10 Best Ideas of the Week: T.J. Maxx's Interactive Shopping Game, La Croix's Beach House-Theme Bars, Dolby's Red Carpet Photo Op

T.J. Maxx partnered with TH Productions TH Productions to produce an interactive style and game experience, which took place in various public spaces in New York from March 5 to 7. The experience was held with the intent to show consumers how they can maximize their dollars by shopping at the retailer. T.J. Maxx tapped celebrity influencers to curate and style a pod installation each day, themed around fashion, home, travel, and other goods available at the store. Consumers could enter to win an entire collection or a gift card by guessing how much they think the pod cost.

The activation also featured mini games as another way to win prizes. Two people would compete against each other to come up with the most affordable shopping carts. The experience will next take place in Los Angeles March 14 to 16.

The 18th edition of the Food Network and Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival took place February 20 to 24 at venues throughout Miami and Fort Lauderdale. At the Grand Tasting, La Croix’s beach house-theme bars featured pastel hues, a wall made of product boxes, and outfitted servers pouring the popular bubbly water, along with color-coordinated paper straws. Read more here: South Beach Wine & Food Festival: How It Works With Host Venues Beyond the Beach

At Bacardi’s Beach Carnival, guests were invited to play free carnival games, like the nostalgic water gun race, where uniformed carnival workers awarded stuffed animal prizes to winners. Read more here: South Beach Wine & Food Festival: How It Works With Host Venues Beyond the Beach

Food brand Goya had carnaval-theme branding at the Grand Tasting, with a whimsical photo booth cutout experience, a center tasting station build out, and costumed samba dancers. Read more here: South Beach Wine & Food Festival: How It Works With Host Venues Beyond the Beach

British beauty brand Soap & Glory celebrated the launch of a new collection on January 30 at Duane Park in New York. The event had a feminine boudoir theme, inspired by the scent of the new Mist You Madly product line. Guests enjoyed light bites and champagne, which flowed from a custom champagne tap built into a vintage sink. Read more here: Champagne Flowed From a Vintage Sink at This Beauty Event

Soap & Glory’s signature pink shade was integrated throughout the vignettes such as a custom oversize vanity, a luxe chaise lounge for photo ops, and a standalone tub. The event was produced by TH Productions. Read more here: Champagne Flowed From a Vintage Sink at This Beauty Event

Through March 10, Dolby is hosting a public experience at its new event space in SoHo, which features interactive exhibits inspired by the Oscars and films screened with Dolby technology. Inside the space, one of the first photo ops for guests is a step-and-repeat that mimics the red carpet at the 91st ceremony. Read more here: See How Brands Are Going Beyond Temporary Pop-Ups With Ongoing Experiential Spaces

The space features a blacklight wall with facts about Dolby in the history of film. A highlight of the wall is an illustrated silhouette of Darth Vader. Read more here: See How Brands Are Going Beyond Temporary Pop-Ups With Ongoing Experiential Spaces

Recess, a hemp-infused sparkling water brand, opened its first experiential and retail space in February in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. The space features pops of bold colors, cloud imagery, and fridges filled with Recess cans. The brand partnered with creative agency Day Job to create the space, while architectural designer Dean Levin oversaw the design and Low Res handled lighting. Read more here: See How Brands Are Going Beyond Temporary Pop-Ups With Ongoing Experiential Spaces