Showstoppers: 27 Innovative Ideas From Recent TV and Film Events

HBO worked with Giant Spoon to create a memorable drive-in celebration for the finale of original series Lovecraft Country. Held on Oct. 15 at the Paramount Drive-In near Los Angeles, the immersive gathering nodded to the show's 1950s time period and travel aspect. Highlights included era-specific billboards for fictional businesses featured in the show, plus masked actors and plenty of props. The event was the culmination of several local drive-in events around the country, which screened various episodes in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Newark, N.J.

Upon entering, guests were asked to turn their car radios to a designated FM station. Throughout the night, the station broadcast music from DJ Moonlight, fictional advertisements that tied into the show, and other radio spots; Giant Spoon created a total of 160 minutes of pre-roll and post-show radio content for the event. There was even a fictional "Lovecraft Country Safety Commission,” complete with logo and official seal, that reminded guests to wear masks when leaving their cars.

Another highlight was also an on-site concessions kiosk, where attendees could grab a customized lunch box filled with popcorn, cookies, a bandana with artwork inspired by the show, and more. An added bonus? Nearly half the production materials for the event were sourced from BIPOC-owned companies, an appropriate choice for the show set among the Jim Crow laws.

The out-of-the-box promotions for Lovecraft Country didn’t stop there. In early September, HBO premiered “Lovecraft Country: Sanctum,” a series of futuristic, virtual-reality events that transported guests into a digital world inspired by the series. One-hundred select influencers were invited to don Oculus Quest headsets for the three events, which combined immersive theater elements, escape rooms, art installations, and puzzles. The events were simultaneously run on social VR platform VRChat, so guests could interact with each other in real time; they were also streamed via YouTube Live, allowing fans to help solve riddles that could trigger spells that impacted the experience. Sanctum was developed by production studio The Mill.

Highlights of the VR events included voiceover performances by series stars Jonathan Majors, Courtney B. Vance, and Michael Kenneth Williams, plus afrofuturist art installations by David Alabo, Devan Shimoyama, and Adeyemi Adegbesan. There was also a theatrical performance inspired by the words of James Baldwin and performed by star Jurnee Smollett. It all culminated in a VR performance from Grammy-nominated musician Janelle Monáe (pictured), which featured a virtual environment that was directly impacted by the artist’s physical performance.

To celebrate its new slate of horror films from producers Blumhouse, Amazon Studios hosted four live, virtual experiences on Oct. 16 and 17. “Welcome to the Blumhouse Live,” a free, consumer-facing event series that celebrated the release of new movies Nocturne, Black Box, Evil Eye, and The Lie, featured 10 interactive rooms for guests to explore as they attempted to solve a murder mystery.

Immersive theater company Little Cinema created the gamified experience, which connected the films through a single, interactive storyline set inside a virtual house. More clues were revealed as guests made their way through the various rooms.

Actors, several recorded live from Little Cinema’s studio, helped guide guests through activities including tarot card readings, mixology lessons, and even a virtual escape room. There were also performances from Ludacris and Questlove, as well as DJs Toro Y Moi and Jadalareign.

In September, FX worked with experiential agency BMF to launch a creative (and delicious) promotion for the new season of Fargo. The team tapped five diverse chefs to reimagine their own versions of an American pie—a tie-in to the new season, which highlights immigrant families vying for a piece of the American dream. Chefs Marcus Samuelsson, Daniela Soto-Innes, Einat Admony, Nyesha Arrington, and Alisa Reynolds contributed recipes that symbolized their individual heritages, and kits featuring two slices of pie, branded accessories, and recipe information was mailed to influencers, press, and other VIPs. FX also created an online contest where fans could enter to win a kit; there were a total of 14,000 entries.

On Sept. 9, HBO Max hosted a drive-in event and a simultaneous virtual gathering to premiere its new movie Unpregnant. The Glendale, Calif.-based drive-in, which featured a faux roller coaster spelling out the name of the movie, was produced by HBO Max with Little Cinema, Joe Lewis Company, and CH Cre8tive. (Little Cinema also produced the virtual event.)

The physical gathering took a cue from the film's road trip, with event producers building out eye-catching scenery and vehicle activations including a neon desert scene, a drive-through photo op, and a drive-through gas station and convenience store offering a boxed dinner from Wolfgang Puck. DJ Yoda performed before the drive-in screening, as well as post-premiere for the virtual guests.

Actresses Haley Lu Richardson and Barbie Ferreira participated in a drive-through red carpet, where media outlets interviewed the stars from their cars. All press had been tested for COVID-19 in the days leading up to the event, and both parties wore masks during the interviews.

Prior to the event, VIP guests received a road trip-themed delivery featuring a branded Polaroid camera, custom-made vintage T-shirts, snacks, friendship bracelets, and a safe-sex kit from Planned Parenthood. Since the film features a 17-year-old who has to drive from Missouri to New Mexico to get a legal abortion, HBO Max also made donations to Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Rock the Vote.

ABC teamed up with POPSUGAR and YouTube TV to host a drive-in premiere for the 16th season premiere of The Bachelorette. Taking place Oct. 13 at The Grove in Los Angeles, the event drew more than 200 attendees, including Bachelor alums Peter Weber, Becca Kufrin, and Kendall Long. In addition to video messages from season lead Clare Crawley and host Chris Harrison, the event featured DJ performances, in-vehicle photo ops, and Bachelorette-themed trivia games.

All attendees were required to wear masks if exiting their vehicles and undergo temperature checks and COVID-19 health screenings. Once the cars parked, men in suits delivered Bachelorette-themed swag, red roses, and snacks to enjoy while watching the season premiere.

For its new film All In: The Fight For Democracy, Amazon Studios traded in traditional promotional tactics for a cross-country campaign that aimed to inspire voter turnout. A fleet of five buses, featuring illustrations by artist Andrea Pippins, served as mobile spaces where citizens could register to vote, sign up to become a poll worker, check their current voter status, and participate in outdoor pop-up screenings of the documentary.

The bus tour crisscrossed the country, stopping in areas with high levels of voter restrictions and lower-than-average voter turnout including Texas, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida. Visitors could pose for selfies during the bus stops. See more: See How Amazon Studios Hit the Road to Promote its New Movie and Voter Registration

CBS All Access worked with Gifts for the Good Life to create interactive kits promoting the virtual premiere of The Twilight Zone. When the boxes were opened, the series theme song played via a light-activated sound chip. Inside, the lid of the box had a tag that said “open here”; when the panel was pulled down, it revealed a mirror that reflected a message printed in reverse. Inside the main box were two additional boxes, one containing a viewing kit and the other with snacks and treats themed to each episode. Since the mailer coincided with Black Lives Matter protests in June, CBS All Access modified the unboxing moment to include its statement and details on charitable efforts.

Lionsgate hosted a drive-in premiere for the Janelle Monáe-fronted movie Antebellum at L.A.’s The Grove Sept. 14. Produced by CH Cre8tive, the socially distant rooftop experience was attended by Monáe, as well as co-stars including Gabourey Sidibe and Jena Malone. The event had a butterfly theme, evoking a symbol used throughout the horror film and its promotional art.

The event used dramatic lighting, a red-and-black color scheme, and swag delivered to cars to create an immersive experience.

HBO Max introduced new series Charm City Kings with a three-day virtual premiere from Oct. 7-9. The gathering—which raised funds for B360, Color of Change, and REFORM Alliance—featured screenings and panel discussions, plus appearances by the likes of Aldis Hodge, DeRay McKesson, and Billy Porter. Prior to the virtual event, VIP guests were mailed a motorbike-themed package that nodded to the city of Baltimore, where the series takes place. The wooden boxes featured two hand-blown glasses with a bike chain link fused into the side, plus a bottle opener made out of a decommissioned spark plug. There was also a print of a custom, mixed-media mural from Baltimore artist Ernest Shaw; the painting was auctioned off with proceeds benefiting REFORM Alliance.

In July, TNT promoted the new season of The Alienist with a variety of steal-worthy consumer experiences. Working with experiential agency Mirrored Media, the network partnered with historic New York City restaurant Delmonico’s and Feed the Frontlines NYC to create 500 three-course meals for healthcare workers at New York hospitals. TNT and Mirrored Media also partnered with department store Bergdorf Goodman to debut a curated, shoppable selection of merchandise inspired by the show’s costume design. The flagship store in New York featured a custom window display themed around the show (pictured).

TNT also worked with Little Cinema to create a three-act virtual murder mystery party. Attendees took on the role of investigative journalists from The New York Times. Using Little Cinema’s custom online platform, they traveled through various “rooms,” interacting with costumed actors who each played a suspect. Guests could use the chat function to ask questions in real time in an effort to crack the case, and they could vote who the real killer was at the end of the third act. To make the event even more immersive, VIP guests were mailed a custom swag box filled with clues, including a branded journal to track their findings and photo cards for each of the suspects. See more: Steal-Worthy Ideas From TNT's Virtual Murder Mystery Party

In May, HBO Max hosted an interactive virtual party after the premiere of underground ballroom dance show Legendary. Produced by Little Cinema, the event allowed guests to switch between a variety of rooms; in one space, Legendary host Dashaun Wesley hosted a voguing competition between virtual attendees.

To accompany the virtual premiere of HBO Max series Love Life in May, WarnerMedia delivered physical care packages to VIP attendees. The hand-delivered boxes featured everything needed for the perfect at-home date night: a three-course meal from local businesses (Mary Giuliani Catering for New York-based attendees, and Pizzeria Mozza for those in Los Angeles), plus a bottle of wine and a make-your-own Manhattan cocktail kit. The delivery also included branded wine glasses, candles, an on-theme game, and even a hand-held microphone to use during the after-party's livestreamed karaoke.

To premiere its new series Barkskins—based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Proulx—National Geographic teamed up with Beck Media & Marketing to develop a premiere screening and post-screening Q&A in May. To make the virtual event feel immersive, the team tapped digital firm 360 Design to build a virtual theater space that evoked the series' visuals—complete with period-appropriate benches, log cabin-inspired beams and flooring, and flickering lanterns on the walls.

In May, TNT worked with Little Cinema on the premiere party for its Snowpiercer series. Evoking the series' train, the virtual event had a series of "cars," each with a different live performer. In one space, series star Lena Hall (pictured) performed live in character. See more: How Hollywood Is Hosting Immersive Virtual Premiere Parties