San Diego Comic-Con returned to its former glory last week after the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes took some wind out of the event’s sales in 2023. The pop culture convention, this year July 25-28, once again served as a playground for both superfans of comics, movies, TV, gaming and multimedia, and the brands that create larger-than-life activations to engage them. Take a spin through some of the best SDCC 2024 experiences found outside the convention center, and across the city’s Gaslamp District. No badge required.
ABC
The report card is in, and ABC’s A.V.A. Fest gets an A+ for inviting fans of “Abbott Elementary” into a totally eccentric carnival experience based on two of the show’s most popular episodes. A.V.A. (“A Very Abbott”) Fest served as a play on Principal Ava’s name, and the activation was executed from the brassy character’s point of view. There was a little something for everyone with games, carnival rides (like a giant swing carousel), photo ops, performances by the Philadelphia Eagles Drumline in front of a replica of the Abbott Elementary School façade, and appearances from the show’s cast.
Among touchpoints, attendees could glide down a giant fun slide into a ball pit; participate in a “Ms. Teague’s Reach for the Stars” game that tested their strength and was interlaced with kind messages from the show’s main character; plunge into a dunk tank; and customize hats at the Blessed & Pressed station, an experience inspired by Mrs. Howard. There were also stilt walkers, cotton candy and lollipops to enjoy and a “Closet of Curiosities” vignette dedicated to Mr. Johnson. (Agency: Creative Riff)
Photo credit: Spearhead Media
ADULT SWIM
The iconic Adult Swim on the Green festival has been part of SDCC for more than a decade and the 2024 event, hosted July 25-28, was dubbed “Pirate Parrrty on the Green.” Décor included a giant branded ship sail, and a range of oversized inflatables, including a “Captain’s Quarters.”
Fans with or without badges were invited to stop by for custom games, a Battle for the Booty Wrestling Match, light snacks and exclusive giveaways to the first 1,000 people on-site each day. Evening entertainment included dj laser sets each night, full episode screenings of new Adult Swim series, like “Rick and Morty: The Anime,” and a “Fun with Zach and Michael” live-draw and Q&A event.
Adult Swim also leveraged the event as a soft launch for its nine-city “Anime-rican” mobile tour, which will be anchored by the brand’s fan-favorite Rickmobile and Mortymobile vehicles. Attendees of the Pirate Parrrty had a chance to take a photo op with the mobile units, which also roamed the Gaslamp District dishing out giveaways. (Agency: GDX Studios)
Photo credit: GDX Studios
BOXLUNCH
Hot Topic brand BoxLunch, a “civic-minded” pop culture fandom merchandise retailer, pulled into San Diego with a Treat Truck and parked it at high-traffic areas along the way to the convention center. Consumers who followed @boxlunchgifts on social and signed up using their name and email scored a free sweet treat and surprise BoxLunch item. They could also DM BoxLunch for a shot at winning a $500 SDCC Prize Pack. Actor Adam McArthur was on-site, too, signing special Yuji Itadori character pins that were distributed on Saturday.
The activation appears to have been a hot spot, with fans lining up to participate as many as five hours before the experience opened, and 15,000 people ultimately waiting in line to snag BoxLunch bags. (Agency: Lupine Creative)
EBAY
The eBay Live storefront was designed to serve as a hub for both talent and its eBay Live interactive shopping sessions. Inside the high-visibility broadcast studio storefront, attendees watched the livestreams, saw the products being sold and learned more about eBay Live through interactive displays and brand ambassador interactions. (Agency: CNC Agency)
Photo credit: CNC Agency
FANDOM
Hundreds of fans, Comic-Con badgeholders, influencers and talent joined pop culture fan platform Fandom on July 25 for its annual experience at Float at the Hard Rock Hotel. With EA as presenting sponsor for a second year, and Z2 Comics and Pinfinity also onboard as partners, Fandom not only engaged fans, but celebrated its forthcoming 20th anniversary.
Attendees could catch a headline performance by Jason Derulo, and engage in sponsor activations. Among them: a Dragon Age-themed scavenger hunt that led to a photo booth, which promoted EA’s upcoming game release; collectible lanyards and an AR Dragon Age activation from Pinfinity; and a 360-degree camera located on the red carpet that let talent and fans alike capture the moment and share it on social.
Fandom could also be found at the Interactive Zone at Petco Park from July 25-28 in support of The Real Cost Teen Vaping Prevention Campaign. Together, the organizations expanded on their custom AR game, “Attack of the Metallic Menace,” which debuted last summer, and invited fans around San Diego to play. Participants dodged toxic metals and fought the 10-foot Metallic Menace (a monster inspired by movies like “Godzilla”) during SDCC, while also competing against other attendees and gaming influencers.
Photo credit: Getty Images
FOCUS FEATURES
Focus Features headed to San Diego to celebrate the 20th anniversary of cult-classic film “Shaun of the Dead” with a recreation of the pub from the film, The Winchester Tavern, complete with vintage TVs. As reported by Collider, the activation encompassed movie-themed games and photo ops, plus Easter eggs, like a zombie jukebox. Fans could additionally buy items like exclusive film shirts, pins, pint glasses and socks.
FX NETWORKS
The #FXSDCC experience has become an annual fan destination that serves up multisensory experiences and brings to life some of FX’s top shows in a big way. On July 25, the activation returned to the Hilton Bayfront Lawn to transport consumers to the settings of series including “The Bear,” “What We Do in the Shadows,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and the “American Horror Story” franchise.
Fans had plenty of touchpoints to choose from, including checking out the mansion from “Shadows” and snapping a photo with “Creepy Nadja Doll.” Members of the cast even stopped by as part of a press tour touting the show’s final season. With season three of “The Bear” fresh on fans’ minds, there was also a pop-up replica of the restaurant’s interior where the brand served a daily “chef’s special” featuring exclusive merch.
Other highlights included photo ops outside of a Paddy’s Pub installation, and a chance to ride through 12 creepy moments from the “American Horror Story” universe and “Grotesquerie” on the FX Fearless “Hellevator.” (Agency: Creative Riff)
Photo credit: Courtesy of FX; Araya Doheny/Getty Images
GOOGLE PLAY
Marvel and Google Play teamed up to reward Google Play Points members with a “supercharged” fan experience. The brands’ “Wheel of Champions” served as a larger-than-life prize wheel—a themed Ferris wheel—that rose above the skyline throughout SDCC. The experience gave fans an opportunity to play an exclusive Marvel Contest of Champions quest while in line in order to earn a seat on one of the superhero- and villain-themed gondolas attached to the 80-foot ride. Google Play rewards and Marvel collectibles were also up for grabs. (Partners: Giant Spoon, experiential; KAP Media, building wrap)
Photo credit: Spearhead Media
HULU
Last year, with a newly launched sub-brand for anime fans dubbed Animayhem, Hulu developed a large-scale SDCC activation of the same name and generated a ton of buzz. So for 2024, the brand revived the concept with a bigger, hyper-interactive fan experience brought to life within an industrial, cartoon-like space. Attendees who visited the “Animayhem Factory,” located at the Bayfront Parking Lot, were invited into a “2D-ifying” land where they were dropped into scenes from their favorite shows, and scored themed memorabilia. There was so much going on that we’ll drop you some of the highlights:
A theatrical Cutawayland that commemorated “Family Guy’s” 25th Anniversary, giving fans a chance to select a 2D object that corresponded to a cutaway scene and take it to a viewing station, then place it onto the factory machine. Retro TV screens were triggered to broadcast their favorite scenes and jokes from the long-running show.
A “Bob’s Record-O-Matic” recording studio that showcased top songs from “Bob’s Burgers’” large catalogue. Fans danced and lip synced to a song of their choice along with characters from the show, then received a shareable video.
A replica LardLad Donut factory from “The Simpsons” executed in partnership with California’s famed donut shop, Randy’s Donuts, where attendees watched the treats get hand-glazed with “toxic” icing, then took one to enjoy.
A replica of the Slurm Factory from “Futurama” where a Slurm Queen and thirsty Bender welcomed attendees. There, attendees could see how Slurm is created, while audio excerpts from the show’s “Willy Wonka”-inspired Slurm Factory music played. And apparently, Bender got a taste of the infamous lime green beverage “straight from the Queen’s anus.”
At a CIA Lab, fans put Roger the alien from “American Dad” back together after finding his dissected organs around the lab in an Operation game-inspired challenge.
After their long shifts at the Animayhem Factory, participants could chill in the breakroom and check out three series-themed installations, including the fridge from “The Great North,” which they could open to get blasted with a shot of cold air while looking out at a vast Alaskan landscape. (Agencies: Campfire; 3CS)
Photos: Courtesy of Hulu
MAX
From July 26-27, with the help of 20 live actors, Max transformed the Bloom Nightclub into Gotham’s famous Iceberg Lounge, bringing to life the criminal underworld from the new HBO Original series, “The Penguin.” Attendees entered through the “Iceberg Descent,” a multisensory dive into Gotham’s Iceberg Lounge lobby, and the party atmosphere within. Inside the main club, fans enjoyed dj sets and photo ops, and earned access to the “inner sanctum”, 44 Below (an underground club from “Batman” lore), immersing them deeper into the fictional world.
Beyond the Iceberg Lounge, fans could catch a Gotham Ice truck on the MLK Promenade behind the Omni Hotel. There, Max served up free Slush Puppies and gave consumers a chance to snag tickets to the lounge. The brand also partnered with local businesses to dish out giveaways. (Partners: Giant Spoon; Buck; VT Pro Design; MAP360)
Photos: Courtesy of HBO
MOUNTAIN DEW
What’s the perfect backdrop to recreate a post-apocalyptic landscape? Albuquerque, NM, and its desert climate fit the bill for a takeover of the local Monterey Motel that was transformed into “The Mountain Dew Borderlands Motel,” straight out of the new film, debuting Aug. 9. The timing was intentional, and the activation served as a stop on the way to Comic-Con, where even more “Borderlands” activations took place.
Mountain Dew partnered with Lionsgate and Regal Cinemas on the dystopian pop-up that offered several touchpoints to immerse fans in the franchise’s galactic world and introduce its ragtag team of misfits. The motel was open for one night only on July 22 and brought the video game franchise’s planet of Pandora to life with massive props, room sets, tasty treats and, of course, its own branded take on the vintage-style neon motel sign. Read the full story here. (Agencies: Motive, experiential; Golin, p.r.) –JCA
Photo: Courtesy of Mountain Dew
PARAMOUNT+
Paramount+’s The Lodge has become a powerhouse property, and it made its way to Comic-Con for a second time this year, also marking the seventh stop along the brand’s 2024 tour. The event was free and open to the public, but ran on a reservation system that included a wait list.
Those who ultimately got into The Lodge (actually, the Happy Does Bar) were treated to another collection of activations themed around the brand’s top movies and shows. Among a host of engagements, fans could step onto the “Star Trek” starship for a photo op; celebrate the 25th anniversary of “SpongeBob SquarePants” by exploring Bikini Bottom’s Jellyfish Fields; dive into the imaginative world of “IF” and be paired with their own “IF” companion; and stop for a slice at the “Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” pizza parlor.
Fans could also partake in the Paramount Passport, a citywide digital scavenger hunt that had players scanning items at select locations after interacting with the space to earn passport stamps. Once they hit all seven locations, participants headed to the Paramount Passport Redemption area within The Lodge for limited-edition prizes. (Agency: 15|40)
Photo credit: Line 8 Photography
PEACOCK
Peacock brought a taste of ancient Rome to SDCC 2024 with an elaborate activation that teased its new original series “Those About To Die,” a show about the sport of chariot-racing at Circus Maximus, the ancient Roman chariot-racing stadium and entertainment venue. The brand went all-in on the experience design to recreate Circus Maximus, with towering Roman columns and archways, antique décor, brand ambassadors clad in togas and even a timpani player.
Fans were invited to step up to the installation, learn the rules of the competition and participate in a “chariot race” of their own by literally taking the reins of a team of horses (mini mechanical ones) in a simulation of the racing portrayed in the show. The experience wrapped with a photo op and a commemorative pin to take home. (Agencies: Campfire; 3CS)
Photo credit: Wyatt Ernst
SUPERCELL X ~POURRI
As we’ve recently reported, the industry has a current preoccupation with bathroom-themed activations, and at Comic-Con, the trend persisted with “Bathroom Battlestation,” billed as the “ultimate Comic-Con rest stop for gamers.” The experience, hosted in a parking lot at First and Island Avenues, was the brainchild of Finnish gaming company Supercell, famous for its Clash of Clans titles, with an assist from odor elimination brand ~Pourri.
The Battlestation was a mix of spectacle and utility. The setup included fully functioning toilets within stalls equipped with “2-in-1 raid and recharge” stations and Wi-Fi access. Each stall featured printed graphics inspired by Clash battlegrounds, which became popular photo ops. There was also an outhouse photo moment featuring a Clash of Clans twist.
Plus, thanks to ~Pourri’s NFC-enabled “Battle Breeze” pocket sprayers, fans who stopped in at the right time scored prizes and surprise visits from special guests. Using the sprayers’ “Tap” technology, participants unlocked in-game rewards via a browser landing page for both Clash Royale and Clash of Clans when tapped to an NFC-capable smartphone. Fans scored Emotes for Clash Royale and an existing Decoration for Clash of Clans. They also had chances to win prizes, like branded toilet paper and copies of “The Books of Clash Volume 1.” (Agencies: Jack Morton, experiential; The Ninth, NFC technology)
Photos: Courtesy of Supercell
More on Pop Culture Fandom:
- Field Report: How Brands at VidCon 2024 Captured the Spirit of Online Communities
- OMEN Invites Fans to ‘Choose Fun’ with an RFID-powered Experience at Anime Expo
- SDCC 2023: We’re Flying Our Geek Flag to the Top Eight Comic-Con Activations
