Entertainment studios have long been creating over-the-top, clever premieres and promotions for TV shows and movies. But for many recent events, planners have been thinking further outside the box with eye-catching stunts, unique formats, fun photo booths, and memorable public experiences.
From a Grey's Anatomy art exhibit to a Freddie Mercury flash mob to a red carpet flanked by fish tanks, here are some eye-catching, steal-worthy event ideas from recent premieres and promotions.
The premiere of Amazon’s Prime Video’s new series Homecoming, starring Julia Roberts, took place in October in Los Angeles. Swisher Productions and 15/40 Productions used live fish tanks in the arrivals area to evoke the main character’s office. The carpet also featured a live palm wall as a reference to the show’s Florida setting.
After a screening, guests entered the event’s immersive after-party, a custom buildout from MKG. Props and set pieces from the show made the space look like the Homecoming Transitional Support Center, a main setting from the series. A photo booth was styled like a medical exam room.
In a fun, on-theme touch, reserved tables were marked using file folders.
To celebrate Freddie Mercury’s birthday and promote the new biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, British Airways staged a flash mob at Heathrow Airport in London in September. Baggage handlers performed a routine choreographed by Lyndon Lloyd for travelers in the Terminal 5 baggage claim. The back of the jackets featured the British Airways logo, and travelers were given hand-drawn fan posters to hold. (See more photos from the event here.)
To promote season two of FX’s Snowfall, which follows the crack-cocaine industry in Los Angeles in the 1980s, the network teamed up with CSM LeadDog on a public promotion in L.A. in July. The event drew 1,100 fans, plus the show’s cast, to an immersive art experience inspired by the show’s setting and culture. Eighties-inspired sneakers hung from a wall, creating an eye-catching visual.
The sneaker theme also continued to the ceiling, which had an art installation made from painted shoes. Soles by Sir also created live sneaker art on-site; other activities included vinyl spin art, a DJ playing ‘80s tunes, and catering from In-N-Out.
In one area, neon signage displayed a quote from the show, and a couch resembled a vintage car.
Upendo Taylor was one of several local artists to create installations for the event; his piece was a car painted with ’80s-inspired designs, set against a backdrop of palm trees.
To promote its new reality series Buying Blind, which follows six couples who buy houses without actually seeing them, Bravo created a series of eye-catching stunts in November in New York (pictured), Los Angeles, and Chicago. Three existing homes in high-traffic areas were covered in colorful packaging that asked, “Would you buy this house sight unseen?” The wrapped houses, which are actually on sale, were also advertised on Zillow and Trulia. 360i and the Bait Shoppe worked on the promotion.
For the premiere of Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish’s new comedy Night School, which follows a group of adults studying for their GED, real lockers were used as a backdrop for the step-and-repeat. The premiere took place in September in Los Angeles.
At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con in July, USA worked with Campfire at the Mill on “Purge City,” a darkly comedic pop-up that promoted the new TV series based on the Purge movie franchise, where all crime is legal for 12 hours once per year. Inspired by a Party City store, the shop displayed everything from emergency candles and masks to energy drinks and stain removers, plus interactive components and tongue-in-cheek demos. (See more photos from the event here.)
To celebrate the 15th season of medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, ABC teamed up with PopSugar for an art gallery in Los Angeles in September. Featuring art curated by THNK1994, the gallery hosted a V.I.P. cast party before opening to the public. In one area of the gallery, guests could don silent disco headphones and “dance it out”—one of main character Meredith Grey’s favorite pastimes.
The gallery had artwork inspired by iconic moments in the show, such as the "elevator love letter" proposal.
Attendees could pose behind a mock hospital badge that marked them as surgical residents.
The premiere of the HBO film My Dinner With Hervé, which covers the life of actor Hervé Villechaize, took place in October in Los Angeles. The event, which was designed by Billy Butchkavitz Design, featured a step-and-repeat inspired by Villechaize’s first career as a painter in France. The title of the film was displayed in portraits of various paintings against a green wall. (See more photos from the event here.)
Netflix held the premiere party for its new series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina in October in Los Angeles. An immersive “house,” which was designed by MKG, featured spooky photo ops and props inspired by the show. Following the premiere party, the experience was opened to consumers. The 1,500 attendees could make flower crowns and receive makeovers sponsored by Teen Vogue. The makeovers also asked them to choose between light and dark themes, like pink or black lipstick and flowers in darker or lighter shades. (See more photos from the event here.)
For the New York premiere of Netflix’s The Good Cop in September, guests could get their own “mugshots” in the photo booth. The new series stars Tony Danza and Josh Groban as members of the New York Police Department.
HBO celebrated its miniseries Sharp Objects, based on Gillian Flynn's novel of the same name, with a screening event in June in New York. The event, which was designed by the Gathery, featured multiple installations inspired by the thriller, which starred Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson. One installation was a dollhouse version of the Crellin family home featured in the series.
The event also featured an installation by floral design company Ellen Robin Creative. A Ford Crown Victoria, like the one Amy Adams's character drives, was covered in floral green wallpaper vinyl and had a backdrop of green branded caution tape. (See more photos from the event here.)
FX celebrated the premiere of its new series Pose by hosting an authentic 1980s queer ball in June in New York. The event, which was produced and designed by BMF Media, featured a bar that served on-theme cocktails and displayed a neon library and 20-foot LED ladder. (See more photos from the event here.)
Ahead of the season three premiere of comedy series Insecure, HBO hosted a carnival-inspired music festival in a Los Angeles stadium in July. The event, which was produced by Team Epiphany, featured classic carnival games with cheeky twists, such as "friend zone"-theme cornhole. There was also larger-than-life Connect 4, Pop-A-Shot basketball, and more. (See more photos from the event here.)
At the New York premiere of the Netflix series Maniac, held in September, guests were taken on a journey that mimicked the storyline of the first three episodes of the show. After watching the episodes, guests walked down a rainbow-lit tunnel into a New York cityscape, similar to a scene from the show. Fitted with turf, greenery, and park props, a professional puppeteer was on-hand interacting with guests at chess tables. Food was served from street carts. The event was produced by Netflix, alongside brand experience agency Pen&Public.
To replicate the hallucinogenic state that the main characters experience throughout the show, rooms at the Maniac premiere were projection mapped with custom videos. (See more photos from the event here.)
