Hurts - Exile

Reconnect with the journalists who loved and supported Hurts debut album “Happiness” and get them excited about upcoming record “Exile”. Create the climax of an interactive PR campaign created by FOAM London, launching the new HURTS album, EXILE. Focusing on press, industry, and VIP guests, create a cult like ceremony, inspired by the interactive, voice-controlled app of the same name (also created by Reuben Feels and FOAM Agency).

Voice-controlled App

The Exile app allowed us to take the story we were developing to the masses. Reuben Feels wrote and directed the narrative, a ‘choose your own adventure’ for modern times, controlled by speaking.

At important story junctures, participants interacted with the story by speaking, resulting in one of twelve different endings, each teasing a different song from the new album. The app was recorded using 3D binaural audio, and was included in The Guardian’s 30 Best iPhone and iPad apps during the week of Exile’s release.

Press Influencers

Individuals received a strange love letter, a gold tape and a laundry ticket, thus begun the adventure into an appealing but dangerous world. The trail of clues led to a room in the vaults of Heaven on Hurts’ second album launch.

Launch Event

On producing their Russian doll at the gig, our journalists were led to what they thought was a VIP bar. In fact, immersive theatre and storytelling company Reuben Feels had created a bespoke theatrical experience.

Once all the journalists were in place, Leon and Valentina took them to meet their enigmatic leader Jon. This developed into a 5 minute narrative in which the journalists were indoctrinated into a strange cult, followed by Hurts taking to the stage and playing their new album for the first time ever.