the once mundane task of filling out a scantron into a spirited and collaborative community-building party.

We provided strategic insight, project management, marketing, artist booking, and event production.

We inspired civic engagement by energizing voters to polling sites through creative activations and pop-up parties with influential entertainers across music, sports, and TV.

We owned accountability for this complex and sprawling project, managing the campaign across five 5 territories simultaneously.

AdHoc recruited and managed production teams from across the country to produce pop-up concerts, employing their expertise to pinpoint strategic neighborhoods and artist engagement. 

Durand Bernarr in Atlanta, GA. Durand Bernarr in Atlanta, GA.

We used a multi-media influencer strategy, producing engaging content via varied formats to spur excitement and spread the word.

During the final run-up to election day, more than 95 Artists were engaged to promote the cause through playlists, original songs, and more. This effort resulted in:

  • 4.7M+ Total Impressions
  • 25.K+ Engagements

We placed issue-based billboard campaigns in Arizona, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia reminding voters that affordable housing, climate change, and abortion were in their hands at the ballot box.

Other organizations put global superstars on massive stages to attempt to reach undecided voters. We took a different tack by thoughtfully programming 17 performances from A-list talent that spoke directly to the various voters at the actual polling sites to optimize star power effectiveness.

De La Soul and DJ Jazzy Jeff in Philadelphia, PA. De La Soul and DJ Jazzy Jeff in Philadelphia, PA.
De La Soul in Philadelphia, PA. De La Soul in Philadelphia, PA.
Big Daddy Kane in Philadelphia, PA. Big Daddy Kane in Philadelphia, PA.
MC Lyte in Philadelphia, PA. MC Lyte in Philadelphia, PA.
Jazzy Jeff in Philadelphia, PA. Jazzy Jeff in Philadelphia, PA.

AdHoc worked closely with national production teams to program over 65 beloved local performances at polling locations.

Lala Ri in Atlanta, GA.  Lala Ri in Atlanta, GA. 

We commissioned the legendary fabrication studio, Winston Studios, to create engaging  set-design elements for our “joy-mobile” truck stages that told a story and visually represented each of our four target cities.

Joy To The Polls literally jumped off the stage this year with an array of swag.

Engaging voters early and often was a new element of JTTP this year. We took advantage of early voting and pulled off activations and performances at Broadway Block Party in NYC with stars of Broadway.

We produced three early voting pop-up shows in West Philly, peaking with a free performance by Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte and more, resulting in record-breaking registrations and early voting for a Pennsylvania precinct.

We were everywhere on Election Day 2024 in Philly. JTTP activated across 6 polling locations, culminating with a free performance by De La Soul, Freeway and Jazzy Jeff at West Philadelphia High School, covered by MSNBC.

At AdHoc, we’re constantly thinking about how music has this incredible, almost magical way of bringing people together. It’s what drives us.

When we’re asked to craft experiences, our mission is clear: find the sweet spot where love for an artist draws the audience that our partners seek. It’s always an exciting puzzle to solve, and we’re lucky to work with collaborators who trust us to make it happen.

YEAR
2024

OUR ROLE
Programming, Production, Talent Booking and Marketing Strategy

TEAM/PROJECT CREDITS
Producer: Rachael Pazdan
Talent Booker: Ric Leichtung
Marketer: Morgan Schaffner

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