FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover “sauceographs,” wild LEGO adventures and painting the rent.
ZOO VISITORS ENCOUNTER THE ENCHANTED CREATURES OF THEIR LEGO ‘DREAMZZZ’
To celebrate the second season of the “LEGO DREAMZzz” TV series and the launch of the LEGO DREAMZzz brick sets debuting this month, the brand brought a “LEGO DREAMZzz: A Wild Adventure” experience to the Los Angeles Zoo. From Aug. 15-18, visitors could explore larger-than-life LEGO brick installations showcasing magical creatures, all built by LEGO Master Builders over the course of hundreds of hours and comprising nearly 70,000 bricks. The idea? To inspire kids to use their imaginations before heading back to school.
On-site activities included LEGO building stations where people of all ages could get creative and even work on their creations alongside Master Builders; creative challenges; photo ops and a chance to watch exclusive clips of the show and meet beloved characters.
Outside of L.A., consumers who visit LEGOLAND locations in select cities can participate in “LEGO DREAMZzz” experiences, like becoming a Night Bureau Agent to defend the dream world, or catching the exclusive 4D Movie “Z-Blob Rescue Rush.”
Photo credit: Jenna Schoenefeld/AP Content Services for LEGO
WHAT IF VITAMINWATER WAS YOUR HOME’S DESIGN INSPO?
If you had to pick a home color scheme based on Vitaminwater flavors, would your vibe be more Energy Tropical Citrus or Refresh Tropical Mango? Five sweepstakes winners will have to make these tough calls as part of the brand’s “Paint Your Rent” contest, which invites consumers to share the Vitaminwater flavor they’d select for a bold décor upgrade for the chance to make their design dreams a reality—and win a year’s worth of free rent. (Reminds us of a similar Skittles program from May.)
Winners will also be provided with guidance advice from interior design firm, Havenly, and will score a color-coordinated mini fridge stocked with a rainbow of Vitaminwater flavors. Fans can enter through Aug. 27 by texting “Rent” to 2653 or visiting a microsite, where they can snap a photo of their favorite flavor in a space that needs a bright makeover.
To get the juices flowing, the brand worked with Havenly to develop five AI-powered mood boards based on each of the campaign’s five featured flavors, offering ideas for color palettes, textiles, accent pieces and other elements to demonstrate how Vitaminwater colors can be incorporated into home décor.
OVERDRIVE’S LIVELY LIBRARY POP-UP WAS MORE THAN A FOOTNOTE
Of all the things the city of Las Vegas might have promoted this year, we did not have libraries on our 2024 Bingo card. But it was a pleasant surprise to see that the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District teamed up with OverDrive, a digital distributor of ebooks, audiobooks and streaming content, to do just that. The organizations jumped on the nationwide “Check Out Your Library” campaign featuring reading apps Libby, Kanopy and Sora, and delivered a pop-up event at AREA15 to reach local consumers and showcase the library district’s range of resources.
The “Silent Stories” event was housed in a 400-square-foot build, where consumers of all ages received noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphones and were immersed in two live readings with author and audiobook narrator Julia Whelan. Beyond the readings, the pop-up featured an AI photo op, while other experiences gave visitors the chance to step into their favorite films or fictional genres.
Plus, just outside of AREA15’s main entrance, a 53-foot-long “Check Out Your Library” vehicle welcomed visitors and allowed them to explore apps and digital entertainment available through local libraries. Shhhhh. (Partners: Tack Marketing; AREA15)
Photo credit: Stacey Torma/AREA15
ED SHEERAN GETS SAUCY AT SAINSBURY’S
When Ed Sheeran isn’t crooning, he’s apparently concocting his very own hot sauce. Indeed, the singer teamed up with Kraft Heinz last year to develop a Tingly Ted’s product dubbed the “ketchup of hot sauces.” Then last week, to promote the condiment, Sheeran planted himself at Sainsbury’s supermarket in London to provide shoppers with their very own “sauceographs” (exactly what it sounds like) on food products and random grocery items, like paper towel rolls. The pop-up experience was announced on Sheeran’s social channels just an hour before taking place, and hundreds of fans ultimately flooded the store for a chance to snag a saucy signature. Fun fact: The autographs began popping up on auction websites like eBay within minutes of being distributed, with one consumer even offering to preserve a sauceograph in resin to ensure the souvenir stands the test of time.
Beyond dishing out sauceographs, Sheeran could be found on board a branded food truck serving up slices of pizza doused in Tingly Ted’s sauce, and interacting with fans. (Agencies: DAVID Madrid; Uncovered; Wonderland Comms)
Photo credit: Jeff Spicer/PA Media Assignments
BRANDS ARE SNIFFING OUT AROMA-BASED ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES
It wasn’t long ago that brands were experimenting heavily with audio-centric activations, but a new sense has gripped the industry: scent. The concept of aroma-based marketing is nothing new (think of all the hotel brands with signature scents), but its application, particularly at music festivals, is a shift from past approaches. So we sniffed out a mini roundup of the trend in action this year.
Tree Hut: At festivals like Lollapalooza, body care brand Tree Hut is enveloping attendees in scented bubbles that help consumers find their new favorite body scrub aroma while enjoying a playful, nostalgic moment.
Method: Similar to Tree Hut, Method approached its Coachella activation with a scent-first mindset. The brand created an Inner Shower Lounge where attendees could relax and partake in product experiences, as well as the Inner Shower Portal, a multisensory journey through the worlds of Method’s most popular scents. There was also a Hair Glam Beauty Station where festivalgoers could select from nine unique hairstyles inspired by Method scents, among touchpoints. (Agency: Revolution Marketing)
Hennessy: When Hennessy’s Made for More Tour hit Orlando, we stopped by to check out the sensorial pop-up activation. The highlight was the scent-based experience. A brand ambassador spritzed a few scents together onto a perfume test strip to create the aroma representative of three signature cocktails. Of all the scents, ranging from fresh to fruity, the paloma was our favorite. The experience ultimately helped identify our “Made for You” Hennessy cocktail of choice.
McDonald’s: If you’re a french fry fanatic, you know how alluring the scent of McDonald’s deep-fried potatoes can be. So over the spring, the fast food giant planted first-of-their-kind scented billboards that emitted the aroma of warm McDonald’s fries in the Dutch cities of Utrecht and Leiden whenever a consumer passed within sniffing distance. Each (unbranded) installation was located roughly 650 feet from a restaurant location, and featured a compartment that held fries, along with a ventilation system that amplified their scent. (Partners: TBWA\Neboko; Raúl&Rigel)
Liquid Death: Liquid Death revived its Country Club concept during its festival circuit this year, inviting consumers to sell their souls to gain entry to the macabre organization. Among touchpoints, the brand spritzed its “Oud de Soul” scent across the footprint to cement the unorthodox experience in festivalgoers’ memories.
