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  1. Production & Strategy
  2. Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships

Need Some Inspiration? Check Out 24 Clever Ideas From Recent Entertainment Premieres and Promotions

See these steal-worthy ideas for step-and-repeats, photo ops, and more from events surrounding Schitt's Creek, Westworld, Birds of Prey, and other recent TV shows and movies.

Claire Hoffman
April 13, 2020

The experiential marketing industry may be taking an unplanned pause due to the COVID-19 outbreak—but the need for steal-worthy event ideas isn't going anywhere. Today, we're looking back at standout entertainment premieres and promotions from the last few months. From taxi cabs topped with cat ears, to a daycare-inspired speakeasy, to an interactive pop-up for the late, great Schitt's Creek, get inspired by these clever TV and film-related events.

PopTV's 'Schitt's Creek'
PopTV's 'Schitt's Creek'
PopTV hosted its first-ever pop-up in Los Angeles in late November. The three-day Schitt's Creek activation, which was free and open to the public and later traveled to New York, spanned 7,000 square feet and included show-inspired vignettes such as Cafe Tropical and Rose Apothecary.
Photo: Matt Lara for AKJOHNSTON Group
The series' creators and stars, Daniel and Eugene Levy, worked with AKJOHNSTON Group on the pop-up; the production company ideated, designed, and fabricated the entire space, including hand-making most of the pop-up's 500 props. “We knew this show had a super-fan following who would demand authenticity and attention to detail, so we made the details—even things you may have never noticed from the show—the real fun ways that fans could explore and engage like they never have been able to,' said Austin Johnston of AKJOHNSTON Group. 'So many pop-ups only focus on vinyl-wrapped photo moments, and we knew this crowd would need more than that, which is why you will even find authentic business cards, travel brochures, and nuances throughout every scene.'
The series' creators and stars, Daniel and Eugene Levy, worked with AKJOHNSTON Group on the pop-up; the production company ideated, designed, and fabricated the entire space, including hand-making most of the pop-up's 500 props. “We knew this show had a super-fan following who would demand authenticity and attention to detail, so we made the details—even things you may have never noticed from the show—the real fun ways that fans could explore and engage like they never have been able to," said Austin Johnston of AKJOHNSTON Group. "So many pop-ups only focus on vinyl-wrapped photo moments, and we knew this crowd would need more than that, which is why you will even find authentic business cards, travel brochures, and nuances throughout every scene."
Photo: Matt Lara for AKJOHNSTON Group
Warner Bros.' 'Birds of Prey'
Warner Bros.' 'Birds of Prey'
Margot Robbie posed on the yellow carpet at the global premiere of Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn in London on January 29. A colorful backdrop mimicked the pattern of bird feathers and featured large silver lettering for the title.
Photo: David Dettmann
Amazon Prime Video's 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'
Amazon Prime Video's 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'
To celebrate season three of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Amazon Prime Video teamed up with hop-on jet service JSX to fly 20 superfans from Burbank to Las Vegas on December 5. Guests were greeted by a branded jet; once on board, they enjoyed themed cocktails, gift bags, and a custom in-flight announcement recorded by series star Rachel Brosnahan.
Photo: Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video
Fans—and flight attendants—dressed in 1960s-style outfits. Once they landed in Las Vegas, the group stayed overnight at the ultra-luxe Cosmopolitan hotel.
Fans—and flight attendants—dressed in 1960s-style outfits. Once they landed in Las Vegas, the group stayed overnight at the ultra-luxe Cosmopolitan hotel.
Photo: Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video
Netflix's 'Green Eggs & Ham'
Netflix's 'Green Eggs & Ham'
The premiere for Netflix's new Green Eggs & Ham series took place in Los Angeles on November 3. Series stars walked the green carpet, which featured mechanical arms holding skillets and plates of—what else?—green eggs and ham. Outdoors, the venue's parking lot was transformed into "Meepville"; attendees could take photos in a "Chickeraffe cage," make friendship bracelets, and play with building blocks at "Guy's Invention Park." Netflix's in-house events team worked with experiential agency ROCK + PAPER on the event. See more: How a New Dr. Seuss Experience Strikes a Balance Between Interactivity and Instagram-Worthy Settings
Photo: Marissa Joy Photography
HBO's 'Westworld'
HBO's 'Westworld'
To celebrate the new season of Westworld, 900 guests gathered in Los Angeles on March 5. Designed by longtime HBO collaborator Billy Butchkavitz with HBO/WarnerMedia's Ronni Cobern-Basis and Anna Willey, the party featured a futuristic look that included 3-D projections from BartKresa Studio.
Photo: Gabor Ekecs
Inside, Butchkavitz transformed the space with custom linens and tabletop decor, interactive activations, costume displays, and more. Large versions of the Westworld logo created eye-catching focal points throughout the space. See more: See the Futuristic Premiere Party for 'Westworld' Season 3
Inside, Butchkavitz transformed the space with custom linens and tabletop decor, interactive activations, costume displays, and more. Large versions of the Westworld logo created eye-catching focal points throughout the space. See more: See the Futuristic Premiere Party for 'Westworld' Season 3
Photo: Gabor Ekecs
HBO's 'McMillion$'
HBO's 'McMillion$'
At the February 5 premiere of HBO’s McMillion$, held in Chicago, filmmakers James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte posed inside a giant fry box stuffed with bills, which was created by MKTG. The documentary series recounts the McDonald's Monopoly game scam that occurred between 1989 and 2001.
Photo: Dan Merlo for McDonald's
Amazon Prime Video's 'Hunters'
Amazon Prime Video's 'Hunters'
From February 20 to 23, Amazon Prime Video transformed an entire block in Los Angeles using period cars, costumed performers, and other props to promote its new series Hunters, which follows a group of Nazi hunters in 1977 New York. For a screening, Highland Theatres became "The Empire," a throwback space inspired by New York's old-school grindhouse theaters.
Photo: Greg Noir
After the screening, fans headed across the street to Highland Park Bowl, now known as 'Hunters Alley.' The popular bowling alley—the oldest in Los Angeles—was transformed with branded bowling balls and signage, New York City-inspired food such as pizza and latkes, Coney Island-style performers, on-theme photo ops, and staffers in period costumes. See more: Amazon's Gritty 'Hunters' Promotion Turned an Entire City Block into 1970s New York
After the screening, fans headed across the street to Highland Park Bowl, now known as "Hunters Alley." The popular bowling alley—the oldest in Los Angeles—was transformed with branded bowling balls and signage, New York City-inspired food such as pizza and latkes, Coney Island-style performers, on-theme photo ops, and staffers in period costumes. See more: Amazon's Gritty 'Hunters' Promotion Turned an Entire City Block into 1970s New York
Photo: Greg Noir
Universal Pictures' 'Cats'
Universal Pictures' 'Cats'
To promote the highly anticipated Cats movie, Universal Pictures worked with Curb Taxi Media to furnish 360 of New York City’s iconic yellow cabs with a pair of giant cat ears. For the film’s red-carpet premiere on December 16, stars like Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, and Jennifer Hudson arrived in black cars outfitted with the custom cat ear toppers as well.
Photo: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Smithsonian Channel's 'Spy Wars'
Smithsonian Channel's 'Spy Wars'
To promote Spy Wars, Smithsonian Channel hosted an immersive event on March 4 in New York. In the spirit of the eight-part docu-series, which recounts real-life intelligence and security operations, guests were handed a classified folder and tasked with completing interactive spy missions such as testing their code-breaking and lie detection skills. Attendees were then assigned custom spy roles like Agent Handler, Hacker, and Spycatcher. In one area, guests had to test their strategy and agility in a laser tunnel, known as the Special Ops Challenge. See more: See How the Smithsonian Channel Brought Its New Spy Series to Life
Photo: Courtesy of Smithsonian Channel
Netflix's 'Klaus'
Netflix's 'Klaus'
Coinciding with World Kindness Day and to promote its new animated film Klaus, Netflix worked with CSM to host simultaneous holiday-theme activations in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago on November 13. At the start of the day, oversize wrapped gift boxes were transported on pickup trucks through each city; once they reached their destination, they were unwrapped to reveal a room-size space filled with gift-wrapping stations, photo ops, and areas to write letters to Klaus; more than 1,000 gifts were also given to passersby in each market. In a surprise reveal at the end of the day, the brand announced it was working with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to fulfill holiday wish lists for kids in each city.
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
FX's 'Breeders'
FX's 'Breeders'
To promote FX's new comedy series Breeders, AGENC Experiential & Digital Marketing created a "Parents Night Out" in Los Angeles on February 29. For the event, the alleyway of the Pikey Cafe, a British pub and restaurant, was transformed into a daycare, a nod to the show that explores the struggles of being a parent.
Photo: Courtesy of AGENC Experiential
As part of the event, parents could book a 'date night' complete with a full-course meal and specialty cocktails. After dinner, guests moved to the bar area for trivia games, giveaways, and a parenting-theme card game from KinderPerfect. Since Breeders is a British show, guests could also pose inside a classic British phone booth. See more: Why This Event Had a Daycare-Inspired Speakeasy
As part of the event, parents could book a "date night" complete with a full-course meal and specialty cocktails. After dinner, guests moved to the bar area for trivia games, giveaways, and a parenting-theme card game from KinderPerfect. Since Breeders is a British show, guests could also pose inside a classic British phone booth. See more: Why This Event Had a Daycare-Inspired Speakeasy
Photo: Courtesy of AGENC Experiential
Lionsgate's 'I Still Believe'
Lionsgate's 'I Still Believe'
On March 7 at the Los Angeles screening of I Still Believe, which is based on the story of singer Jeremy Camp, the movie’s stars—including KJ Apa, Britt Robertson, Shania Twain, and Gary Sinise—posed on the red carpet against a backdrop adorned with actual guitars.
Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate
Amazon Prime Video's 'The Aeronauts'
Amazon Prime Video's 'The Aeronauts'
In November, Amazon Prime Video hosted a high-flying nationwide tour to promote The Aeronauts, a new film that follows an 1862 gas balloon that broke the world flight altitude record. The event took on a Victorian fair theme, with more than 50 costumed performers, hot air balloon rides, and even a screening on the side of a hot air balloon. An on-theme photo booth with a green screen made it look as if guests were in a flying hot air balloon. The tour, which was free and open to the public, traveled to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Atlanta, Orlando, and Austin. See more: This Event Screened a Movie on the Side of a Hot Air Balloon
Photo: Jeff Lovin
HBO's 'The Outsider'
HBO's 'The Outsider'
HBO’s premiere of The Outsider took place on January 9 in Los Angeles. Designer Billy Butchkavitz worked with HBO’s Anna Willey on the event, which took inspiration from the drama series’ moody, tree-filled key art.
Photo: Gabor Ekecs
FireGroove provided sketch artists and a fingerprint analysis station, which was inspired by the discovery of fingerprints at the crime scene in the series.
FireGroove provided sketch artists and a fingerprint analysis station, which was inspired by the discovery of fingerprints at the crime scene in the series.
Photo: Gabor Ekecs
Lionsgate's 'Knives Out'
Lionsgate's 'Knives Out'
On November 15, the London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills partnered with Lionsgate to host a screening and pop-up experience for the film Knives Out. The interactive installation brought Flam—the fictional lifestyle brand from the movie—to life through two Instagram-friendly vignettes, on-theme cocktails, and a merchandise station with faux Flam products. The pop-up was open to hotel guests and the public for two weeks.
Photo: Courtesy of the London West Hollywood
ABC's 'How to Get Away With Murder'
ABC's 'How to Get Away With Murder'
ABC celebrated the series production wrap for How to Get Away With Murder on February 8 in Los Angeles. The event, produced by Shannon Warner Events, featured a chalkboard step-and-repeat where the cast and crew signed their names, plus on-theme props and white roses splattered with faux blood. Attendees included series stars Viola Davis, Billy Brown, Jack Falahee, and Aja Naomi King (pictured).
Photo: ABC/Stewart Cook
A24's 'Uncut Gems'
A24's 'Uncut Gems'
To promote the movie Uncut Gems, a thriller about a New York City jeweler played by Adam Sandler, KMH Gems & Jewelry and entertainment company A24 hosted a pop-up store in New York’s Diamond District. The shop was open to the public December 20 to 22, and featured merchandise for sale including jewelry from guest jewelers as well as the movie's official soundtrack.
Photo: Gabby Edzie
Disney Channel's 'Zombies 2'
Disney Channel's 'Zombies 2'
To promote the Disney Channel's Zombies 2 film, the company worked with GDX Studios on a family-friendly stunt that placed lockers at various locations around the country in February. Passersby of all ages were encouraged to open the lockers, where zombie, werewolf, or cheerleader hands would give them a themed prize. The stunt traveled to Los Angeles; San Diego; Raleigh, North Carolina; Louisville, Kentucky; Baltimore; Philadelphia; Orlando; and Miami; in all, some 10,000 gifts were distributed.
Photo: Courtesy of GDX Studios
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