While ball pits are traditionally targeted toward little kids, Ben & Jerry's proved that the party staple is still a hit with adults, too. To celebrate the launch of its three new cereal-inspired Splashback flavors, the ice cream brand recently hosted an activation that invited passersby and commuters in New York's Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal to jump into a ball pit that resembled a giant cereal bowl.
The daylong event, produced and designed by LeadDog Marketing Group, took place March 7 to coincide with National Cereal Day and was meant to provide consumers with a bit of nostalgia.
"When we first learned about the new Splashback flavor innovations—a cereal-milk-inspired ice cream with a nostalgic taste of our favorite childhood cereal—our experiential team immediately began reflecting on how we could emulate those carefree and fun memories of being a kid," said Justin Gural, who manages integrated marketing and events for Ben & Jerry's. "Jumping into a ball pit was one of the many concepts that came out of a few really fun brainstorm sessions, and once we realized the cereal bowl fabrication was possible thanks to LeadDog, we were all in."
Along with free ice cream samples, the event featured a cereal-theme photo booth and Ben & Jerry's-inspired designs including cloud projections on the walls of Vanderbilt Hall.
Gural noted that the focus of the activation was for the launch event in New York, but that the ball pit may show up at future Ben & Jerry's events.
