Lollapalooza brought 300,000 fans and 130 music acts to Grant Park from August 2 to 4, and brands vied to get in front of the throngs of media, music fans, and tastemakers. On festival grounds, activations included Toyota's "Hybrid House Party"—at which silk-screen tote bags proved quite a draw—and Samsung's free henna tattoos.
BMF Media Group's It's so Miami Lounge returned to the Hard Rock Hotel, where new sponsor activations included giant board games from Starbucks Iced Coffee and the ubiquitous fest accessory, flower crowns, from Herbal Essences. New after-parties from Asos, also at the Hard Rock Hotel, drew buzz with performances from the likes of Salt-n-Pepa. Gilt City partnered with with Fiji Water to host a rooftop pool party on Saturday, complete with Fiji Water snow cones, and Cotton Incorporated and Billboard hosted a new Lollapalooza preparty on Thursday. Here's a look inside the events.
The event's main feature is an intimate performance from a Lollapalooza act, and this year's event offered live music from MS MR.
VH1's #BestLollaEver activation had a giant screen that showcased social media buzz about the festival. A GIF booth allowed guests to hop in and capture images, which were also displayed on the screen.
Toyota's "Hybrid House-Party" offered hairstyling, free cooling bandanas, and cell phone charging. But the most popular aspect of the activation was the silk-screen tote bags, which attracted long lines that waited 45 minutes or more.
At the "Samsung Galaxy Experience," Samsung offered henna tattoos on festival grounds. Guests could pick a design from photos displayed on the Galaxy S 4 and Galaxy Note 8.0. At another station, flower wreaths were available.Â
To promote its upcoming Chicago shop, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams brought a colorful truck to the Artist Lounge. At a walk-up window, guests could get cold treats in flavors like salted caramel.
On Saturday, Fiji Water and Gilt City hosted the Better-Than-Backstage Rooftop Pool Party. Treats included snow cones made with Fiji Water.
DJ Matt Roan spun at a station splashed with the Gilt City logo.
UrbanDaddy and Mini Cooper partnered to launch "Mini Night Out," which debuted at Lollapalooza. Through the campaign, guests could reserve a ride in the new Mini Paceman on Friday and Saturday for a "nightlife adventure," which included stops at Lollapalooza parties around town. Media, local influencers, and festival bands such as Imagine Dragons (pictured) sampled the service, which left from the Hard Rock Hotel.
BMF Media Group returned to the Hard Rock Hotel to host the "It's so Miami Lounge" throughout the weekend. Covered in AstroTurf, the sunny fourth-floor space had lounge areas, live DJs, and plenty of sponsor activations. Barefoot Wine & Bubbly (pictured) sent in a sand sculptor. Â
In the Herbal Essences fragrant "Swirl Style Suite," hairdressers styled guests' hair and offered the ultimate festival accessory: flower crowns.
Within the lounge, Clearasil displayed its new products in an ice-cream-cart setup. Brand reps doled out the Refreshing Superfruit Wash, along with fruity popsicles.
Starbucks hosted its first Lollapalooza activation this year at the It's so Miami Lounge. The suite offered oversize chess and Connect Four games, plus small café tables stocked with buckets of bottled iced coffee.
On the Hard Rock Hotel's second floor, the CK One music lounge offered ping-pong, cocktails, and live performances—as well as a showcase of its beauty goods. Along the back wall, a sleek white counter held CK One Color Cosmetics testers that helped festivalgoers freshen up. A display case held CK scents (including CK One), and technicians offered manicures at a nail bar.
Also produced by BMF Media Group, the late-night Asos Rocks After-Party series was new this year and took place at the Hard Rock Hotel Friday to Sunday. The events offered a showcase of new collections from Asos, prizes, and performances from the likes of Salt-n-Pepa (pictured.)Â
UG Strategies and Entertainment 3Sixty took over the Public Hotel to host the weekend-long Bed Head Hotel, similar to the activation they produced in Miami during the Winter Music Conference. The event included haircuts and styling (using Bed Head products, of course), along with Belvedere vodka cocktails, DJ sets from festival acts, and gifting for V.I.P.s.Â
On Thursday night, Billboard hosted a new Lollapalooza preparty at the Double Door. Presented by Cotton Incorporated, the free event featured performances from artists such as Kate Nash. Guests could also pick up cotton totes and tank tops to wear to the festival.
Also on Thursday night, Intermix celebrated its 20th anniversary—and the upcoming Lollapalooza weekend—with an in-store bash at its Gold Coast boutique. Belvedere hosted a bar, and festival act Icona Pop performed a DJ set.
Now in its second year, LollaShop was open on South Michigan Avenue July 26 to August 5. The pop-up shop offered items including official festival T-shirts, bikes, and Fender guitars.
The pop-up shop also had the festival's daily lineups posted on its wall as a handy reference for guests.
