The Bachelor franchise is typically known for its iconic—and ubiquitous—red roses. But this upcoming season, which premieres on ABC this evening, is going gold—in more ways than one. The Golden Bachelor is the first in the franchise’s long history to star senior citizens, including series lead Gerry Turner, a 72-year-old retired restaurateur and widower from Indiana.
To celebrate the highly anticipated new Golden Oldie season—as well as Turner's interests and personality—ABC is hosting a multifaceted campaign with events, photo ops, and, of course, senior discounts across Los Angeles and New York. The celebrations kicked off last week at the appropriately 1950s-style Mel’s Drive-In on LA's Sunset Boulevard, which was transformed into a vintage gold paradise with oversized roses, ceiling projections, photos ops, and a special date night-centric Golden Hour menu (which was availably nightly from 5-7 p.m., of course) featuring a custom milkshake. 
Mel’s Drive-In is a 1950s-style diner that served as a nod to Turner's generation; ABC worked with experiential agency Creative Riff on the temporary golden makeover.Photo: Courtesy of ABC
Since one of the tentpoles of the show’s campaign is “turning icons gold,” ABC also decided to incorporate some beloved historical landmarks around Los Angeles, with the intention of driving buzz and engagement leading into the premiere. At the Hollywood Bowl music venue on Sept. 23, for example, each seat for the John Legend concert was adorned with a golden cushion—designed to enhance each guest’s “Golden Hour” concert experience with a more comfortable seat, courtesy of ABC.
Other highlights of the campaign? LA's iconic 32-foot doughnut at Randy’s Donuts has temporarily been painted gold, grabbing attention and driving interest in the historic eatery's limited-edition golden doughnut that's available until Oct. 1. The city's historic Pink’s Hot Dogs restaurant also received a golden, rose-filled makeover; it's also offering specials through Oct. 1. To further grab attention, ABC hosted “Golden Hour” food trucks that popped up in strategic, high-traffic spots throughout New York and Los Angeles last weekend. 
For a limited time, Randy's Donuts in Inglewood, Calif., is offering a limited-edition golden doughnut, a "Golden Hour" special from 5-7 p.m. daily, and a 10% discount the day of the premiere. ABC worked with Experiential Supply Co. to transform the historic eatery's iconic doughnut.Photo: Courtesy of ABC
When crafting the unique, multifaceted experiential campaign, the ABC team knew these types of eye-catching takeovers of iconic establishments could result in impactful recognition and buzz for the new series. The goal, they explained, was to reach not only loyal Bachelor Nation fans but also to appeal to an entirely new group of viewers spanning multiple generations. The team was also inspired by Turner’s personality when cultivating the experiences, purposely choosing locations centered on joy and connection that allowed fans to personally interact with the brand.
The promotions are also expanding nationwide while continuing to stay focused on moments of joy. Gourmet popcorn company Popcornopolis, for example, is offering golden caramel popcorn through Oct. 3, while Pinot's Palette—a paint and sip studio with locations around the country—is hosting special Golden Hour date nights through Oct. 19. (See more brands that are offering "golden" discounts—including Uber Eats, Fandango, and 1-800-Flowers—here.) 
Golden food trucks popped up in various locations around Los Angeles and New York from Sept. 22-24. The trucks featured different "Golden Hour" treats each day, including golden turmeric lattes, gold-dusted macarons, and gold-fashioned lemonade popsicles—and, of course, long-stem golden roses for all visitors. (Pictured: The Golden Bachelor lead Gerry Turner.)Photo: Courtesy of ABC
The campaign goes beyond retail moments, though. Retirement communities around the country are receiving watch-party kits for the premiere, and ahead of each episode this season, ABC is teaming up with Best Friends Animal Society to highlight adoptable senior dogs and cats. And in a fun nod to Turner’s favorite pastime, ABC hosted an integration with USA Pickleball’s National Indoor Championships, held Sept. 20-23 in Atlantic City.
The network is increasingly leaning into these types of events and hands-on marketing strategies as viewing behavior shifts and fans consume content across a variety of platforms, the team told BizBash. This trend is allowing ABC to bring its brands to life in multidimensional ways that extend beyond traditional media tactics, and lean into the emotional connections that can build greater loyalty. For the Bachelor franchise in particular, ABC’s marketing approach is twofold: It’s about understanding the audience and what drives them, then crafting hands-on experiences with those goals in mind, as well as creating memorable, shareable experiences that extend beyond the four walls of the activation.
ABC worked with Experiential Supply Co. for the golden takeovers at Pink's, Randy's Donuts, and the Hollywood Bowl, and with Creative Riff for the food trucks and the Mel's Drive-In event. Scroll down for more photos from the activations. 
Mel's Drive-In—which hosted a campaign kickoff event Sept. 21, as well as public-facing promotions from Sept. 22-24—immediately drew attention with oversize golden roses on the roof and as window decals. Fans could stop by all weekend for a complimentary "golden milkshake," which was adorned with the phrase "shaking things up."Photo: Courtesy of ABC
Inside, golden roses popped up on the walls and floor, along with framed photos of Turner and this season's contestants.Photo: Courtesy of ABC
Golden roses were also projected on the ceiling of the old-school eatery.Photo: Courtesy of ABC
In addition to the special milkshakes, Mel's Drive-In offered buy one, get one free date-night meals throughout the weekend. Tables were adorned with custom place mats and napkins, plus—what else?—gold-dipped roses.Photo: Courtesy of ABC
LA's Pink's Hot Dogs has also been temporarily painted gold; the space is offering limited-edition hot dogs (two dogs in one bun!) as well as specials from 5-7 p.m. daily.Photo: Courtesy of ABC
A familiar face has been added to Pink's famous wall of celebrities.Photo: Courtesy of ABC
