London Bridge City

Summer by the River 2018

Putting LBC on the map

Look no further if you’re angling for some riverside revels this summer.
Secret London

Stretching for half a mile along the Thames, between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, London Bridge City (LBC) boasts a rich history, breathtaking architecture and spectacular views. But until 2014 – when LBC asked us to help put the estate on the map – very few people knew where or what it was.

From the start we understood that the annual summer festival, with its eclectic mix of free music, theatre and film, was key to LBC’s evolution. And over the last three years we have helped to transform it from a series of unrelated events into Summer by the River – a dynamic festival brand that now attracts over three million visitors in just three months.

This year, our Summer by the River theme was inspired by the halcyon days of the 1920s. With P.G. Wodehouse, Evelyn Waugh and the quintessential English riverside regatta in mind, we developed a narrative and mood boards to inform every aspect of the project: from the festival identity and print to social media and props.

The palette and playfulness of the era inspired lavender seed invites, white picket fences and literary quotes billowing from lampposts. Animated ECN screens and environmental branding carried our story along the banks of the Thames, with bunting, topiary and deckchairs lining the path to Tower Bridge. We styled a corner of Hay’s Galleria with a lawn and picnic tables, and decorated the Bar by the River bar with planters full of purple wisteria. We even gave LBC’s digital channels a 1920s’ slant, with a curated Spotify playlist and a landscaped selfie wall. The Instagram posts were #Divine. 

Between 1st June and 2nd September, Summer by the River featured in Time Out, Secret London, Heart FM, Metro and The London Evening Standard. Our integrated social media campaign generated:

  • a combined follower increase of 35% on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
  • over 710K impressions
  • over 86K engagements
  • over 35K video views 
  • over 1.6K click throughs to the LBC website.

By the River is now a major player in the capital’s crowded festival scene, bringing new audiences to the estate every summer and Christmas, and redefining London Bridge City as an iconic riverside destination.

Read more about our 2018 Summer by the River campaign here

Photography by Gary Perlmutter www.garyperlmutter.com