Practically perfect publicity for Mary Poppins Junior

A spoonful of spotlight for Mary Poppins Jr

Stage School Australia engaged Aruga to deliver a publicity campaign for its Melbourne mainstage production, Mary Poppins Jr – the heart-warming junior adaptation of Disney’s beloved musical.

Aruga was tasked with drumming up awareness and interest in the production to fill theatre seats with families and culture lovers, while reinforcing Stage School Australia’s reputation as a premier training company for young performers.

With Aruga’s signature spoonful of sparkle, our activity included developing media materials and event listings, proactive editorial pitching, and engaging reviewers and influencers.

Our campaign reached far beyond the chimney sweeps, with the production taking centre stage in high-quality national, statewide and local media outlets, including The Herald Sun, Nine News Melbourne, ABC Melbourne and Sitchu Melbourne.

Results

48

media clips

1.6M

potential audience reach

$116K

advertising value equivalent

100%

positive media sentiment

5

reviewer and influencer guests attended

Deliverables

Media Materials

Developed media materials to support earned media outreach, including a press release and media kit.

Media Relations

Developed and executed a tailored earned media strategy with targeted pitches to arts, lifestyle and general new media to secure high-value editorial coverage and drive awareness and ticket sales.

Reviewer & Influencer Engagement

Managed invitation outreach to media reviewers and influencers, including arts publications and family-focused creators, to generate earned media or social coverage.

Winning tactics

To broaden media appeal beyond arts publications, Aruga applied a school holidays lens across event listings and feature opportunities, pitching Mary Poppins Jr as a must-do activity for families. This resonated and drove results across lifestyle, parenting and general news outlets.

Aruga sparked media interest by leveraging the diverse young cast. Aruga’s talent-led pitching secured an in-studio interview with ABC Melbourne, a photo story with The Herald Sun and a feature with Nine News Melbourne – all incorporating the shining stars behind the work.

Aruga continued spreading the word after opening night to sustain audience interest. We invited a curated list of media reviewers and family-focused influencers to attend the production then amplified user-generated content and reviews via social media.