LOS ANGELES—It’s appropriate that Freeform’s new comedy series Single Drunk Female debuted in January, a month typically centered around self-improvement and “new year, new you”-style messaging. After all, the show follows a 20-something alcoholic who’s forced to move back to her hometown and work at a local grocery store while getting sober.
So for a public-facing activation promoting the show, Freeform leaned into those themes by creating a grocery store-inspired pop-up called the “Fresh Start Mart.” But this interactive space wasn’t selling food—instead, the aisles were stocked with self-improvement items like beauty masks and Pressed juices, along with branded T-shirts, totes, notebooks and more. In a unique twist on a giveaway, attendees were given an envelope of fake cash and invited to roam the aisles and choose their own swag. 
Each attendee was given $20 to choose their own giveaways, a nod to the themes of the show about deciding how to use limited cash. Freeform's Joe Ortiz noted that the idea of using money was something Freeform had wanted to do for a long time. “It plays into a choose-your-own-adventure format that feels immersive and made people explore the space to see what items they could get (and in turn learning a little bit about the characters and the series)," he said.Photo: Freeform/Aaron Poole
“Single Drunk Female is centered in [main character] Sam's journey of self-discovery and her new start to life as a sober person,” explained Joe Ortiz, Freeform’s SVP of content marketing. “We can all relate to trying to become a better version of ourselves, especially in January as people make resolutions both big and small. Our idea was to bring the notion of a new ‘fresh’ start into the real world for our audience.”
Ortiz added that in the series, Sam, played by actress Sofia Black-D’Elia, gets a job at a local grocery market in an attempt to stay sober and rebuild her life. “The mart theme was perfect to engage fans. We loved creating a mart specific to betterment but in a fun, humorous and authentic way—just like the series.”
Freeform’s in-house experiential team developed the concept and products, and worked with the brand's design team on visual identity in conjunction with BMF Media on the production. To choose the items in the “store,” the team studied the scripts and episodes looking for inspiration and dialogue that would resonate with consumers—lines like "It's hard to be a person" and “You would be a Pisces,” noted Ortiz. “We like to build experiences that have impactful and unexpected Easter eggs to discover. There are so many iconic lines that we knew the audience could relate to instantly, but were also specific to the characters," he said.
Those lines of dialogue also made their way onto colorful prop food items, which included fake pasta, cereal, veggies and other items that would be found in a grocery store. “Pulling those lines throughout the guest experience—from the invite copy to the on-product messaging—created a cohesive event narrative that we saw translate across social sharing,” added BMF Media creative director Melissa Notaro. 
In the back of the store, a "deli counter" offered branded T-shirts and tote bags. “For the individual items, we looked for a variety of branded products that allowed people to choose what fits their style and gave a nod to wellness and getting that fresh start to the year," said Ortiz. "We had a lot of fun with this one.”Photo: Freeform/Aaron Poole
The pop-up's most memorable element, though, came from the choose-your-own-swag element. Each giveaway item in the store had a price, and attendees could pick and choose the products they wanted to take home based on how much (fake) cash they had been given.
“Everyone loves free stuff—but we wanted to go beyond giveaways by putting the experience in attendees’ hands,” explained Notaro. “The Fresh Start Mart 'cash' allowed consumers to select branded premiums to fit within their allotted budgets. We priced the assortment in a ‘high/low’ approach so guests could mix and match their takeaways."
Another bonus? The shopping experience encouraged consumers to interact with the entire space. "This increased dwell time and provided more opportunities to organically discover the show and engage in a way that was highly personalized," said Notaro.
The pop-up was open to the public from Jan. 21-23 in the Beverly Grove neighborhood of Los Angeles. Masks and proof of vaccination were required to enter the indoor space; attendees were also required to prereserve their time slots, and staffers on-site focused on guest flow and capacity management.
Scroll down for more photos of Freeform's Fresh Start Mart, and tune into Single Drunk Female on Freeform or Hulu on Thursdays at 10:30 p.m. ET. 
The pop-up was set up in a heavily foot-trafficked area of L.A.'s Beverly Grove neighborhood. “The biggest challenge was finding the perfect location,” said Oritz. “We needed a space large enough for the mart but it also had to be in a highly trafficked, visible location. We wanted the storefront to be inviting and Instagrammable, but also double as a billboard for the series. I think we found the perfect fit.”Photo: Freeform/Aaron Poole
Guests could visit a coffee machine and choose which relatable line from the show they wanted it decorated with.Photo: Freeform/Aaron Poole
An eye-catching photo wall introduced fans to the characters in the new series—with main character Samantha listed as "Employee of the Month," of course.Photo: Courtesy of Freeform
To accommodate the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, attendees were required to wear masks and show proof of vaccination before entering the space. There were also reserved time slots to control capacity and guest flow.Photo: Freeform/Aaron Poole
