This week's roundup includes BuzzFeed's debut Sundance activation in Park City, Utah, a surprise appearance from the cast of the movie Annie on an American Airlines flight, a Prohibition-style after-party for the Screen Actors Guild awards in Los Angeles, and creative use of disco balls at a corporate party in Los Angeles.
To promote the season premiere of Showtime's Shameless, Okamoto Studio carved and assembled more than 18,000 pounds of ice in the shape of the show's hashtag, which was on display in the Flatiron district's pedestrian plaza in New York in January.
The Sundance Film Festival returned to Park City, Utah, on January 22. Running through February 1, the snow-filled festival lures brands to the city's Main Street. BuzzFeed hosted its first activation on festival grounds this year. The "BuzzFeed Basecamp" was open to the public and hosted private events at night. Activities included posing in a GIF booth with vintage ski gear. The booth's backdrop was a snowy mountain scene.
On Saturday, haircare brand Keratin hosted a pop-up salon at the MTV Music Lodge, a space where reporters conducted interviews with celebrities. Keratin also provided branded props for celebrities to use in photos. Modeled on an Instagram post, a prop frame was printed with the activation's hashtag for easy sharing on social media.
This year the look of the official after-party for the 21st SAG awards was driven by Hollywood's original golden age, with grand decor elements and metallic accents. Flowers popped against geometric golden tabletops, which sat amid seating groups in jade and emerald greens as well as grey tones. Held Sunday at the Shrine Exposition Center, the bash was produced by Event Eleven's Tony Schubert and Time Inc. special projects director Lisa Simpson.
To celebrate this year's National College Football Championship game in Dallas, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Joule Dallas owner Tim Headington, and advertising executive Ray Clark hosted a bash dubbed “the Night Before." Held at the Joule's new lounge Midnight Rambler on January 11, the evening offered trays filled with treats including lollipops with the logos of the game's two competing teams: Ohio State University and the University of Oregon. Lara Beth Seager, vice president of global hospitality for the Marketing Arm, planned the event.
MasterCard partnered with American Airlines to surprise passengers with a showing of Annie before the film hit theaters. The screening was followed by an in-air meet and greet and Q&A session with guests from the film, including star Quvenzhané Wallis (pictured).
In honor of the upcoming movie Fifty Shades of Grey, which opens in theaters next month, here are some shades-of-gray decor inspiration: A muted palette and soft furnishings contrasted the clear Lucite dining setup at a private event, held at Brazos Hall in Austin, Texas, in November 2014, which was designed by Caplan Miller Events.
In Los Angeles, Deutsch LA hosted its holiday party in December at Hangar 8 at the Santa Monica Airport. The company chose a "Studio 54" theme based on the address of its office: 5454 Beethoven Street. To bring the theme to life, Schaffer's Genuine Foods added miniature disco balls to a food station.
Here's another disco-inspired idea: The game show's wrap party had a '70s theme in 2011, and guests danced on a colorful, light-up dance floor. The Los Angeles bash was produced and designed by Poko Event Productions.
Desserts emporium Popbar offers a do-it-yourself drink dubbed hot chocolate on a stick. Available in dark, milk, or vanilla chocolate, the sticks are intended to be stirred into a mug of steamed milk. The New York-based business caters events, but also offers the treats in gift boxes.
