This week's roundup includes a customizable sunglasses station in New York, patriotic flag-inspired pies in Austin, a Mr. Robot virtual reality experience in San Diego, and penguin-shaped cuisine in Chicago.
The inaugural Panorama music festival took place July 22 to 24 at Randall's Island in New York. The Goldenvoice-produced event had a tech-art theme, realized by a pop-up museum called the Lab. Digital art installations included an attendee-powered color wall from sponsor HP. Using the brand's technology, the wall changed colors in time for a selfie taken with a laptop. The activation was produced by Infinity Marketing Team.
This year's Comic-Con International took place July 21 to 24 in and around the San Diego Convention Center. Amazon Village partnered with NVE: The Experience Agency to host activations for some of Amazon's shows. The Man in the High Castle experience had a pop-up museum and a virtual-reality experience using Samsung Vive VR headset technology that immersed fans in the show's world, which imagines that the Nazis had won World War II. The 4-D virtual-reality experience included recreations of scenes from the show, an atomizer for scent, and a rigged trail that moved. Participants could also take 360-degree photos to share on social media.
USA Network's Mr. Robot series gave fans the chance to experience a virtual-reality prequel written and directed by show creator Sam Esmail. The 12-minute scripted piece, created with Chris Milk’s virtual-reality production company Here Be Dragons in partnership with Universal Cable Productions, provided viewers with one of the first extended narrative pieces of television content in the VR medium.
TBS and Snickers promoted Conan O'Brien's talk show Conan with a Satisfaction Station activation at the Petco Park Interactive Zone. Fans could dress up as fictional superheroes for a branded content video, and photos taken within the station could be used to create comic-book covers starring fans in costume.
The Women's Board of Lincoln Park Zoo's 39th annual Zoo Ball took place July 15 in Chicago. Inspired by the event's "Penguins in Paradise" theme, Jewell Events Catering provided dinner that included a goat cheese soufflé topped with a penguin-shaped cracker. The butter that accompanied the bread was also a penguin shape.
For an election-season party idea, online marketplace Minted lets customers upload any side-profile photo—including those for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump—to create a custom silhouette art print. The prints are available foil-pressed, letterpresses, or in standard printing in a variety of colors.
Tiny Pies in Austin, Texas, makes flag-inspired pies. The desserts are filled with cherries and blueberries and topped with a stars-and-stripes-patterned crust.
American Express activated its Amex Experience tent—which was designed and constructed by Momentum Worldwide—during the festival. A popular low-tech experience for festivalgoers was a customizable sunglasses station.
Macy's partnered with LeadDog Marketing Group to produce the Macy's Oasis, which gave festivalgoers a chance to relax with lounge furniture and a charging station. Along with bandanas soaked in ice water, the lounge had a string-art wall created by attendees.
Century 21 Real Estate hosted a networking event for real estate agents and industry professionals June 23 at the Camarillo Airport in California's Ventura County. Instead of a traditional still photo booth, organizers brought in a system from A-1 Array that combined images from 13 cameras into an animated GIF.
