With New York’s L Train shutting down in 2019, commuters—specifically Brooklynites—will have to find transportation alternatives. To create brand awareness and help commuters prepare for the shutdown, alcoholic seltzer brand SpikedSeltzer held a promotion Tuesday through Thursday in Williamsburg, where it handed out free branded bicycles to residents. The promotion took inspiration from the brand’s recently unveiled “Pour Some Out For The L” billboard, which was created by creative agency Bullish. The three-day promotion was conceived by 3PM, an in-house agency established for Anheuser-Busch InBev by Weber Shandwick in partnership with PMK-BNC and Axis.
The eighth annual Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival took place August 22 to 26 at Barker Hangar. At the festival’s Grand Tasting space, sponsor Lexus showcased a custom Lexus IS vehicle wrapped in 41,999 hand-applied, programmable LEDs that turned the car into a screen capable of broadcasting graphics and videos. The car, which was named “LIT IS,” was created as part of a partnership between the car brand and video streaming service Vevo to promote singer Dua Lipa’s music video "Be The One.” The installation could interact with sounds and people nearby using three modes: the attract mode, which featured a loop of colorful graphics; the Music Viz mode, which responded to music with LEDs syncing to songs; and the gesture mode, in which the motion of LED animations was controlled by users’s hand movements when they operated a gaming console.
The Lexus area also displayed a photo backdrop made with rolled up pieces of paper. The display was created by artist Corrie Sullivan of Corrie in Color, which specializes in prop styling and event installations. The colorful installation was inspired by ice cream flavors of Afters Ice Cream, a vendor that was inside the Lexus booth.
Lyft presented its vision for the brand’s future in the self-driving space with a panel discussion that took place August 22 at the Glasshouses in New York. The event’s signature Instagrammable moment was a futuristic self-driving car instillation designed by Snarkitecture. Created with a mixture of upholstery foam and wood, the installation was meant to reimagine a car interior by creating a monochromatic, topographic landscape that mirrored a cave. The "car" was backed by a wall depicting a starry sky above a desert.
To celebrate the National Park Service’s 102nd birthday on August 25, the National Park Foundation launched an audio experience in Seattle that let people listen to sounds from national parks across the country. The woodsy pop-up space was fabricated by the Taylor Group and consisted of a bark-covered structure, faux grass, and touches of nature. The pop-up was conceptualized by Grey.
Online fashion retailer Revolve partnered with the Bermuda Tourism Authority to hold a two-weeklong activation in Bermuda in July for influencers. Production company Dasfete and a local Bermudan carpentry crew constructed a pink-hued lifeguard tower that doubled as a DJ booth in less than four days. The Instagrammable tower was stationed on the beach at Rosewood Bermuda venue, and it was such a hit that the resort purchased it at the end of the event.
The inaugural Destination San Diego music festival, which formed through a partnership between Adidas and Journeys, took place August 11 at Horton Plaza Park. A highlight of the festival was a living mural. Visitors could contribute to it throughout the day by pushing one of a series of buttons. Depending on the color selected, a new stripe of paint was added.
Another interactive art installation involved linocut prints created with an actual steamroller. Starch Creative, which produced the festival, worked with its custom-build manufacturer Purpose Supply Co. to test the steamroller prints before debuting them to the public.
Warner Bros. partnered with the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles to launch an interactive, musical pop-up exhibit August 18 on the museum’s second floor. The pop-up, which runs through September 9, is designed to reimagine moments in animated shows and films. Eleven spaces include the Get Animated Records area, which resembles a record store and features vinyl artwork inspired by classic Warner Bros. characters. Movement Strategy produced the pop-up.
The 25th annual Watermill Center Benefit took place July 28 in Water Mill, Long Island. The event, titled “Time Bomb,” welcomed more than 1,000 guests. Jörg Brinkmann's "The Broad Gave Me My Face But I Can Pick Up My Own Nose" featured three performers clad in neon bodysuits hoisting MacBooks that displayed alternating famous faces such as Sir Elton John, Mr. T, and President Donald Trump, which were choreographed to their movements.
At last year's Lollapalooza in Chicago, RewardStyle, which helps influencers earn money through posts, installed a version of its LiketoKnow.it He(art) Wall to promote the app. Festivalgoers were encouraged to include the project’s hashtag #StartedWithAScreenshot with their posts.
In June, Delta launched a marketing campaign geared toward New Yorkers that included its "Pilot Talk" mural. Consumers were invited to visit the massive painted wall on North 10th Street and Wythe Avenue in Brooklyn, which displayed the pilot’s alphabet (the official language of airline pilots e.g., Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, etc.). In June and July, folks could enter the #PilotTalkSweepstakes to win a pair of round-trip tickets by snapping photos of the pilot’s alphabet to spell out a city (or airport code) they wanted to visit and then posting the images to Instagram. Eight separate walls were installed throughout New York.
In June, a controversial mural in Los Angeles that was purportedly reserved for "verified influencers" was actually a guerilla marketing-style stunt to launch Like and Subscribe, an original series from Verizon's go90 and Tumblr starring DJ Dillon Francis. The series offers a satirical take on social media and follows a Hollywood manager and his influencer clients. The mural was hidden from the public in a tent guarded by security with a sign reading "Private mural: for verified influencers and people with over 20,000 followers only. We apologize for the inconvenience. See security staff for proof and access."
In July 2017, outdoor advertising company Colossal Media and Adidas’ Brooklyn Creator Farm launched a three-week outdoor art project across 10 walls in Brooklyn to promote the sportswear brand’s campaign for its Pure Boost DPR shoes, with a focus on urban running. Colossal also designed and produced postcards featuring a map of the outdoor gallery, which were available to shoppers at Adidas’ flagship store on Fifth Avenue.
Goldman Properties, the owner of the Houston Bowery Wall in New York, partnered with Instagram to kick off the #KindComments initiative, which is part of Instagram’s commitment to foster kindness on its platform. The New York wall, which was revealed in September 2017 and was created by London-based street artist Lakwena Maciver, was the first in a series of 10 walls that were unveiled in Dallas, Chicago, and Washington, as well as cities in Brazil, India, and Indonesia.
For the third annual iteration of Refinery29’s 29Rooms, which took place during New York Fashion Week in September 2017, Colossal Media created a vibrant entrance wall for the event.
To introduce its newest product, Bounce Liquid Whip Long Wear Foundation, Beautyblender, which is known for its ubiquitous hot pink makeup sponges, created its first pop-up shop in downtown Manhattan in July. Doused in the brand’s signature bright shade, the bodega-inspired shop featured two Instagram-friendly murals on the exterior for visitors to pose in front of. The event was produced by HL Group’s event team.
In June 2017, Tinder partnered with Delta Air Lines to host the “Delta Dating Wall,” a series of painted walls, by Colossal Media, with illustrations of international locations; the backdrops aimed to provide fodder for new profile pictures for users of the dating app. The wall—which was part of Delta’s “New York Is Go” initiative, celebrating its New York travelers—was located on Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, throughout the summer. In addition, Delta and Tinder hosted a singles-centric event, in which guests could get their photos taken by a professional photographer.
Melissa Hart, head bartender at Dbar at the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, said festivalgoers should expect to see more classic cocktails—with social-media friendly twists.
"I'm talking about classic gin Gibsons with house-made pickled onions and Old Fashioneds with custom bitter blends or sours made with seasonally infused spirits. This not only gives bartenders the chance to showcase their skills, but the opportunity to highlight aspects of each ingredient and their importance in a well-balanced cocktail," she said. "I have created the cocktail, Rikyu's Harmony, which is an ode to Japan’s culture of contrasts. It is a modern-day interpretation of a whiskey sour—whiskey, lemon juice, syrup, and foam to mimic the egg white mouth-feel. Drinks that are complex in flavor but understandable to the average audience will be what wins the nominations for this 2018 fall season."
Nishan Nepulongoda, head mixologist at Italian restaurant Sofia, said cocktails incorporating bubbly will be prominent at festival events.
"At Sofia, one of our most popular drinks is our Colombina—a refreshing combination of gin, Aperol, grapefruit ginger honey cordial, lime juice, and prosecco. It is light and crisp, with the familiar bubble of prosecco that our clientele loves," said Nepulongoda. "Prosecco and champagne are a lot more common than we've seen in past years, but I think it remains the ultimate celebratory beverage, which is perfect for our city's festival. Whether celebs are in Toronto for their first time or returning for another year, I think a lot of bubbly-based cocktails will be sipped on at after-parties, on patios, and at V.I.P. dinners. It’s refreshing and fun, and guests can expect to see even more prosecco cocktails this fall."
Heather McDougall, head sommelier and general manager of Montecito Restaurant–one of TIFF's official hospitality partners—has partnered with festival sponsor Nespresso Canada to create two signature cocktails made with coffee, which will be served at film premiere parties.
"Coffee and cocktails? Yes, please," said McDougall. "One of my Nespresso TIFF Signature Cocktails combines Averna Amaro and Madeira to join dark chocolate for a modern twist on a classic pick-me-up."
"This year, I think the biggest push will be sustainability in both food and drink, meaning a larger focus on minimizing waste and using local ingredients," said Simon Ho, head bartender at Spirit of York Distillery, which uses locally-sourced spirits in all its cocktails. "A big way this can be done with a twist is by using seasonal vegetables like beets or pumpkin instead of fruits for fall-flavored cocktails."
The All That Jas cocktail features Spirit of York vodka, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, lemon grass, lemon juice, jasmine green tea, and strawberry Szechuan bitters.
The bartending team at the Thompson Toronto hotel noted that partygoers can expect complex flavor profiles and colorfully garnished cocktails. This year, the hotel will serve four cocktails inspired by films screening at the festival. For Steve McQueen's film Widows, the team created the What You Sow cocktail, which pairs ginger and lemon vodka with a shot of Guinness syrup.
Pop star Kelly Clarkson kicked off the tournament with an opening night performance, which was produced by U.S.T.A. in partnership with Fiur Productions and Overland Entertainment Company. The scenic design and construction was handled by Atomic, while Design One Lighting Design handled lighting.
Clarkson’s performance featured LED “sugar cubes” that changed colors. The cubes were created by Symmetry Labs.
Prior to the start of the tournament, the U.S.T.A. brought its fan experience to lower Manhattan for the second consecutive year. The two-day festival featured a full-size tennis court. The U.S.T.A. partnered with LeadDog Marketing Group to produce the experience.
Fans could watch live matches from former Association of Tennis Professionals players.
The festival featured multiple photo ops, including a block installation commemorating the tournament’s 50th anniversary.
I.B.M., which has been a tournament partner for more than 25 years, had a major presence this year with the integration of the company’s A.I. Highlights, a technology solution that allows players and coaches to analyze and improve their performance. Fans could engage with the company’s technology at a new on-site experience, where guests tested I.B.M. Watson’s ability to recognize sights and sounds of the game. Guests also could create their own A.I. Highlights motion-capture visual, which they could share on social media. Additionally, the activation featured visuals of the I.B.M. Cloud and the SlamTracker, which provided scores, stats, and insights for all matches in progress. George P. Johnson produced the activation.
The legacy of the trailblazing tennis champion Arthur Ashe was celebrated throughout the course of the tournament, including at the annual kids festival at the U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. A photo exhibit featuring six-foot enlargements of never-before published photos of Ashe, taken by photographer John Zimmerman, lined the walkway that connects Court 17 and the Grandstand.
The financial services company entered its 25th year of partnership with the U.S.T.A. this year. As the official payments partner, American Express launched the Amex Band, a contactless payment option for eligible card members. Guests could pick up their bands at locations including the family-friendly fan experience, which featured interactive stations, photo ops, and an on-theme design. The experience was produced by Momentum Worldwide.
The interactive gaming experience Super Rally incorporated augmented reality to let fans play tennis both digitally and physically. After getting a tutorial on how to play by Venus Williams, fans used a custom-designed 3-D printed racket to hit virtual tennis balls against physical targets.
The digital components of Super Rally were also displayed on the outside of the gaming space, allowing passersby to view the game’s visuals.
A photo wall featured a tennis racket with the brand’s logo against a tennis ball-colored backdrop.
The second floor of the experience housed the card member club, which offered complimentary services including mobile phone chargers. Tennis balls were incorporated into the decor.
A playful photo op for fans was a branded Game of Thrones-inspired throne, created with tennis balls and golden tennis rackets.
Grey Goose returned as a supplier of the festival and featured a suite designed by Epsilon. Guests could pose at French Riviera-inspired photo booth with on-theme props.
The Grey Goose Honey Deuce, the tournament’s official cocktail, returned this year and could be ordered frozen for the first time. The cocktail consists of Grey Goose vodka, raspberry liqueur, and frozen honeydew melon balls.
The luxury airline company returned as a sponsor, with activations including a promotional booth that let fans interact with cabin crew ambassadors. The ambassadors encouraged fans to take pictures in front of a map with Dubai landmarks. Guests who posted photos to social media with the hashtag #emiratesace were entered to win a trip to Dubai.
The lavish viewing suite offered guests branded suite cushions. Emirates also gave away 100 seat cushions per session to lucky fans who scanned into U.S.T.A. Fan Pass.
Official U.S. Open supplier Wilson activated an on-site store that was open through the duration of the tournament. San Francisco-based creative design agency All of It Now designed the store in partnership with Epson, which used laser technology to project video in the store and on jumbo-size tennis balls.
Lacoste celebrated the launch of its new fall/winter 2018 Novak Djokovic collection with a fan event at Macy’s Herald Square. Djokovic was on site to sign autographs and pose for photos with fans.
Salon nail brand OPI held its first-ever consumer pop-up shop September 12 and 13 at a vacant space in New York’s Greenwich Village. The brand’s newest collections were highlighted by Instagram-friendly installations, including a Peruvian street market display inspired by the Peru Collection. The event was produced by Patrick J Clayton Productions.
The pop-up featured a group of large butterfly murals that represented the Metamorphosis collection.
Halo Top celebrated the opening of its new Scoop Shop at the Grove in Los Angeles in August with installations inspired by the brand’s ice cream flavors and containers. Designed by Shiraz Creative, the three installations were inspired by Halo Top’s rainbow swirl, strawberry, and birthday cake flavors. The rainbow installation featured a swing; the strawberry installation mimicked a hot air balloon; and the birthday cake installation had a colorful ball pit.
Belvedere Vodka celebrated the launch of its limited-edition bottle designed by visual artist Laolu Senbanjo with a fashion event at the Whitney Museum of American Art on September 6. The event featured runway models who were painted by Senbanjo, known for his body painting that was featured in Beyoncé’s Lemonade. The design draws inspiration from ancient Nigerian symbols and patterns and Senbanjo’s Yeruba heritage. Jack Morton Worldwide produced the event.
The San Francisco Symphony held its opening-night gala on September 5 at San Francisco City Hall. The gala’s Grove Street after-party, which was designed by Blueprint Studios, featured a wall of doughnuts that formed the shape of the symphony’s logo.
Diffa: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS held its seventh annual fund-raiser September 5 at the lounge and terrace at the Viacom Building in New York. This year’s event featured baskets that re-imagined Broadway shows. BKSK Interiors designed a disco-theme basket inspired by Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. The display featured a poster and signed playbill, two Riedel stemless champagne flutes, a 48-inch-diameter faux sheepskin rug, and two tickets to see the musical and go on a backstage tour.
Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive tapped experiential marketing firm AGENC to create a family-friendly event and photo ops for its second annual BOLD (“Beverly Hills Open Later Days”) campaign, which took place during weekend nights in August. The series featured a variety of Instagram-friendly displays, including 3-D chalk art that was placed throughout the streets of Beverly Hills to promote the campaign.
One of the most popular photo boxes was a three-sided floral wall. Guests could take three different photos in the same spot, and the #BOLDBH hashtag was prominently displayed on each side.
The tennis tournament celebrated its 50th anniversary from August 27 to September 9 at the U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens. Kelly Clarkson’s opening-night performance featured LED “sugar cubes” that changed colors, created by Symmetry Labs. The concert was produced by the U.S.T.A. in partnership with Fiur Productions and Overland Entertainment Company.
American Express held its annual fan experience at the stadium, which included an augmented-reality experience called Super Rally that let fans play tennis both digitally and physically. After getting a tutorial on how to play by Venus Williams, fans used a custom-designed 3-D printed racket to hit virtual tennis balls against physical targets.
Actual cart items from Jet customers were featured in a museum-style section, representing the brand's relaunch focus to provide a more tailored experience for customers in major cities.
Audi, the official automotive partner for the Emmys, took over the new Kimpton La Peer Hotel in West Hollywood for a Friday-night event. Celebrity attendees, including Issa Rae and Samira Wiley, were chauffeured to the event in 2018 Audi vehicles, and the new Audi e-tron made its red carpet debut. The evening’s decor was inspired by the new electric car, with futuristic blue lighting and neon touches. Anchor Street Collective handled design and production.
For the first time, Nespresso Canada served as the official coffee sponsor of the Toronto International Film Festival, which took place September 6 to 16. The brand partnered with the Mint Agency to create a pop-up cafe at David Pecaut Square, where consumers could enjoy free coffee and curated coffee drinks.
The Visionary Group produced the IMDb Studio presented by Land Rover, where stars promoted their upcoming films and projects. Housed at the Bisha Hotel and Residences, the studio featured column wraps and a tinted window design in the style of the abstract artist Mondrian.
During New York Fashion Week, Alice & Olivia partnered with Booking.com for the “Passport to Wonderland” presentation, which was held September 11 at Pier 59 Studios. At the fictional Parisian Café du Stace—a nod to the designer Stacey Bendet—models gathered wearing dresses with handkerchief hems and scarf prints.
On the Hudson River, a branded yacht was available to book through Booking.com for three days during Fashion Week. It was decked out in a kaleidoscope of colors, a signature aesthetic of Alice & Olivia.
Refinery29’s experiential event, which was themed “Expand Your Reality,” returned to Brooklyn for the fourth consecutive year September 6 to 9 and September 13 to 16. The digital media brand promoted a new book based on its popular Money Diaries franchise with a purple pyramid of piggy banks.
