Located in the heart of Moscow, Budweiser transformed the InterContinental Hotel into the Bud Hotel for the duration of the tournament. The branded hotel featured a bar and restaurant with guest chef Diego Bulk, who created a special burger exclusively for the hotel for the first weekend of the tournament. The hotel also included the Bud x Loft, a spa and venue area designed for special events and after-parties, as well as Bud Studios, a space for content producers.
The Pageant of the Cosmos offered carnival games with an Adult Swim–inspired twist. For "Balloonicorn in Space," participants donned a unicorn hat and had to pop as many ceiling balloons as they could.
Festival-goers could play a Goose Island-branded video game, replete with its own joystick, both inside and outside the vintage bus. Since 2013, the beer company has been collaborating with a festival band to produce a new beer. This year, it worked with Twin Peaks to produce the Natural Villain lager, which debuted at the fest.
Perrier's bright activation was housed inside a clear tent. Outside, a bubble machine sent hundreds of bubbles floating through the air, drawing curious festival-goers over to check out the source.
The factory featured an interactive wall with a massive interactive DJ controller that brought guests together to remix popular music live. The wall was also on display with a different illustration at the Austin Convention Center from March 11 to 19, as part of the Bud Light Uncharted Studio.
An extension of SXSWi's food program, FYI network hosted its first culinary activation at the Driskill Hotel from March 12 to 14. Along with a "Quesoff" competition and a station that gave lessons on Instagramming food, the event featured an edible wall installation. Designed by food typographer Danielle Evans, the wall—which spelled out "Feed Your Imagination"—included local eats from Voodoo Doughnut, Sugar Mama's Bakeshop, and Whole Foods.
Earlier this month, Kodak Alaris launched a new app, Kodak Moments, which turns photos into visual stories by providing its users with options like appealing text, block quotes, and layouts. The company partnered with artist Marcos Lutyens to create a physical version of the app, the Memory Observatory, which was on display at the Austin Convention Center from March 12 to 15. The installation provided attendees with a multisensory experience that involved turning a photo into a story using color, smell, and sound.
