This week's roundup includes an umbrella mosaic that achieved a Guinness World Record in Orlando, a Maille's Paris-inspired pop-up bistro in Toronto, Game of Thrones-theme cabanas at Comic-Con in San Diego, and candy sculpture centerpieces in Miami Beach.
The National Federation of the Blind set a new Guinness World Records title for largest umbrella mosaic when 2,480 people simultaneously raised blue and white umbrellas to create the organization's icon and tagline, "Live the life you want." The event, which took place July 8 in the parking lot of the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, was part of the organization's 75th anniversary celebration.
French mustard brand Maille hosted a Paris-inspired pop-up bistro at David Pecaut Square to celebrate Toronto Bastille Day July 12. Planned by the PR Department, the pop-up served sandwiches, macarons, and cocktails made with different flavors of Maille mustard. The "1747" cocktails, served in jars with the brand's logo, included Cognac Remy Martin and Maille Provençal.
The Sugar Factory Ocean Drive opening, which was produced by Live It Productions International, took place July 19 at Hotel Victor in Miami Beach. Topiary-like candy sculptures served as non-floral centerpieces. The all-white furniture rentals gave the space a South Beach-chic look.
Evoke planned and designed a neon rave-theme bat mitzvah at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., in February. Escort cards, which were tacked to a crisscrossed black wood fixture at the entrance, were lit up by colorful rings that blinked the entire night.
As many marketers for brands are using "nostalgia marketing" to capture the attention of millennials, event producers are doing the same. Chicago company Groupon uses nostalgic games—such as Twister—to bond employees at its annual summertime outing.
Toronto architectural studio Raw Design hosted its eighth annual "Raw" party on June 25 at a 30,000-square-foot industrial space. The theme, "Raw Canvas," invited guests to decorate floors, walls, and their own bodies. Paint cans rested beside a paint-by-numbers pattern on the wall, and partygoers were invited to color in squares.
Starwood’s Le Méridien hotel brand has made the éclair its dessert of choice, developing a signature éclair for each destination in partnership with James Beard award-winning pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini. While the treats are served on the hotel’s restaurant menus as well as offered as meeting breaks, they can also be incorporated into teambuilding activities. Several properties, from Santa Monica (pictured) to Dallas to Philadelphia have led groups in a build-your-own éclair station.
Facebook launched IQ Live—its event series that shares insights on consumer behavior with ad agencies and advertisers—on May 20 at New York's Spring Studios and at Venue Six10 in Chicago in June. One vignette at the events was called the Instagram Cafe. "Coffee is such a big hashtag, and people post photos of latte art—it's a huge trending topic for us," said Erica Bryndza, who works in Insights for Facebook's North America marketing. The area showcased a piece of art that used coffee mugs to depict the Instagram logo.
While the panels and exhibits inside the San Diego Convention Center are a major draw for fans of Comic-Con International, this year's event, which took place July 9 to 11, featured numerous promotions, stunts, and brand activations that occurred around the city. At the Entertainment Weekly Comic-Con Party, which took place at Float at the Hard Rock Hotel, Event Eleven's design included cabanas for sponsor HBO and its show Game of Thrones. Each included Moroccan rugs, poufs, heavy dark wood credenzas, and tables with fresh fruit, cheese, and charcuterie.
Kentucky Fried Chicken brought three activations to Comic-Con that were centered on the brand's founder and mascot, Colonel Sanders. Through a partnership with Adult Swim, the brand brought seven life-size Wi-Fi-enabled Colonel Sanders statues positioned around various intersections of the Gaslamp Quarter, each decked out in cosplay attire. When conferencegoers located the statues and connected to the network, they reached a co-branded Kentucky Fried Chicken and Robot Chicken digital hub for custom content. Costumed staffers were on hand to promote the brand and its comic campaign.
