FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover Glambulances, hologram chefs and SoCal vibes at Meta Lab.
SABRINA CARPENTER’S ‘SHORT N’ SWEET CAFÉS’ LEAVE QUITE AN IMPRESSION
Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” was arguably the track of the summer, so it was only a matter of time before she got her very own café. Titled after her newest album, the Short N’ Sweet Café, sponsored by Cash App, popped up in New York and Chicago over the fall. This weekend, the artist and brand will continue to switch it up like Nintendo and make their way to Los Angeles to coincide with her tour.
From Nov. 15-17, consumers can stop by Verve Coffee Roasters, which will be transformed into a fan paradise offering Sabrina-themed coffee beverages (like the Dumb and Poetic latte) and pastries, as well as limited-edition merch, all of which will be available at 30 percent off for consumers who use their Cash App Visa card.
There will also, naturally, be plenty of content-capture ops, like a bright-red, lip-shaped couch and vintage-inspired décor. And if the strategy follows suit from New York, Cash App will offer quick games, like challenging fans to name “Short N’ Sweet” tracks in record time, which is probably where all of that caffeine comes in handy.
THIS HIGH-TECH GAME TURNED FOODIES INTO SOUS-CHEFS AT THE NYC WINE & FOOD FEST
The kitchen of the future came to life at the 2024 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival, presented by Invesco QQQ, in Brooklyn, thanks to Invesco’s futuristic culinary game and interactive cooking app. The brokerage firm’s “Recipe for Innovation Kitchen” experience was a two-player cooking competition played on interactive touch screens that blended digital gameplay with real-time gestures. The experience took place inside a volumetric stage spanning three floor-to-ceiling LED walls that displayed the digital kitchen environment.
With a hologram of chef Kwame Onwuachi serving as host (and the real chef making an appearance, too), players became his sous-chefs and were challenged to prepare one of the chef’s custom recipes in a fast-paced game. The experience could be enjoyed by onlookers, too, with a large display showcasing what the players were doing on their touch screens that allowed bystanders to be part of the action.
Those who participated in the game were tasked with ingredient selection, preparation (they chopped, diced and prepared ingredients based on Onwuachi’s instructions), and plating the dish to match the chef’s design. A photo of the plated dish was then sent to them via email for social sharing.
Beyond the Recipe for Innovation Kitchen, Invesco QQQ presented an interactive cookbook viewer and AI-powered recipe app within its two-floor booth. The cookbook viewer allowed attendees to explore detailed dishes on a large touch screen, while the app allowed them to select ingredients and generate personalized recipes. If only figuring out what to cook for dinner for the rest of our lives were that easy. (Partners: TH Experiential; Episode Four; Groove Jones)
Photos: Courtesy of Groove Jones
A NEW LITE-BRITE EXPERIENCE IS ILLUMINATING NOSTALGIA
Where my ’80s babies at? It’s your time to shine. Literally. Hasbro has launched “Lite-Brite: Worlds of Wonder,” an immersive, 60-minute experience inspired by the iconic toy that opened on Nov. 7 in Los Angeles. It’s not the first time the experience has been offered, but it is the next evolution of the activation, which was originally hosted in a single room.
The L.A. iteration spans 11 interactive rooms, a game zone, a 360-degree tunnel theater featuring three themed worlds, gesture-reactive experiences and an artist gallery displaying work from local artists, inspired by the Lite-Brite aesthetic. Speaking of, all of the visuals at Worlds of Wonder are driven by the toy’s hexagonal peg pattern, and feature only shades of colors from the six original pegs. Can you feel your inner child glowing already? (Partner: Secret Location)
HAVE A MAKEUP EMERGENCY? CALL THE GLAMBULANCE
Consumers in the Santa Monica area got a call from Physician’s Formula’s “Glambulance” last month at pop-ups centered around the brand’s mobile tour truck. Beauty fans were invited to drop by a public activation (the brand’s first) on Oct. 27 at the 3rd Street Promenade, while students from three California universities—USC, UCLA and Pepperdine—were treated to an appearance from the Glambulance on their respective campuses later that week.
At each stop, attendees could get free beauty touch-ups done by professional makeup artists, sample Physician’s Formula products and, if they were lucky, snag a Glam-ergency kit while supplies lasted. Kits included some of the company’s best sellers, along with a curated selection of products from brand partners like Dossier and KISS. Meanwhile, someone should call 9-1-1 any time we attempt to apply liquid mascara.
A NEW LENS ON EXPERIENTIAL RETAIL AT META’S SMART GLASSES ‘LAB’
At its Connect 2024 event in September, Meta introduced a new experiential retail concept, Meta Lab, which served as a retail testing ground for Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. The concept was part one of a three-pronged program, with the second iteration opening up on Nov. 8 in Los Angeles. The “flagship” pop-up will be open through the end of the year, while a Meta Lab “shop-in-shop” experience will be hosted in Phoenix this January, wrapping the three-phase campaign.
The L.A. pop-up is photo-worthy from the start. The entrance features a larger-than-life Ray-Ban Meta glasses installation, complete with the product’s signature LED light. Inside, the store is themed around Southern Californian culture. This month, Meta is paying homage to lowrider culture and featuring work from notable local artists and photographers. Then in December, the focus will shift to L.A.’s DIY and thrifting culture, again showcasing local artists who fit the bill. The idea? To go beyond the “sell” and create a culture-forward, community-centric environment.
Meta Lab L.A. will offer regular programming, including stand-up comedy, live podcasts, workshops and interactive events, like paint-and-sip sessions and cooking classes. There is also an “immersion experience room” where consumers can capture themselves in an AI-generated version of a Malibu beach featuring 17-foot-tall, custom-built fiberglass palm trees. And that sounds like quite the sweet escape from where we sit shivering in New England.
Photos: Courtesy of Meta
