The e.l.f. Cosmetics Spooktacular Halloween Truck was outfitted with plenty of sparkle and Halloween-inspired decor, including branded pumpkins, a neon light wall for photo ops, and a product display with e.l.f. products.Photo: Courtesy of e.l.f. Cosmetics
Slightly different from a nationwide mobile tour that stops at a central venue within various cities and markets, this type of hyperlocal, targeted experiential marketing brings the event to the people by visiting an individual home or specific location.
For example, around Halloween, e.l.f. Cosmetics’ influencer agency Duncan Channon designed a custom Volkswagen bus that brought a personal pop-up experience directly to beauty influencers’ homes in Los Angeles. The e.l.f. Cosmetics Spooktacular Halloween Truck allowed the at-home guests to safely try out products displayed in the decked-out mobile suite, which included photo ops against a 12-foot wall of hand-painted pumpkins as well as a personalized pumpkin patch in the front yards.
“We knew that Halloween was going to look different this year, but we didn’t want it to stop us from doing something special that would bring something festive to our community,” explained Patrick O'Keefe, VP of integrated marketing communications for the brand. “We think of our e.l.f. influencers as part of our extended e.l.f. family and we wanted to bring them together, safely, in a ‘real life’ moment.” The influencers, who were chosen based on availability and timing, were then able to create content in a safe, socially distanced way.
While not necessarily a new concept, these ultra personal experiences are allowing brands to connect with (and celebrate) consumers at a time when large in-person events are a no-go. Chase and Southwest Airlines, in partnership with Brides.com and FleishmanHillard Inc., recently teamed up to host "Honeymoons for Heroes" pop-up experiences in Sonoma Valley, Calif., the Bay Area, and New York City. The customized set-ups were designed for essential-worker couples whose original romantic getaways were postponed because of COVID-19.
In September, to celebrate Oktoberfest, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. sent Yodelgrams to residents in the Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Va., area. TikTok yodeling sensation Cassidy Rose visited homes armed with the brand’s Oktoberfest beers and steins, along with a custom yodel.
The Reese’s Trick-or-Treat Door drew widespread buzz and media attention.Photo: Courtesy of Hershey's
These door-to-door activations can also serve as scaled-down versions of larger events that may have been nixed because of the pandemic. This is the case with GenesisCare. The provider of cancer and urology care was originally supposed to host a large conference in Miami in October to introduce its recent rebranding from 21st Century Oncology to GenesisCare. Instead, Rose Gold Collective produced a mobile tour that allowed the company to bring the brand's messaging to clinics. It will run through January and visit over 50 clinics in 50-plus cities within 16 states over the 12-week program.
Sarah Sebastian, creative director and owner of Rose Gold Collective, explained that the mobile tour allows them to better manage social distancing, as well as minimize contact for the nurses and doctors. She added that the centers were selected based on their proximity to other locations and their ability to accommodate the trailer, which was fabricated by Craftsmen Industries, without any disruption to patients.
Within the bus, employees are able to engage with five stations that demonstrate the newly revised GenesisCare values, and a two-minute virtual-reality meditation includes disposable VR headsets rather than shared ones.
While these kinds of activations might not reach a large group of guests, their effectiveness is still powerful. “Even at a social distance, there is nothing more impactful than being able to connect with our community in person, to see their smiles and expressions,” O'Keefe said. “We believe that when you can create a safe, interactive, and purpose-filled event, it builds connections on so many levels.”
Scroll down to see more of these personalized pop-up activations.
