New Yorkers who have lived in the city for a while probably haven't seen the cleanest snow. But the city saw no snow at all last month because of the unseasonably warm weather. Experiential marketing agency MKG decided to remedy this by spreading some winter cheer with a branded truck that handed out perfectly shaped clean snowballs to passersby in Manhattan on December 18.
The purpose of the activation, which was playfully dubbed "Pristine Balls," was to serve as a humorous, experiential alternative to the usual holiday video the company sends out to clients annually.
"The snow is so disgusting in New York, and we wanted to make sure we could do something to put a smile on people's faces," said Dani Skollar, who handles marketing for MKG. "The initial idea was to give people a perfectly clean snowball, but the insane weather added an extra element we didn't foresee: This may be the only snow you'll see this season."
Inspired by the Saturday Night Live's infamously raunchy "Schweddy Balls" sketch, the activation featured cheeky puns and amusing labels.
"There was a good amount of people who understood the New York story to it in that it was the cleanest snowball they've ever seen, and there were others who saw it as a first sign of snow," said Skollar. "Anytime we do something, we want to make sure that it's bringing our personality to life and showcasing what we can do for clients. This was supposed to be smile-inducing, in a way that felt very MKG."
