At a July 7 launch party for Sex on the Moon, a new book by Boston author Ben Mezrich, spacesuit-clad servers circulated with alcohol-infused gelatin. Held at the W Boston and co-hosted by Doubleday, the soiree took on an outer-space theme that echoed the book's subject—the true story of a N.A.S.A. scientist, Thad Roberts, who served jail time for stealing moon rocks.
Max Buccini, public relations and marketing manager at the W Boston, sought to “bring the theme of the book to life without making it seem cliché or over the top,” he said. Buccini tapped PSAV lighting technicians to bathe the hotel's great room in purple and black LED lights and create custom gobos shaped like constellations, stars, and crescent moons. Filled with candles, low-hanging glass orbs added more soft lighting to the space. A wall-size video projection depicted a spinning image of Earth as seen from the moon.
DJ Cousin John, dressed in an orange launch-entry suit, spun a mix of trance music and Top 40 tunes. As guests danced and lounged, servers passed cocktail shots, each made with sponsor Rokk vodka and bearing thematic names like “Cosmo-naut,” “Moon Rokk,” and “Love Letters from Prison.” To brand the event, Buccini printed postcards that held an image the book cover on one side and the recipes for the space-themed drinks on the other; guests found the keepsake cards at highboy tables.
The by-invite crowd included more than 200 guests, who represented a mix of publishing industry pros, local celebrities, and the fashion community. Attendees had the opportunity to purchase the book on site and meet both the author and Roberts.