FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover personalized poetry, designer dogwear collabs and Sundance’s new home.
BLUE ‘SEVERANCE’ BALLOONS FLOAT AROUND LONDON LANDMARKS
Apple TV+ has done it again. Just as season two of “Severance” reached fever pitch with a cliffhanger finale on March 21, the cast mysteriously popped up in London on March 26 for a blue balloon-themed (IYKYK) activation. The stunt follows a surprise pop-up by cast members at NYC’s Grand Central Terminal on Jan. 14, just ahead of the season-two premiere.
Apple posted the spectacle across its social media channels, releasing a video recap that showed suit-clad workers wearing Lumon Industries IDs and holding clusters of blue balloons with Mark S.’s face emblazoned on them while passing by London landmarks like Big Ben and the Tower Bridge.
The individuals ultimately gathered around one larger-than-life balloon installed on a simple white platform that read “Severance.” There, core cast members appeared for posed photo ops, to the thrill of a crowd that had gathered around the installation. Let’s just say that our outie is a bit jealous.
SUNDANCE HAS A NEW PLACE TO CALL HOME
When all was said and done, the Sundance Film Institute couldn’t quite pry itself away from its mountainside legacy. After a lengthy search for a new Sundance Film Festival location, organizers last week announced that starting in 2027, the event will take place in Boulder, CO.
With beautiful mountain views and a small town feel that also offers room to expand, it seems that the Institute aims to maintain a similar atmosphere to Park City, UT, where Sundance has taken place for four decades. So, why relocate a tentpole show? Organizers cited the need for more venues to accommodate the festival’s myriad screenings and robust range of event programming. Well, it’s been real, Park City. End scene.
Photo credit: Maya Dehlin
PARISIANS GET A WHIFF OF SPATIAL AI
From March 28-30, Glossier took on the challenge of transforming fragrance retail into something tangible with a spatial AI-powered activation dubbed The Wonder of You. The nature-inspired experience hosted at Galerie Joseph in Paris blended machine learning and sensory elements to craft personalized poems for attendees in real time. And they weren’t your average written odes.
To participate, consumers entered a branded pavilion featuring pastel purple flower petals covering the floor. An illuminated display invited them to pick up a bottle of Glossier You Fleur perfume, which triggered ambient light and sound that indicated that the dreamy multisensory journey had begun.
AI was then leveraged to observe the person’s posture and facial expressions, then yielded a custom poem that captured their mood at that moment. The verse was shared over the sound system and projected onto a sheer panel, supplemented by synchronized a/v effects. Talk about poetry in motion. (Agency: Random Studio)
Photo: Courtesy of Glossier
MILK-BONE AND JIF DEBUT DESIGNER DOGWEAR
Canines looking for a sultry new scent or designer kicks to wear were in luck over the weekend. A Milk-Bone x Jif Collab Collection pop-up made its way to NYC’s Union Square. An influencer and media preview hosted on March 28 was followed by a public event on March 29 that offered dogs (and their humans) a place to peruse an absurd lineup of retail items and sample the Smucker-owned brands’ latest treat, Peanut Buttery Bites.
The museum-inspired experience displayed a range of products and experiences, including the Barking Bar, where dogs and humans could snag quick bites, a high-top sneaker collab, the Butt Bit (a fitness band designed for a dog’s tail) and even a “human dog bed.” Pawesome. (Agency: M ss ng P eces)
TIMBERLAND KICKS IT IN ATLANTA WITH BOOT-MAKING DEMOS
Craftsmanship and brand heritage were at the core of Timberland’s pop-up installation at the Ponce City Market in Atlanta over the weekend. Fans could stop by March 29-30 for a behind-the-scenes immersion into Timberland’s history and future, along with an infusion of local ATL culture.
The experience spanned live boot-making demos, a wall plastered with old print ads that was tied to a digital scavenger hunt, a custom embossing station where attendees could score personalized keychains or branded boot charms, a dj spinning tracks, raffles and giveaways, and the appearance of Timberland’s yellow boot truck, which circled the area. We’d say the brand left its footprint.
