In the H&M Loves Music tent, concertgoers could stop by "freshen up" stations that had grooming goods such as dry shampoo, deodorant, and sun-protecting face mist. There was also a free water bar, a GIF photo booth, a nail art station, a live DJ, and more perks—including air-conditioning. The brand encouraged guests to share their GIFs, which were splashed with the H&M logo, via social media.
Though Heineken had a heavy presence at last year's festival, Goose Island stepped in this year as the exclusive beer sponsor. The local brewery showcased two new ales—Run the Jewels and Forcone—that were developed for the festival. The former beer, a Belgian wheat I.P.A., was developed collaboratively with rap artists Killer Mike and El-P; Forcone is a collaboration pale ale created with Pitchfork staffers. The new brews were served at a specialty bar that rotated its selections every 30 minutes. Revolution, a Chicago-based sports marketing and media agency, handled the activation.
Similar to Spotify—but without ads— Rdio lets users listen to music on the Web or on their mobile devices. The company sponsored the free Pitchfork app, which guests could download at the Rdio tent; they could also visit the activation to listen to festival performers' albums. A photo activation let guests print out pictures of themselves, then post the pictures next to the name of the band they most wanted to see on a giant board that contained the festival's lineup.
Kind's relatively straightforward activation saw staffers handing out snack bars filled with nuts and other natural ingredients. There was only one twist: staffers wore tongue-in-cheek T-shirts that read "Grab Health by the Nuts."
With the hashtag #PopChipsToTheRescue, PopChips sponsored a so-called "rescue hut." Supplied by Tuff Shed, the activation was stocked with items that festivalgoers often need, including cell phone chargers. There were also games, a relaxation area, and an oversize prop frame that guests could use for photos. After the festival, PopChips and Habitat for Humanity partnered to donate the hut to the Chicago community.
Skyo, which sells and rents textbooks online, hosted a "Sounds Like Summer" online sweepstakes that had prizes including three-day general and V.I.P. passes to Pitchfork. The brand also had a colorful tent on festival grounds, where guests stopped by to play carnival-style games for prizes that included speakers and headphones, a Fender guitar, and cash.
Playing off its "Off the Wall" tagline, Vans had a painter create portraits of festivalgoers. The paintings hung on a temporary wall on festival grounds and will be auctioned off at future Goose Island Brewery events. Proceeds will benefit the 606, a local park and trail system set to launch in the fall.
The shoe brand also handed out snow cones "to keep the masses cool (and to turn everyone's tongues purple)," said the company's blog.
Whole Foods returned as a sponsor and once again hosted a farmers'-market-style tent. The activation was strung with lanterns and displayed items such as sunflowers and fruits; tables inside were decked with red-and-white checked tablecloths.
As part of the Twinkie marketing campaign that it has dubbed the "sweetest comeback in the history of ever," Hostess brought in a bright red food truck that doled out the recently relaunched treats. By the truck, guests could pose with a plush Twinkie the Kid and play a game of bags on a board that read: "Feed Your Cakeface."
ZipCar recently partnered with the Chicago Loop Alliance on a pop-up art activation called "Fueling Local Art." At the festival, guests could watch local artist George Berlin treat the car like a canvas; after the event, the vehicle was washed off and returned to the local fleet of ZipCar vehicles.
Virtue Cider, a Michigan-based drink, was created by a former Goose Island brew master. The drink, displayed on a rustic trunk decked with apples, was available backstage.
The festival's 40-some performers included Solange, who took to the stage on Saturday. Other popular acts included Björk, R. Kelly, and Belle & Sebastian.
New sponsors Nylon, Olay Fresh Effects, and Guess presented the fifth annual Neon Carnival on Saturday, a buzzy and celeb-packed draw despite the addition of H&M’s party on the calendar. Once again, rides and carnival games filled the late-night bash.
Logos from the new slate of sponsors appeared on everything from rides to games: The crowd experienced old-school carnival bumper cars from Olay Fresh Effects, as well as rode the Zipper and Rampage from Guess and the Nylon and Olay Fresh Effects Ferris wheel—the party's signature feature.
STK chef Robert Liberato created items for the party including kale chips, soft pretzels, neon popcorn, and short rib sliders. STK also hosted a kissing booth, where guests gave lips stickers in place of actual kisses. Red Bull and Aquahydrate provided beverages.
Competing for attention with the Neon Carnival was H&M, which took over a venue near the festival grounds for its “H&M Loves Music at Coachella" event. The retailer used its Saturday-night affair to reveal that Alexander Wang would be its next design partner. The surprise announcement was made with LED lights and lasers projecting the "Alexander Wang x H&M" collaboration logo.
Following the announcement, celebrities and more than 700 guests stayed for performances by Major Lazer, as well as Jesse Marco, Just Blaze, and Iggy Azalea.
H&M used neon signage to direct guests and string lights to illuminate the late-night bash that stretched into the morning hours.
A bright yellow Corvette Stingray parked near McDonald's signature golden arches served as an eye-catching backdrop for photos at the joint event.
The party featured an unusual sight: tray-passed catering from McDonald’s. The fast-food giant’s massive mobile food semitruck was parked on site for eats as well.
One station offered logo- and brand-centric temporary tattoos, as well as ones that bore one of the party's two official hashtags, #LiveBeautifully and #DesertPoolParty.
A wall of sunglasses, available as gifts to celebrities and infuencers or at a discount to other guests, also got a color-blocked treatment to match the look of the product.
Working with the Viceroy's Hollywood decor, YourBash added branded accents like throw pillows and framed photographs.
Details hosted its “Details at Midnight” party at a private residence on Friday with Lexus as first-time sponsor. Food included gluten-free options from the Melt Truck, as well as Cool Haus Patrón-infused ice cream sandwiches and Patrón cake pop shots.
The BMF Music Lounge took over Palm Springs's Ingleside Inn for a poolside party and suite. Sponsor Tide encouraged selfies by decking out a mirror with floral appliques and including the hashtag #TidePlus in the frame.
In a nod to one of the festival's common sights, Kari Feinstein's team—with the help of artist Shannon Crawford—built its own teepee using reclaimed wood and a freestanding base. "Most of the talent that comes though is drawn to the tent because it makes for a cool pic and selfies, almost more than than the typical photo booth," Feinstein said. "We had several celebs sit in there with their friends for 10 to 15 minutes looking to capture the perfect selfie."
The new Symmetry Series phone case from OtterBox was available at the lounge and guests could share their snaps (with their phones clearly pictured in the mirror) using the appropriate hashtags at a dedicated "selfie station."
The event, produced by Brent Bolthouse at an airport near the festival grounds, included an enormous dance floor and music by DJ Ruckus and his cousin, actress-musician Zoe Kravitz, as well as DJ Politik.
McDonald’s and Chevrolet’s Corvette Stingray teamed up this year for an event at the Bootsy Bellows Estate in Rancho Mirage. A massive throng of eager guests were shuttled from a nearby church parking lot to the location, a sprawling party produced by the Brett Hyman-led NVE. On site were Coachella-appropriate activations and activities such as a floral headband-making station. Narrative Group handled PR and conceptualized the program with many partners.
The event featured the "Corvette Stingray Performance Experience” that allowed guests to take a ride with a professional driver to demonstrate the vehicle's ability to go from zero to 120 miles per hour. Thanks to a partnership with the city of Rancho Mirage, organizers were able to create the course on a closed road.
For daring guests, the event offered a 25-foot free-fall stunt jump from a platform into a giant branded inflatable cushion below.
Among the many fashion-minded brands on the scene was Lacoste, which managed to retain its cachet from previous years. The French clothing company brought back its weekend-long Desert Pool Party at a private estate in Thermal, which this year was produced by Made With Elastic and included celebrity guest DJs and sporty activations related to its Life Is a Beautiful Sport campaign. Misters gave guests a chance to take a break from the heat.
The Lacoste crocodile showed up on a mini putting green as well as tons of other unexpected places at the party.
Guests could shop for festival fashions at a custom-built pop-up shop.
Activities included air tennis and mini golf. Drinks from Evian and boozy sweets from Patrón provided much-needed relief against the desert heat; L.A. food trucks supplied the party's nibbles.
The brand promoted its new campaign platform Life Is a Beautiful Sport with various on-site activations and amenities, including a D.I.Y. shoe-decorating station hosted by blog P.S. I Made This.
Lacoste also put its stamp on coconuts, which were freshly opened on the spot and served with straws.
At Forever 21's "Party in the Sky" on Saturday evening in Palm Springs, two enormous cranes hoisted the brightly colored DJ booth, in a shipping container, into the air for a dramatic effect—especially in the swaying winds of the day. A truss above was marked with the event host's name in pink.
As night fell, Azealia Banks performed unreleased tracks from her album for the crowd from the pink-lit elevated performance booth. The retailer made the most of its unusual suspended elements by using the hashtag #Cranechella for the party.
Teepee tents have become a key motif at Coachella events, and Forever 21's bash used them to anchor seating groups. Furniture and decor, spray painted with bright accents and marked with hashtags and logos, were made from raw wooden pallets.
The Ace Hotel hosted its annual Desert Gold weekend-long event program, with Marc by Marc Jacobs as the new title sponsor. Caravents produced the activation, where color-blocked flags at the hotel's front entry mimicked the design of the brand's eyewear.
The DFM and Hello Stranger presented the Saguaro Desert Weekender with a roster of partners and performances throughout the weekend. DJ and live sets came from acts like FKA Twigs, Bonobo, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, and DJ Harvey. Marking the entrance to the event was the Reyka Vodka Ice House, a space with with a frozen bar, faux snow, and Cold Snap Cosmo cocktails served in cups made of ice with a pair of Icelandic wool mittens. The programming will return for Coachella's second weekend.
At the "Opening Ceremony x Teva" event during the first day, the floor was branded with signage and logos.
Wooden crates served as the basis for decor and product displays.
With production by YourBash, the Guess Hotel took over the Viceroy Palm Springs, rebranding its entry. The weekend-long activation was in addition to the brand's sponsorship of Saturday night's Neon Carnival.
Guess merchandise filled a space outfitted with retro speakers and calfskin rugs.
A hedge step-and-repeat wall at the Music Lounge held the framed logos of participating brands like Tide, BMF, Olay, Coors Light, Herbal Essences, and Hennessy.
Filter, one of the few brands with plans to return for the festival's second weekend, hosted its 12th annual Filter Yacht Club party for attendees that arrived early on Thursday. The kickoff was packed with performances.
At the Filter party, high-energy performances came from ASTR and MDNR, and there were DJ sets by Stones Throw artists Mayer Hawthorne, Peanut Butter Wolf, and Dam Funk.
The Influential Network, a social media firm that owns one of the largest Twitter and Instagram networks in the world, launched a new event series, dubbed the Influential House. The concept brought together major social media influencers to spend the weekend as residents at a La Quinta estate, where pool parties took place daily. Organizers say the event generated more than a billion social media impressions. Events by Fabulous produced the three-day program, which had a swim-up bar sponsored by VeeV and Monster Energy, music from DJ Cobra and DJ Spider, and social media competitions for prizes from sponsors such as OtterBox and Boomphones. Broadcast media partner Entertainment Tonight launched an event-wide search at the house for a resident influencer to take over its social media accounts as a guest correspondent. The activation at Coachella is part of an ongoing series that will coincide with the biggest festivals and events; Electric Daisy Carnival is up next.
