To celebrate the 30th anniversary of its Air Max shoe design, Nike hosted four "Sneakeasy" consumer activations at event spaces in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Toronto from March 20 to 26. The Chicago Sneakeasy took place March 25 at a former distillery factory. Decor included a ceiling installation that featured shoes in transparent boxes.
Old Navy promoted its new "Hi, Fashion" with an event on March 28 at West Edge in New York that had a feminine skate-park setting. Produced by MKG, the event featured floral-decorated skate ramps, helmets, and backpacks.
At the D.I.Y. skateboard station guests could choose to design their own tray or coat rack using a selection of funky printed skateboard decks.
Guests could make their own custom blends of tea while nibbling on breakfast treats like artisanal pop tarts and mini sandwiches.
Yelp hosted its annual summit for 400 nationally based managers late last month at Headquarters Beercade River North in Chicago. Designed by Kehoe Designs, the event featured a ceiling Slinky installation that combined glittering disco balls with the glow-in-the-dark toys.
Bud Light hosted a daily “friendly hour” at its lounge in the Austin Convention Center with beers, phone-charging stations, and more. The decor included on-theme decals on bathroom mirrors.
As the official beer sponsor of SXSW, Bud Light was everywhere during the festival. Live Nation produced the jam session party held with The Roots and special guest singers. The space at 800 Congress was designed to feel like a rec room with wood paneling covered in old license plates, beads, trophies, and more. The beer company also created commemorative SXSW edition cans and bottles designed by local artist Nate Duval.
Guests were given chip-activated wristbands with which they were able to access different points of the event space through questions. They also activated the swag stations in the General Store.
The first floor, which was open to the public, evoked an artist’s lounge. People could design their own flags, screenprint bandanas, and purchase apparel that could be customized with embroidery designs. There was a custom luggage-tag station and a corner with makeup from Milk Makeup.
The insurance company State Farm set up a lounge called "Here to Help" that promoted volunteerism. It featured guest-comfort amenities like charging stations and storage lockers, and offered free gear such as hats, miniature fans, and fanny packs. The space hosted intimate performances from bands and musicians playing the festival, who also talked about their volunteering experiences.
The lounge promoted its new site, Neighborhood of Good, which links customers to local nonprofits and causes. Each day, the lounge hosted a different charitable activity linked to nonprofits. One day, guests decorated bandanas for adoptable shelter pets. Another activity had guests putting together disaster-relief kits for hurricane victims.
