I thought the show I would attend, last weekend at Gaudi’s Casa Batlló, would be an audiovisual extravaganza, to celebrate the museum and encourage tourists to visit it even more.

But it wasn’t that.

I went there for a lights show and I got a lesson in content strategy. Because content is obviously not limited to text. It can also take the shape of pictures, drawings, videos, audio tapes, etc. A brand can tell a story through any type of content if they put the mind to it.

Last week, in celebration of the museum’s 10th anniversary, its organizers prepared a surprise show of lights and sounds which helped tell the story of the house. From architect’s Gaudi’s inspirations while designing it, to its glory at the beginning of the 1900s and culminating with the awakening of the sleeping dragon – all these were mini-stories told using audiovisual mapping. I’d say the organizers dressed their content strategy into a real show that everyone loved.

However, it’s still content strategy, with the purpose of promotion.

And in a clever move, they went one step further, organizing a photo contest on Instagram. Everyone watching the show had to post their best pictures (quite a challenge with the nighttime & the trees in front of the building!) for prizes from Casa Batlló. Anyone could get free stuff, for a nice picture.

But looking with the marketing eye, all the viewers contributed to spreading the promotion about the show. They filled up Instagram with pictures of shiny colorful Casa Batlló, and Twitter, with digital applause around the hash-tag #casabatllo.

The conclusion is clear: people like to be told stories and they like it even more if you involve them, with an important role. Give people a good story around your product, brilliantly covered in a sparkly wrapping (like Casa Batlló’s audiovisual show), and they will enjoy it enough to talk about it online, share pictures of it and ultimately help you promote your product, for free.

An important lesson about creativity in content strategy from Casa Batlló!

Photos source: viewers of Casa Batlló on Instagram.