FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential cover Nutty Cruisers, slope-side skincare and Matcha Moments.
THIS TOUR VEHICLE IS DRIVING BLUE DIAMOND NUTS
You’ve seen Oscar Mayer’s Wienermobile, the OG experiential tour vehicle. And you’ve likely spotted Planters’ NUTmobile, too, which happened to be spinning around New Orleans over the weekend for Super Bowl LIX. Now, make way for a quirky new mobile unit to join the ranks. Introducing: Blue Diamond’s Nutty Cruiser. Built in Dallas, the nut-shaped vehicle took more than 1,150 hours to complete.
The “almond on wheels” will strategically make its debut on Feb. 16, National Almond Day, at a public pop-up event hosted at Blue Diamond’s Sacramento, CA-based headquarters. There, attendees will get a first glimpse of the Nutty Cruiser and get a chance to sample products from the brand’s full portfolio, including new, never-seen-before flavors.
The pop-up will serve as the official kickoff of the Bring Your Flavor nationwide tour, which will hit major markets throughout 2025 with a goal of distributing 1 million almond samples. At each stop, consumers can enjoy “flavor-packed activities” and free snacks. The best part? There’s an “almond launcher” built into the Nutty Cruiser that will rocket packs of almonds into attendees’ hands.
Plus, activities such as a Flavor Bar, Barrel-o-Flavor sampling stations and interactive games like “Guess That Flavor” and “Almond-hole” (a twist on cornhole) will be in the mix. The brand and its new wheels will also deliver surprise flavor drops and pop-ups throughout the year. Your move, NUTmobile. (Agency: Inspira)
PEPSI IS CHALLENGING CONSUMERS TO ‘LET YOUR TASTE DECIDE’
There’s nothing like resurrecting a decades-old battle during Super Bowl weekend to make a statement. That’s just how Pepsi rolls. For the 50th anniversary of its Pepsi Challenge campaign, which featured blind taste tests around the country that pitted Pepsi against Coke, the brand has unveiled a new iteration that invites consumers to compare Pepsi Zero Sugar with Coke Zero Sugar.
The stage was set in New Orleans during Super Bowl LIX at the brand’s Chips and Sips Quarter activation, but in March, Pepsi will embark on a 17-city tour across the U.S. to make the case that its Zero Sugar beverage should be the victor of the flavor wars. May the best cola win.
KIEHL’S IS BACK AT IT WITH SLOPE-SIDE SKINCARE
As the official 2024 SPF Partner of Wyoming’s Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR), Kiehl’s was spotted on the slopes last year activating a two-day pop-up designed to get its skincare products into the hands of adventure-seekers, and showcase its commitment to protecting skin in the most demanding environments. This year, the partnership is expanding to include an avalanche of experiential activity.
Kiehl’s role has been elevated to Official Skincare and SPF Partner for 2025, and the brand will direct people’s attention to its new Ultra Body Cream. Across the mountain at high-traffic areas, including ski gondolas, trams and private booking services, winter sports lovers will encounter sampling opportunities, exclusive events and VIP hospitality, in addition to enhanced digital and OOH elements.
As an extension of this year’s JHMR collaboration, Kiehl’s is transforming its retail location in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan into a pop-up concept store designed to demonstrate the importance of body hydration while simultaneously amplifying the partnership through co-branded content and limited-edition merch. The idea? To connect mountain life and city living. (Agency: Gradient)
In other Kiehl’s news, the brand recently introduced Pubic Display Type, a, shall we say, unique font that was crafted entirely from actual human pubic hair.
NEW YORKERS ENJOY A ‘MATCHA MOMENT’ WITH PRET A MANGER
The chaotic state of the world has prompted more than one brand to create a moment of mindfulness for consumers, and sandwich shop chain Pret A Manger is the latest company to provide the public with an opportunity to take a breath.
To introduce its line of matcha drinks in the U.S., the brand hosted a “Pret’s Matcha Moment” event on Jan. 23 at its Union Square store in New York. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., more than 55 VIPs, media members and influencers enjoyed an exclusive first taste of Pret’s matcha menu. They were also invited upstairs to a Zen-themed area featuring soothing green hues, matcha-inspired art and lounge seating.
Among touchpoints were matcha mixologists and latte artists on hand whipping up personalized latte art creations, a chance to get head and neck massages, and custom matcha-flavored bonbons from NYC’s Daniel Corpuz Chocolatier. Attendees left the activation with a curated gift bag featuring items like a tumbler, a matcha whisk and a Pret candle.
When the VIPs left, the space was opened up to the public from 2-5 p.m., and more than 300 people stopped by to snag a complimentary matcha drink. Say it with us now: Ommm… (Agency: Bread & Butter, p.r.)
NOTHING BUT NETS: MODELO LAUNCHES A HOOPS-INSPIRED FASHION LINE
Basketball and fashion go hand-in-hand, and on Jan. 29, Modelo proved as much with a launch event at Barclays Center that marked the debut of its latest collab with the Brooklyn Nets, which includes a bomber jacket, trucker hat and neon sign, all designed by New York artist, Snoeman.
More than 220 people were invited to the private affair, where they could play games, enjoy complimentary food and Modelo beverages, snap photos in a booth, score exclusive co-branded merch, listen to DJ Diamond Kuts and catch all of the Nets’ away-game action on a dedicated screen. To boot, throughout the evening, winners were pulled for prizes, like gameday tickets, a signed jersey and the bomber jacket from the collection. Swish. (Agency: Cogent World)
