Creative Portfolio

We design experiences that elevate brands and bring joy.

THE NEST at firefly

In 2020, AEG Presents asked for help to refresh the Firefly Festival. After a short pandemic pause, we brought Firefly back with a massive 2021 lineup featuring Billie Eilish, Tame Impala, The Killers, and Lizzo. It was the biggest on-sale in Firefly’s history.

As part of the refresh, we dreamed up a new outdoor dance venue called the Nest. With the goal to immerse the audience in the majestic wooded venue, we imagined and built a nightclub in the forest featuring a diverse lineup of DJs. The Nest was visually stunning and an instant hit with our fans.

The Nest at the Firefly Music Fesival, one of the many unique experiences created by Music Allies founder Sean O'Connell

THE HAYBALE STUDIOS
& RADIO BONNAROO

Sean and Music Allies were part of a core team that oversaw marketing and promotions for the legendary Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.

With the goal to set Bonnaroo apart and make it a household name, we dreamed up a big idea. Build a recording studio and a broadcast center backstage. We invited the leading radio stations in the country to sleep on tour buses behind the main stage and broadcast from backstage where they could air exclusive intimate recordings from the Bonnaroo Haybale Studios. The result was weeks of on-air promotion from over 75 radio stations nationwide including New York, Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta and Denver. Those same stations broadcasted throughout the weekend giving Bonnaroo massive promotion.

To make sure our attendees could enjoy the unique content, we leased, operated and programmed a regional FM radio station - renamed Radio Bonnaroo for the week. The station featured an incredible mix of music and once-in-a-lifetime performances from Bonnaroo artists. More importantly, the radio station gave Bonnaroo a vital way to communicate to fans.

The backstage performances evolved into a web performance series that created additional revenue for Bonnaroo through sponsorships.

Hangout music festival

Sean was the Managing Partner and producer of the Hangout Music Festival, the massive 6 stage, $20 million dollar, beach music festival in Gulf Shores, AL. Together with his partners and an incredible team, Sean elevated the traditional music festival into a luxury music vacation with incredible amenities and, most importantly, spectacular performances.

LEGENDARY PERFORMANCES

The Hangout Music Festival quickly elevated to be one of the top music festivals in the US due in part to our relentless drive to curate an incredible lineup year after year.
Hangout featured one of the first reunion performances by Outkast, Halsey’s very first festival performance and the Weeknd’s first festival headline set.
We took great care to create special moments including arranging choirs to perform with Bishop Briggs (another first) and working with Kygo to bring Jimmy Buffet as a special guest.
BEACH CLUBS

At the Hangout Music Festival, we dreamed up unique ideas to create sponsored experiences that provided value and programming for fans.

What better way to provide an incredible experience for fans and sponsors than create luxurious beach clubs inside a music festival?

Featuring live DJ sets, a beach side swimming area with branded lounge chairs and umbrellas for our partners at Monster Energy, Corona Beer and Pandora.
WEDDING CHAPEL

One of our most popular non-music attractions at Hangout Fest was the Wedding Chapel. Hangout weddings are unlike anything else.

The weddings (mostly pretend nuptials) are officiated by improv comedians who perform dozen of themed ceremonies including Game of Thrones and Star Wars weddings. The ceremonies attracted thousands of fans who watched and cheered! Couples received a ring pop and a branded marriage certificate which were “good for the weekend or until someone better comes along.”

Over 400 pretend weddings and a dozen legal nuptials were performed each year.
ROLLER DISCO

Where rock meets its roll! Attendees at Hangout lace up complimentary skates and showcase their moves on an incredible outdoor roller rink while a DJ spins classic hits from atop Hangout’s psychedelic party version of the ”magic school bus.”
This throwback attraction is a highlight for fans.
CAMP HANGOUT

Our vision for Hangout Fest was to bring the feel of summer camp - where you could play and hang with friends - without a worry in the world.
Camp Hangout brought that feeling to life. Fans could join a slip and slide kickball game, get involved in a water gun fight, roast campfire smores or just kickback and do a little arts and crafts before going back to see more music.
The result was an incredibly popular attraction and a new revenue generator as sponsors lined up to present this custom activation.
TROPICAL SPA

Amenities and luxury were a vital part of what made Hangout Fest unlike another festival. So we created the Tropical Spa where fans recharge and ensure that they are ready for the party all weekend long.
The spa offered fans a chance to have their hair braided, get hair blow-outs, massages and hydration IVs.

arizona ice tea

Arizona Ice Tea tapped the Allies to create a promotion to celebrate their 20th anniversary.

We created a viral campaign to crowdsource a design for a limited edition flavor. Over 300 designs were submitted and viewed and voted on by millions of consumers. Designer Kenny Vidinich’s design was chosen to grace the can which was sold at stores throughout the United States.

This design for Arizona Ice Tea was powered by Creative Allies, a community of designers, founded by Music Allies

PRODUCER

Sean has produced numerous television specials, compilation albums and special projects for clients including:

The Crash Test Dummies: Greatest Hits Live concert film (2005).
Live from the Hangout Music Fest TV specials (2013-2018).
Live from Moog webseries (2010).
Syndicated radio specials for Ani DiFranco and Aimee Mann (2009).
The Radio Bonnaroo syndicated radio series and the Bonnaroo Haybale Recording Sessions (2003-2013).