FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover Breakup Calculators, subway sketches and the first-ever CES keynote to be hosted at Sphere Las Vegas.
DELTA WILL SOAR INTO CES HISTORY WITH THE FIRST KEYNOTE HOSTED AT SPHERE
CES 2025 is rapidly approaching, and Delta ceo Ed Bastian is prepared to deliver a showstopping keynote during the event (Jan. 7-10) using the biggest LED screen on the planet as his backdrop.
We’re talking, of course, about the industry’s shiniest new object, Sphere Las Vegas. On Jan. 7, during the first-ever CES keynote to be hosted at the groundbreaking venue, Bastian will unveil the brand’s plans to “disrupt how we travel” by leveraging technology to deepen human experiences and redefine customer engagement and experience at scale.
It’ll all come to life with the help of Sphere’s cutting-edge a/v, including audio powered by HOLOPLOT. Meanwhile, Delta will also turn heads outside of the building, transforming its massive LED Exosphere into a branded beacon. And we have liftoff.
Image: Courtesy of Delta
KLEENEX IS DRYING SINGLES’ TEARS WITH ITS BREAKUP CALCULATOR
First, it was Insomnia’s Breakup Cookies, then Pizza Hut’s Goodbye Pies. Now, Kleenex and Amazon have entered the relationship ring with “KleenEX: The Breakup Calculator”. Launched on Dec. 11, aka International Breakup Day (an unofficial holiday that experts attribute to the season’s varied stressors), the microsite invites consumers to share details of a recent partnership gone wrong, then helps them “move on.”
Through a series of prompts, the calculator creates a personalized timeline of the participant’s healing process, then makes product recommendations based on their status. Think: “You’ll be ready to move on in about three months. In the meantime, you’ll need eight boxes of Kleenex Tissues,” followed by a promo code. Consumers are also provided with “ex-tra” tips for coping from Amazon, like movie marathons and post-breakup playlists. Tear. (Agency: VML)
Image: Courtesy of Kleenex
SONY TAKES OLIVIA RODRIGO FANS UNDERGROUND
Subway station events aren’t the right scene for every brand or product, but a terminal on NYC’s Lower East Side was just the ticket for Sony Electronics. On Dec. 3, the brand hosted an exclusive event to mark its partnership with singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, who appeared on-site, and to celebrate the launch of her custom, violet-colored LinkBuds. Designed with the musician’s fans in mind, the earbuds feature custom EQ settings curated by Rodrigo and her producer, Dan Nigro, to optimize the sound on her first two albums.
Within the reimagined subway station, fans got a taste of the singer’s creative vision, with design elements splashed in her signature purple hue, along with nods to New York City, including references to Sony and Rodrigo’s recent creative campaign and MetroCards featuring the singer wearing her LinkBuds Fit product.
Throughout the event, DJ Beau Cruz and violinist Emily Simone performed some of the star’s biggest hits, while fans engaged in various activities. Highlights included a “newsstand” that served as a merch counter with apparel from Bravado, the purple LinkBuds and exclusive posters; three themed subway cars, including an Amazon Music Listening car where attendees could try out the new earbuds; a tarot card reader; a subway sketch artist who whipped up customized portraits; and photo ops in front of a 3D butterfly photo wall and mosaic mural.
Sadly, no glitter-filled toilets were spotted during the affair. (Agencies: Shadow, experiential; Hustle&Co., p.r.)
Photo credit: Hannah Turner-Harts/BFA
SINGLES MINGLE AS BUMBLE FLIPS HOLIDAY MESSAGING ON ITS HEAD
All too often, the only scenario in which singles are placed at the center of attention during the holidays is when a nosy relative asks why they aren’t married yet. But not on Bumble UK’s watch.
On Nov. 28, the women-first dating app flipped the typical holiday marketing campaign on its head with a celebratory community event at London’s new concept bar, House Party. The experience aimed to address how singles often feel lonely during this time of year and alienated from seasonal marketing messages that overwhelmingly target couples and families. (Ultimately, more than 5,000 people applied for tickets, and the event ran at capacity all night long.)
With Gen Z and millennials continuing to drive the nostalgia trend, every element of the house-party-themed activation offered wistful nods, like a Y2K-era tooth gem station that let attendees rock throwback beauty trends.
Across the seven-floor playground, an array of rooms brought the app’s Interest Badges to life to help singles find common ground. They encountered everything from a karaoke booth to retro game consoles to astrology readings. Meanwhile, the event also boasted an all-female music lineup featuring performances by Mabel and DJ Rachael Anson.
Our favorite part? In a nod to the awkward family conversations singles have during the holidays, a quick-witted Granny character roamed the floors, helping to create ice-breaker moments that got singles ready to mingle. (Agency: onepointfive)
AWAY LUGGAGE TAKES AIM AT DUPE CULTURE WITH A CELEB LOOK-ALIKE STUNT
Unless you’ve been actively ignoring pop culture for the last two months, you know that celebrity look-alike contests are having a moment. It started with a Timothée Chalamet event in New York City, and things only escalated from there. And on Dec. 3, Away entered the chat.
The luggage brand recruited the victor of the Chalamet contest, along with the winners of the recent Jeremy Allen White and Dev Patel doppelgänger competitions, for a clever social campaign. A three-picture post that featured each winner posing with an Away suitcase in a curated setting simply read: “Even look-alikes travel with the real thing.” Nice.
