This year's Pitchfork Music Festival—unlike other major music events—had stages void of any sponsor signage in Chicago's Union Park. Headliner Björk took over the "Green" stage, for example, while Solange played the "Red" stage. Instead of simply splashing their names on large surfaces, brands such as Vans, Hostess, and ZipCar used everything from carnival games to costumed Twinkes to engage some 50,000 guests at the July 19 to 21 event.
In addition to the more off-the-wall activations, brands drew in consumers the old-fashioned way: by providing icy treats, snacks, cell phone chargers, and other essentials for staying comfortable at a packed, hot music festival. H&M even brought in deodorant. Here's a look at how brands tackled the premier indie music fest.
ZipCar recently partnered with the Chicago Loop Alliance on a pop-up art activation called "Fueling Local Art." At the festival, guests could watch local artist George Berlin treat the car like a canvas; after the event, the vehicle was washed off and returned to the local fleet of ZipCar vehicles.
Though Heineken had a heavy presence at last year's festival, Goose Island stepped in this year as the exclusive beer sponsor. The local brewery showcased two new ales—Run the Jewels and Forcone—that were developed for the festival. The former beer, a Belgian wheat I.P.A., was developed collaboratively with rap artists Killer Mike and El-P; Forcone is a collaboration pale ale created with Pitchfork staffers. The new brews were served at a specialty bar that rotated its selections every 30 minutes. Revolution, a Chicago-based sports marketing and media agency, handled the activation.
In the H&M Loves Music tent, concertgoers could stop by "freshen up" stations that had grooming goods such as dry shampoo, deodorant, and sun-protecting face mist. There was also a free water bar, a GIF photo booth, a nail art station, a live DJ, and more perks—including air-conditioning. The brand encouraged guests to share their GIFs, which were splashed with the H&M logo, via social media.
Similar to Spotify—but without ads— Rdio lets users listen to music on the Web or on their mobile devices. The company sponsored the free Pitchfork app, which guests could download at the Rdio tent; they could also visit the activation to listen to festival performers' albums. A photo activation let guests print out pictures of themselves, then post the pictures next to the name of the band they most wanted to see on a giant board that contained the festival's lineup.
Kind's relatively straightforward activation saw staffers handing out snack bars filled with nuts and other natural ingredients. There was only one twist: staffers wore tongue-in-cheek T-shirts that read "Grab Health by the Nuts."
With the hashtag #PopChipsToTheRescue, PopChips sponsored a so-called "rescue hut." Supplied by Tuff Shed, the activation was stocked with items that festivalgoers often need, including cell phone chargers. There were also games, a relaxation area, and an oversize prop frame that guests could use for photos. After the festival, PopChips and Habitat for Humanity partnered to donate the hut to the Chicago community.
Skyo, which sells and rents textbooks online, hosted a "Sounds Like Summer" online sweepstakes that had prizes including three-day general and V.I.P. passes to Pitchfork. The brand also had a colorful tent on festival grounds, where guests stopped by to play carnival-style games for prizes that included speakers and headphones, a Fender guitar, and cash.
Playing off its "Off the Wall" tagline, Vans had a painter create portraits of festivalgoers. The paintings hung on a temporary wall on festival grounds and will be auctioned off at future Goose Island Brewery events. Proceeds will benefit the 606, a local park and trail system set to launch in the fall.
The shoe brand also handed out snow cones "to keep the masses cool (and to turn everyone's tongues purple)," said the company's blog.
Whole Foods returned as a sponsor and once again hosted a farmers'-market-style tent. The activation was strung with lanterns and displayed items such as sunflowers and fruits; tables inside were decked with red-and-white checked tablecloths.
As part of the Twinkie marketing campaign that it has dubbed the "sweetest comeback in the history of ever," Hostess brought in a bright red food truck that doled out the recently relaunched treats. By the truck, guests could pose with a plush Twinkie the Kid and play a game of bags on a board that read: "Feed Your Cakeface."
Virtue Cider, a Michigan-based drink, was created by a former Goose Island brew master. The drink, displayed on a rustic trunk decked with apples, was available backstage.
The festival's 40-some performers included Solange, who took to the stage on Saturday. Other popular acts included Björk, R. Kelly, and Belle & Sebastian.
