FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover Zenless zones, airborne Nutella jars and mega mitts.
BASEBALL FANS GET THEIR MITTS ON GEICO’S COMICALLY LARGE GLOVES
Even baseball fans who aren’t athletically inclined could “play” in the big leagues during MLB All-Star Week, July 12-16, in Arlington, TX, thanks to Geico’s gigantic, custom-made baseball gloves. The items, distributed to a limited number of attendees, weren’t just spectacles around the stadium. Any fan who caught a ball with the enormous glove during the game automatically won a prize and was entered into a drawing to score a trip to the MLB World Series in October. The brand’s goal was to help fans “catch an unforgettable experience” and reinforce its mantra that “customers get more with Geico.” More, indeed. (Agency: Momentum Worldwide)
A FLYING JAR OF NUTELLA ‘CRASH-LANDED’ IN CANADA
To celebrate Canada’s hidden natural gems and regional recipes, Nutella looked to the skies. It all started with a CGI hot air balloon and 13 limited-edition “Savour the Beauty of Canada” Nutella jars—one for each province and territory, and each featuring a recipe pairing unique to the region. The brand first launched the virtual balloon, shaped like its iconic jar, on social media. Consumers could follow along as the balloon floated from Newfoundland’s Skerwink Trail westward across five Canadian provinces, highlighting hot spots along the way.
Then, on July 5, the hot air balloon “crash-landed” into Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto for a very real two-day pop-up event. Consumers were invited to stop by to snap photos inside the balloon installation and enjoy classic Newfoundland fare—toutons—topped with Nutella. (Yes, please.) They could also engage with brand ambassadors and snag stickers and Nutella B-ready bars.
All told, Nutella earned an average dwell time of over five minutes, and distributed 5,000 toutons and 15,000 stickers. Pretty successful, eh? (Agencies: Publicis Sport & Entertainment, experiential; Publicis Montreal, creative; Golin, p.r.; Mindshare, media buying)
Photo: Courtesy of Nutella
STATE FARM AND T-PAIN: THE COLLAB YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEEDED
Back for a third season, State Farm’s “Gamerhood” live-streamed gaming competition is still aimed at Gen Z and packed with obstacles that serve as “insurable moments,” but the program has gotten a total design refresh. This year, the events will take place in an all-new setting, the cyberpunk-inspired Neo City, housed in a massive 75,000-square-foot production facility.
There are also nine new personalities in gaming and entertainment (think: Mark Phillips and T-Pain) who will be competing in teams of three on popular titles like Fortnite, Rocket League and Fall Guys. The grand prize: the key to Neo City, and a $100,000 donation to their team’s designated charity.
Every Friday in August, the teams will face off, battling bigger physical challenges and more surprising twists than in years past. Players will get access to “Vault Boosts” and “Hacks” each week to give their team a leg up by hindering their competitors or gaining upgrades. As they compete in arena games and video game challenges, participants will be guided by Jake from State Farm, and throughout the action, Neo City commentators Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez and Barbara Dunkelman will be offering the play-by-play.
To witness the spectacle, fans can tune into State Farm’s Twitch and YouTube channels. They can also participate: Each “Gamerhood” episode will include a chance to play the brand’s self-produced game, Jake’s Jingle Quest, which will include a new level with every episode of the series and a chance to win prizes. (Agency: Infinity Marketing Team)
UNDER THE SEA AT NICKELODEON’S ‘SPONGEBOB’ CELEBRATION
Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? For one evening on July 13, it was the attendees of Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards afterparty in Santa Monica, CA. To mark the 25th anniversary of “SpongeBob SquarePants,” the brand replicated the show’s undersea setting, Bikini Bottom, with vibrant recreations of top moments and characters from the show. The centerpiece: a 25-foot-tall, 36-foot-wide installation of SpongeBob himself.
Attendees had a variety of ways to engage with the environment, including participating in a selfie moment where they could get “lost” in a giant yellow room featuring interactive touchpoints, like a positivity bulletin board where they could add quotes, and take them, as they wished. There was also an artsy “Museum” installation inside an oversized pineapple featuring playful versions of SpongeBob and other characters set against specific artistic styles, like Andy Warhol-inspired prints or Bikini Bottom reimagined in pointillism.
The fun didn’t stop there. At Mrs. Puff’s Bumper Bash, attendees enrolled in Mrs. Puff’s Driving School to get an official Bikini Bottom ID (the IDs were printed with all of SpongeBob’s info, and Kids Choice Awards branding on the back). Once they were equipped with a license, participants could whiz around Bikini Bottom on bumper cars. (Agency: 15|40)
Photo credit: Line 8 Photography
HOYOVERSE DELIVERS YOUR MOMENT OF ZEN(LESS)
Fans who stopped by Manhattan’s Oculus building from July 12-13 had an opportunity to be transported to another universe at a “Hollow Sighting in New York” pop-up. Video game developer and publisher HoYoverse celebrated the release of Zenless Zone Zero by erecting a real-life version of “Hollow,” the game’s mysterious interdimensional setting.
Participants first passed through a quarantine zone (yes, mention of the “Q” word still gives us the chills) and underwent orientation before assuming the role of new Hollow Investigative Association detectives on a mission to collect Ether Energy. Codes displayed across the space prompted them to complete an Ether Collection mini-game that helped fill up their energy meter. After completing the mission, fans scored a physical Ether Crystal to take home.
The pop-up also had demo stations that gave fans a chance to play the new game, and photo ops with beloved characters including Proxies and Bangaboos, a giant installation of Ben Bigger, and Bell & Wise cosplayers.
For accomplishing additional tasks, like arriving in cosplay, posting the experience on social using #ZZZinNYC, or downloading the game, fans could earn exclusive Zenless Zone Zero merch that spanned Bangboo phone stands and themed AR Pins. Every attendee also left with codes to redeem for in-game currency. (Agency: Unobtainium)
Photos: Courtesy of HoYoverse
BONUS CONTENT: KRISPY KREME’S SWEET RESPONSE TO THE TECH OUTAGE
Much of the corporate world came to a screeching halt for a brief time on July 19, when a software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike went awry, causing a global tech outage. From banks to hospitals to airlines, the failure disrupted a range of businesses. But it was Krispy Kreme to the rescue from 5-7 p.m. that evening. The donut chain published a cheeky Instagram post inviting U.S. consumers to update their “sweet-ware” by stopping by for a free glazed donut during those hours. That’s the kind of sticky situation we can get behind.
