Pitchfork Music Festival Ideas: Sponsors Read Auras, Built Walk-In Beer Cooler in Chicago

For a more down-to-earth perk, the side wall of Emusic's aura-reading activation had plenty of fans to help cool guests down during the Chicago heat wave.

The festival took place in Chicago's Union Park, with three main stages that had red, green, or blue flags strung across the top. On the maps, performers and showtimes were listed in different colors so that guests knew which stage would house the act.

Emusic, a digital music service for indie music fans, had an activation that drew lines. Guests stepped into a small photo booth, put on headphones, and listened to four different songs from various Pitchfork acts. As they listened to each song, guests put their hand on an electrical plate that allegedly read spiritual vibes and frequencies. The photo booth captured the guests' auras as they listened to each of the different songs, and printed out colorful strips that showcased the spiritual moods that went along with each listening experience. The New York-based Mother worked with Chicago's Ravenswood Events to produce the unusual experience.

Whole Foods erected an on-site farmer's market where guests could purchase everything from strawberries to sunflowers. The cute, country-style space was dressed up with gingham curtains and woven baskets.

Heineken had a dome-shaped tent meant to represent a reinvented beer cooler. After having their IDs checked, guests entered the air-conditioned space to find open bars doling out the Dutch beer on tap. Darkened and shot through with green light—the brand's signature hue—the tent had projection videos of real-time Pitchfork concerts playing on its ceiling. The California-based Corso Communications produced the activation.

Badoo, a London-based social networking and dating site, offered free downloads of its app. Those who did get the app also received free sunglasses (a perk on the festival's blindingly sunny final day) and were entered to win tickets to the V.I.P. area. Brand reps told guests that the site is "big in Europe," and just being discovered in the states.

Purina gave out free "pet rock" posters, which featured colorful, arty illustrations of dogs and cats clutching musical instruments. The brand also had a video booth that let guests hop in and share their personal "ingredient for daily good," since the brand's marketing focuses on the pure ingredients that make up its pet food. To produce the activation, Pitchfork organizers worked with Zeus Jones, a creative agency based in Minneapolis.

For the first time, organizers offered festival-goers the chance to store their belongings in on-site lockers. The cost for a day's worth of storage was $15.

A book fort, which offered a showcase for new works from independent publishers, was also new this year. The festival already has established an record fair (called Chrip) and Coterie, a showcase of artisan-crafted wares including jewelry.

Intel had an arcade-like area called "Soundplay" where guests could play music-themed video games. The overall program was produced in a partnership between Pitchfork organizers and the Chicago-based OMD advertising agency.