B-to-C Events

As part of a multi-faceted national launch of a new bottled water brand called resource, Nestlé Waters North America in June held an event in New York City that caught the attention of national media and put the brand on consumer radar screens. 

Resource is a premium water brand made from 100-percent sustainably sourced spring water and natural electrolytes that give it a distinctive, crisp taste. It comes in bottles made from 50 percent recycled plastic.

SVEDKA Vodka on June 22 reached the eccentric and exuberant masses in Brooklyn, NY, by activating a sampling “cube experience” along the route of the Mermaid Parade at Coney Island. The stop was part of a 20-city summer tour to promote new flavors Orange Cream Pop and Strawberry Colada. Located on-site at Peggy O’Neill’s Bar and Grill on Surf Avenue, the 16-foot by 16-foot space featured glass walls and oversized floating SVEDKA-branded white balloons that sailed above the crowds.

Macy’s on June 8 activated a Sizzle Showdown at its Lenox Square store in Atlanta where six finalists in a national search competed to become the “Greatest Grilling Guru.”

In the newest iteration of the mixology trend, Phillips Distilling Company brand UV Vodka is now challenging bartenders in three key markets to compete in its Shake-up Showdown to win bragging rights as the best mixologists in town. The three markets are Chicago, where the Showdown ended in June, the Jersey Shore, which will run in August, and Iowa City, IA, which will host the events this fall.

Malibu Rum may conjure the typical Caribbean image of palm trees and tiki huts. But for the launch of new low-calorie Malibu Island Spiced Rum, the brand sought to create an image befitting of a hip beach scene like Miami or the Hamptons, to reach a more stylish young female consumer. The brand invited 410 influencers from the blog and fashion world, including brand spokesperson Lauren Conrad, a fashion designer of reality TV fame, to the chic Dream Downtown Hotel on May 7 for an evening sampling party in the rooftop bar.