For 10 days, South by Southwest flooded the city with the latest in technology, film, music, and art. The conference, which ran from March 9 to 18, has become a favorite place for brands to activate, with well over 70,000 attendees swarming the city.
While 2018’s rendition of the conference felt more subdued from years’ past—Spotify and House of Vans were among the brands that opted out of large-scale events—SXSW did feel more focused. Brands honed in on exactly what they wanted to present, whether it was through virtual-reality experience with Sony’s music video or Warner Bros.’ Ready Player One recreation or simple but fun photo booth engagements.
One of the bigger standout activations was HBO’s intricately executed recreation of a theme park from its show Westworld. It was even awarded SXSW's first-ever Best Immersive Experience award.
Amidst the frenzy, the city was also dealing with a then-active serial bomber situation, to the point where the annual Bud Light and Roots SXSW Jam was canceled because of a bomb threat.
With that, here’s a look at how brands stood out to the attendees.
Vimeo replicated a theater for its SXSW activation, showcasing films and short films selected by the video site’s staffers. The activation included an exterior mural on the venue—with a creepy surprise on top.
Inside, art and interactive installations were built in honor of select short films. An installation for director Matthew Frost's Aspirational featured iPhone cameras and voices asking to take guests’ photos. For Kristen Lepore's Hi Stranger, a stranger quickly drew visitors' portraits.
The rideshare company hosted dinners in a double-decker bus for riders with local chef Nic Yanes to celebrate the release of its new Uber Visa credit card. Experiential marketing agency Manifold helped produce the event.
The social media marketing company decided to switch venues for its usual invite-only one-day SXSW suite, from its actual offices to the pool deck at the W Austin hotel. Among the activities for attendees included an Instagram station with photo-ready food like panna cotta colored with blue majik. On hand was a local food blogger, plus props and reflectors.
Bumble embraced a larger presence at SXSW with its massive activation with three sections replicating the mobile app’s services. The dating section featured a mini-golf set-up for five-minute dates. Bumble experts were on hand giving profile advice for any version of the app. Users could also take professional photographs for their profiles. There was also a shop offering inspirational books and shirts for sale, as well as free healthy snacks and drinks.
The dating section asked guests to share their opening line and gave advice about having their profiles verified.
Visitors entered Gatorade’s pop-up store to explore the sports beverage’s other edible products through an iPad tour. Afterward, they were given access to a secret stockroom that showcased Gatorade’s sports technologies, from exercise tracking to basketball simulations.
Guests were able to experience Sony’s first mixed-reality music video for singer-songwriter Khalid during the corporation's music events. Sony also showed off its Acoustic Vessel “Odyssey” experience, which is made up of 576 thin speakers illuminated with light.
ABC recreated the rebooted television show’s living room, garage, and restaurant. Guests were invited to eat loose meat sandwiches and pie at the Lanford Lunchbox recreation, complete with tables and bar stools. There was a photo op on the couch, and clips from the forthcoming reboot played in the garage set-up. Outside the venue, there was a pedicab featuring a smaller version of the couch that played the theme song and the star’s recognizable laugh.
Along with Funny or Die, HBO concocted a virtual-reality experience that took users through the television show’s fictional tech headquarters, letting them engage with objects and characters from the show. Elsewhere, the space included photo opportunities with a money gun at the Three Comma Club and the infinity room with hanging hot dogs—all jokes from the show.
HBO recreated the immersive theme park from its television show Westworld. Attendees were told to meet at one location, where they were given white or black hats, and then were ushered onto a bus that took them to an undisclosed location outside of Austin. Guests explored the site, engaging with actors who wandered the park in character.
CNN’s annual SXSW event took its cues from its campaign last year regarding bananas and apples, going so far as to host an apple cart outside of the venue which offered free apples to passersby. The stickers on the apples read "Facts First" and had the CNN logo.
CNN’s second SXSW activation centered on the media company's stories. Guests could learn more about each story from the nearby tablet, and then partake in the activation, from the claw machine master (people pretended they were inside the machine) to the neon-lit poisonous garden in England to the infinity room.
Guests were invited to take an interactive questionnaire where Pinterest would determine their tastes in home decor, fashion, or food. It resulted in the color-based Pinterest Taste Graph, which was printed and emailed to participants. The graphs also corresponded to a color-coded drinks menu, indicating taste preferences.
SXSW arranged for an overnight slumber party and concert premiere for the North American debut of Sleep by composer Max Richter. Participants listened to the live performance while falling asleep in individual beds provided by Beautyrest, complete with eye masks. The mattresses were donated to Austin charities.
The SXSW-adjacent miniature music festival changed locations once again, taking over an event space that used to house a French restaurant. The guest-only list was able to play ping-pong courtesy of Spin's upcoming Austin location, with coupons for free games once it opens. New Balance set up a covered space with comfortable seating and a ball pit for photos. Jack Daniels offered barbershop haircuts.
Warner Bros. Television and DC Comics brought a superhero experience and pop-up comic book shop to SXSW throughout the length of the festival. The activation included a display of Batmobiles and Bat-cycles.
As an official sponsor, Showtime had a big presence throughout the festival including a three-day event dedicated to its television shows. For SMILF, guests were encouraged to make their own slogan buttons based on the television show. The photo booth changed daily as well. For Shameless, guests were encouraged to scribble their sins for an animated GIF.
Ahead of Warner Bros.’ surprise premiere of Ready Player One, the studio created a virtual-reality game based on the show’s VR experience the Oasis. Downstairs, guests at the opening party competed in various trivia stations to get their names displayed on the leaderboard in the center of the room.
In honor of the premiere of Bravo’s new show with digital marketing agency 360i, guests could participate in their own cons depicting luxury settings amidst obvious fake stagings, centered around a private jet, yacht, or ice hotel. Before photos, makeup touch-ups and manicures were available. Guests received two photos: a close-up and a wide shot that exposed the con.
The car company brought the second iteration of its standalone event to Palm Park in Austin. It took its cues from the playground, encouraging attendees to take advantage of the already-existing swings and slides. For those looking to connect with others, stylish and simple networking nooks were built around the park.
Ahead of the Emmy-winning television show’s next season, Hulu and LeadDog Marketing set up displays of the show’s iconic red costumes on fire throughout the city. During the daytime, two people wearing denim outfits and patches with protesting slogans engaged with passersby. A select few were handed a rolled piece of parchment paper, on which they were encouraged to write their secrets and burn them at a later time.
Attendees were encouraged to interact with the various sponsor activations at the Pandora Backyard and collect enamel pins upon completion. This included tasting Naked Juice's new granola and juices and taking advantage of Ashley Homestore's lounge.
Mashable's SXSW activation took on a retro theme, from a virtual-reality arcade to a Hot Wheels race track. The website also paid tribute to fast food chain Wendy's Twitter by highlighting some of its noteworthy tweets and a snow-theme gif op. Also on hand were robotic and real-life dogs from the Austin Humane Society.
Mars Chocolate partnered up with Collide Agency to create candy-theme activations along Austin’s Rainey Street district. The Maltesers house resembled an arcade fun house, from the lit-up games using the malted candy, a room with rotating reflective balloons, to sideways-room photo opp.
Starz sought to engage the senses for SXSW. The parfumerie section for its upcoming television show Sweetbitter showcased scents inspired by the characters of the show, created by Roux Saint James. Participants were walked through the various scents and chose their two favorites to take home.
Director Wes Anderson’s stop-motion film Isle of Dogs made its North American premiere at SXSW. Outside of the theater, Japanese drummers greeted attendees. In order to secure entry to the showing, ticket-holders were given white sweatbands with pro-dog slogans inspired by the film. Before the screening, actor Bill Murray showed up nearby to recite a poem for the movie.
HP showcased its technologies with a one-day colorful house. People could pose for a digital portraits created using HP software.
AT&T Audience Network’s activation consisted of a C.I.A. training session for attendees for its upcoming show Condor, produced by NCompass. Participants had to engage in various tests from voice distortion to lie detection. At completion, it led out into the backyard lounge with drinks.
Actor Hugh Jackman brought his New York coffee shop Laughing Man Cafe to Austin for a week-long pop-up in conjunction with G'Day USA. The cafe brewed up coffees and flat whites. Australian chef Curtis Stone hosted a wine/cheese/charcuterie happy hour as well, featuring goods from the country.
Attendees were able to create friendship bracelets as part of Comedy Central’s annual taco and beer party, in honor of its television show Broad City.
For the cable network’s newest show, AMC erected an immersive experience within a shipping container in a downtown lot. Guests were invited to take a seat within a boat while videos played scenes from the television show in chilled air and falling snow.
The fashion retailer set up a pop-up shop during its one-day SXSW event. Emphasizing work and play, the store highlighted clothing and accessories from the brand’s office-theme line.
