SAN DIEGO—The highly anticipated return of Comic-Con International—better known as San Diego Comic-Con or simply SDCC—took over the city from July 21-24. It was the first full-scale, in-person gathering since the convention’s 50th anniversary in 2019 (though organizers did a smaller “Special Edition” event last November), and the event drew the usual mix of celebrities, pop culture fanatics, comic book creators and more—including big announcements from companies like Marvel Studios and DC Entertainment—to the San Diego Convention Center.
Although official attendance numbers haven’t been released, the sold-out event—which required proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test, along with masking while inside the convention center—typically draws upwards of 130,000 people.
And for many brands, the real action took place outside the official venue. A mix of VIP parties, clever activations, and memorable stunts filled the streets of the surrounding Gaslamp District, with companies like HBO Max, Audible, and Apple TV+ fighting for attention from the event’s social media-savvy crowd.
Scroll down to see some of the coolest brand moments we spotted.
HBO Max's House of the Dragon: The Dragon’s Den
As part of its global House of the Dragon marketing campaign, HBO Max transported Comic-Con guests to a Targaryen-ruled Westeros with an immersive space called "House of the Dragon: The Dragon’s Den," an 18-minute walkthrough experience featuring a 24-by-40-foot castle facade. Inside, the activation showcased everything from a 17-foot dragon skull and 12 custom dragon eggs to more than 40 cast members including actors, combat-trained guards, and musicians.
According to Pia Barlow, HBO’s executive vice president, originals marketing, the goal was to create “an immersive experience that will allow old and new fans alike to engage in a unique journey, bringing them closer to the Westeros featured in the new series House of the Dragon.”
According to Pia Barlow, HBO’s executive vice president, originals marketing, the goal was to create “an immersive experience that will allow old and new fans alike to engage in a unique journey, bringing them closer to the Westeros featured in the new series House of the Dragon.”
Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max
The multi-sensory experience, built by creative agency Giant Spoon, guided attendees through a ceremonial dragon-hatching experience. Guests could interact with the sights, sounds, and people of King’s Landing, plus select their own dragon egg while being immersed in sound-sensory elements that were powered by Bose. Special effects included faux fire, scent projection, faux smoke, and haze.
Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max
The Dragon’s Den pop-up culminated in the Throne Room, where, for the first time, fans could see and sit on the 13-foot Targaryen-era Iron Throne for a photo moment. More than 4,200 custom pins were handed out as giveaways.
Attendees could also “hatch” their personalized, virtual reality dragon eggs via a new AR-driven app called House of the Dragon: DracARys, which enabled them to “raise” their dragon at home.
Attendees could also “hatch” their personalized, virtual reality dragon eggs via a new AR-driven app called House of the Dragon: DracARys, which enabled them to “raise” their dragon at home.
Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max
Audible Beach
In celebration of Audible Originals Impact Winter and The Sandman, along with the launch of Moriarty: The Devil’s Game, Audible worked with Civic Entertainment Group to create massive, themed sand sculptures at an activation called Audible Beach. On-site, fans could sample Audible Originals, snap photos of the sculptures, and sit and recharge in branded beach chairs.
Photo: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Audible
The three Audible Beach sand sculptures were designed by Civic Entertainment Group and brought to life by an international team of artists from the Sand Sculpture Company, led by world-renowned sand artist Ted Siebert. They were constructed with 150 tons of impacted sand and took one week to construct from start to finish.
Photo: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Audible
#FXSDCC's Horror Labyrinth
FX stood out at Comic-Con by building an immersive, 100,000-square-foot walkable labyrinth on the lawn at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. The outdoor experience, produced in collaboration with Creative Riff, featured designated areas for various FX series, including the American Horror Story franchise, What We Do in the Shadows, Little Demon, and Mayans M.C.
Photo: Courtesy of FX
![Kenya Hardaway, FX’s senior vice president, integrated promotions-multi-platform marketing, said that the team “understand[s] the value of shared experiences and [was] eager to host guests in our immersive, outdoor space, where we [brought] some of our shows to life in a way that we know audiences will love.” The experience also included custom kiosks featuring the “FX Identity” quiz where fans answered a series of FX-inspired personality questions. Their responses were used to build a customized profile with series recommendations that are available to stream on Hulu.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/07/JP1_7452.62e4396707205.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
Kenya Hardaway, FX’s senior vice president, integrated promotions-multi-platform marketing, said that the team “understand[s] the value of shared experiences and [was] eager to host guests in our immersive, outdoor space, where we [brought] some of our shows to life in a way that we know audiences will love.”
The experience also included custom kiosks featuring the “FX Identity” quiz where fans answered a series of FX-inspired personality questions. Their responses were used to build a customized profile with series recommendations that are available to stream on Hulu.
The experience also included custom kiosks featuring the “FX Identity” quiz where fans answered a series of FX-inspired personality questions. Their responses were used to build a customized profile with series recommendations that are available to stream on Hulu.
Photo: Courtesy of FX
The maze featured a variety of fun Easter eggs, giveaways, and scary photo ops. To celebrate the American Horror Story franchise, for example, fans could walk into the “AHS Garden of the Dolls” and get a makeover look from the artist who helped design the series' creepy dolls.
Photo: Courtesy of FX
In a more light-hearted area celebrating the vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows, attendees could take photos inside Najda’s-San Diego, a pop-up nightclub that nodded to the show's upcoming season.
There was also the Little Demon Den, where fans could watch an exclusive screening of the series premiere.
There was also the Little Demon Den, where fans could watch an exclusive screening of the series premiere.
Photo: Courtesy of FX
Apple TV+'s 'Severance' Experience
In its first-ever presence at SDCC, Apple TV+ promoted its hit series Severance with an immersive experience at the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego. The space invited guests to step into the show’s world via their own “orientation” at Lumon Industries, the mysterious company at the center of the Ben Stiller-directed drama series. An eye-catching building wrap from GDX Studios promoted the experience.
Photo: Courtesy of Apple TV+
Inside the activation, fans had the opportunity to be “severed”—a procedure from the show that separates your work life from your personal life. New employees then navigated through several locations featured in the series, including the boardroom where the new hires will meet their "innie," and the MDR office where guests could try their hand at refining data.
Photo: Courtesy of Apple TV+
As attendees explored life on the severed floor, they had the chance to interact with various Lumon employees and gather perks along the way.
Photo: Courtesy of Apple TV+
CBS's 'Ghosts' Activation
As part of a summerlong campaign celebrating CBS comedy Ghosts, creativity agency BMF produced Pinecone Trooper Pete’s “Friend Zone,” an activation honoring one of the show's ghosts. The tongue-in-cheek activation, which popped up at the Interactive Zone at Petco Park, was meant to take place on the lawn of the Woodstone Mansion, the show’s setting and home to the ghosts.
Photo: Beyond The Light/Jun Mapue
The activation featured campsite-inspired activities like archery, a nod to character Pete’s unfortunate archery accident.
Photo: Beyond The Light/Jun Mapue
On-site, fans could connect with “the other side” via physic mediums and various programming before watching a special screening of the show.
Photo: Beyond The Light/Jun Mapue
Paramount+ Booth
Paramount+ brought the iconic Paramount Mountain to the Comic-Con convention floor with agency partner BMF. According to the BMF team, the booth was strategically designed to be unconventional and tech-forward, blurring the lines between digital and physical while offering fans a chance to interact IRL with their favorite characters. The exterior drew attention with an oversize mountain facade, plus lenticular signage featuring some of Paramount+'s beloved characters like Halo's Master Chief and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Photo: Courtesy of BMF
Once inside the booth, guests were invited to explore "A Mountain of Entertainment” with a custom AR filter, a kinetic Summit Zone cube featuring infinite 3D landscapes, and gamified custom swag giveaways.
Fans were also encouraged to participate in a Paramount Passport scavenger hunt. Prizes were offered to those who visited each of the four Paramount SDCC experiences: the Paramount+ booth, the Nickelodeon booth, the Beavis & Butt-Head booth, and Star Trek's 10 Forward: The Experience Gaslamp activation.
Fans were also encouraged to participate in a Paramount Passport scavenger hunt. Prizes were offered to those who visited each of the four Paramount SDCC experiences: the Paramount+ booth, the Nickelodeon booth, the Beavis & Butt-Head booth, and Star Trek's 10 Forward: The Experience Gaslamp activation.
Photo: Courtesy of BMF
'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Theives' Tavern
Paramount Pictures celebrated its upcoming movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves with a tavern experience on the corner of Sixth and Island avenues. Inside was a 20-minute immersive experience, produced by NVE Experience Agency, that included photo ops and exclusive giveaways like a custom-created print from Bosslogic.
Photo: Courtesy of NVE Experience Agency
Attendees could also sip on alcoholic and non-alcoholic “Dragon Brew,” plus interact with on-theme creatures and characters.
Photo: Courtesy of NVE Experience Agency
AMC's 'The Walking Dead' Fan Celebration
AMC Networks—in partnership with experiential agency 3CS and creative agency Campfire—returned to SDCC to celebrate The Walking Dead’s highly anticipated series finale this fall. The Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Hotel’s Skylight Terrace was transformed into the ultimate fan destination on July 22, with iconic relics, set pieces, and vignettes from all 11 seasons on display.
Photo: Spearhead Media
Live “walkers” greeted attendees and roamed the party. Fans could also experience an airbrush makeup station that transformed them into walkers themselves, as well as themed food and beverages.
Photo: Spearhead Media
Disney Bundle's Bundleworks Factory
Disney Bundle hosted its first-ever Comic-Con activation with the “Bundleworks Factory,” a reference to the “factory” that fuels Disney Bundle—or "Bundletown"—and all of its streaming capabilities. The activation featured interactive games where fans could earn "Bundlebucks" rewards to trade in for swag from each of the Disney Bundle’s platforms: Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.
Photo: Jess Bernstein
Attendees could finish their "work shift" in the break room with an ice-cold slushie. The Bundleworks Factory was located at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and was produced by Creative Riff.
Photo: Jess Bernstein
Dr. Squatch's Death Star Bathroom
Men's personal care brand Dr. Squatch was an official licensee within the Lucas Films Pavilion. Experiential agency GDX Studios worked with the brand to create the "Death Star Bathroom," where limited-edition Star Wars packs were available.
The fun moment was one of eight activations produced by the San Diego-based agency. “GDX Studios is over the moon about the return of the greatest pop culture event of the year," said Seth Bardacke, president of GDX Studios. "Activating for long-standing clients and a handful of new ones, GDX’s presence extended from the show floor to throughout the conventions’ takeover of the Gaslamp district and beyond.”
The fun moment was one of eight activations produced by the San Diego-based agency. “GDX Studios is over the moon about the return of the greatest pop culture event of the year," said Seth Bardacke, president of GDX Studios. "Activating for long-standing clients and a handful of new ones, GDX’s presence extended from the show floor to throughout the conventions’ takeover of the Gaslamp district and beyond.”
Photo: Courtesy of GDX Studios
Dr. Squatch's Street Team
Outside of the convention center, a team of Dr. Squatch ambassadors roamed the area with free, full-size products held inside attention-grabbing, "Squatch-sized" backpacks.
Photo: Courtesy of GDX Studios
Netflix's 'The Sandman' Stunt
GDX Studios also worked with Netflix and Concept Arts to create a costumed character promoting The Sandman, which drew attention by wandering around the convention.
Photo: Courtesy of GDX Studios
Jam's Beverage Break Activation
Working with GDX Studios, Jam—which bills itself as “a new way to share and listen to bite-sized audio"—roamed the streets of San Diego with a team of ambassadors (playfully known as “Jambassadors”) to promote the new platform while providing much-needed hot coffee and cold beverages to conventioneers.
Photo: Courtesy of GDX Studios
'Entertainment Weekly' Street Team
An Entertainment Weekly street team, along with GDX Studios, delivered 65,000 of its special San Diego Comic-Con edition directly to convention attendees.
Photo: Courtesy of GDX Studios
'Entertainment Weekly' Party
Entertainment Weekly also hosted its annual Comic-Con party on July 23 at FLOAT at the Hard Rock Hotel. The closing-night bash was hosted by presenting sponsor Prime Video and featured entertainment from DJ Michelle Pesce. It drew cast members from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Sandman, What We Do in the Shadows, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and more.
Photo: Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly
