Since its inception in 1970, Comic-Con International—commonly known as San Diego Comic-Con—has grown well beyond the world of comic books. The four-day event, which this year was held from July 20 to 23 in and around the San Diego Convention Center, has become a platform for brands, TV networks, movie studios, and comic publishers to showcase their products through wacky stunts, public fan experiences, and over-the-top parties.
With attendance inside the convention center capped at 130,000 people, brands have taken to the streets to create fan experiences at local hotels, parks, bars, and parking lots. From a mutant-gene-testing station to a full-scale Viking funeral in the bay to a coloring book as large as a house, here’s a look at how brands got attention at this year’s massive pop-culture fest.
In the same area as the daytime event, Adult Swim fans could watch screenings of the latest series and pilots. Blankets and snacks were provided by sponsor Snickers.
HBO series Westworld, a science-fiction western about an amusement park populated by androids, had one of the most buzzed-about activations at the convention. Fans, who were required to make prior appointments by visiting the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, entered the immersive theatrical activation and interacted with actors who played the part of androids. Guests were given one-on-one personality evaluations, then explored a gallery of vintage weaponry and actual costumes from the series. Hidden Easter eggs throughout the activation gave sneak peeks of the show's second season.
After going through the onboarding process, guests were escorted to a replica of Sweetwater’s Mariposa saloon, where they were able to interact with a player piano that played songs from the series. They also drank signature cocktails crafted by mixologist Paul McGee.
Adult Swim returned this year with its free, public fan experience located directly behind the convention center. Produced by Hadley Media, the carnival-like area featured games, prizes, tarot-card readings, celebrity guests, show tie-ins, and more.
Across from the convention center was a large tent featuring an elaborate replica of the upcoming Warner Brothers film Blade Runner 2049. Inside, fans used VR headsets to enter the world of Blade Runner, chasing replicants (lifelike robots from the movie) through Los Angeles. Once the VR experience ended, the theater walls disappeared and fans found themselves inside a physical rendition of what they had just seen. Actors dressed as police officers occasionally grabbed participants to "test" if they were replicants. Guests were later ushered into a bar area where they could explore set pieces, costumes, and props from the movie.
Comedy series Broad City made its first appearance at Comic-Con with a life-size coloring book activation. Illustrations designed by Broad City artist Mike Perry covered the walls and furniture, and attendees used paint to add color. The activation—which took place at the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center—also offered Broad City-inspired manicures and temporary tattoos.
Amazon Prime Video promoted its new television revival of The Tick with a movie-set-style experience on the MLK Promenade, directly across from the convention center. Amazon and Sony worked with NVE Experience Agency to build a 20-foot-tall animatronic tick head, and attendees pulled levers throughout the weekend to control the Tick’s emotions. The Tick Takeover was open to the public for the duration of Comic-Con.
The Amazon Prime promotion for The Tick also included a challenge-based scavenger hunt, where attendees helped the show’s protagonists catch a group of villains. The hunt brought guests through four rooms that evoked the series’ sets, including the main character’s apartment and a police station. Graffiti and wall murals by artist Matty Mo provided popular photo ops, and a Tick-theme porta potty, produced by Grandesign Media, had puns such as “Get Flush With Justice” and “Relieve Yourself (of Evil)” written on the doors. A #TickTeam street team also roamed the streets of San Diego offering tongue-in-cheek medical services that referenced the show.
A buzzed-about activation for the FX series Legion used a Microsoft HoloLens to put visitors in the shoes of David Haller, the show’s main character. Guests were asked questions by an attendant about traumatic events and memories—a recurring theme from the show—then were able to use the HoloLens’s augmented reality to manipulate digital items around the room.
A Legion-branded wall and swing set provided a popular photo op outside of the activation. The Legion experience was part of FX’s larger Comic-Con presence, which was dubbed FXhibition and was held on the lawn of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. The four-day fan experience offered several interactive experiences for fans, including a gravity-defying photo booth inspired by Atlanta, a sunscreen-application area inspired by The Strain, and a life-size American Horror Story-theme zoetrope.
History had one of the most memorable activations of the weekend: It lit a 45-foot-long ship on fire in the middle of the San Diego Bay. The stunt, held on July 21, was meant to promote the drama series Vikings, which will begin its fifth season in November. Characters in full 10th-century Viking costumes held a funeral procession through the Gaslamp Quarter throughout the day, meant to honor the show’s characters who have died.
The Vikings procession ended at the Embarcadero Marina Park South with a waterfront ceremony that engulfed the ship and a lifelike Viking corpse in flames. Drinking horns were distributed following the ceremony, and guests could get temporary tattoos of the show’s logo written in ink that resembled blood.
History also promoted its new drama Knightfall with an outdoor bag check that evoked the Knights Templar military order. The activation assigned “guardians” to protect attendees’ belongings while they explored the convention.
The first-ever Syfy pop-up Geek Love Chapel hosted more than 30 weddings and vow renewals over the course of the Comic-Con weekend. The ceremonies were officiated by American Gods star Orlando Jones, who came up with the idea as a way to celebrate fandom. Sharknado actor Ian Ziering (pictured) also got in on the action, renewing his vows with wife. The ceremonies were open to the public.
To promote the upcoming Focus Features spy movie Atomic Blonde, a street team dressed as Charlize Theron’s character, Agent Lorraine Broughton, hit the streets in black leather boots, blonde wigs, sunglasses, and trench coats. The team handed out cassette tapes and invites to a screening of the film. Grandesign Media planned the promotion.
Thought the weekend, Fox hosted several attention-grabbing public experiences on the lawn of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront to promote the channel’s new shows. For the upcoming Seth MacFarlane space comedy The Orville, fans took a ride on a spinning gyroscope tool (pictured)—which is actually used by NASA astronauts. Fans could also complete applications to learn what career would best suit them on the fictional intergalactic vessel U.S.S. Orville.
Another Fox activation evoked the new series Ghosted, a supernatural sitcom starring Adam Scott and Craig Robinson. Guests entered a power-plant-like facility and suited up as either a government agent or an alien to play laser tag.
To promote the upcoming show The Gifted, which is based on Marvel’s X-Men, the network created an “X-Gene Screening Station” on the lawn of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Guests received laser scans and cheek swabs to determine if they were mutants.
The Gifted also provided the theme for Fox’s after-party, which was held at the Rooftop by STK at the Andaz on July 21. The network teamed up with entertainment website IGN to host the event, which featured cocktails such as the “X-Gene and Tonic.” Branding and hashtags for the show featured prominently throughout the venue.
The brands joined forces to host a superhero-theme party at Altitude Sky Lounge on July 21. Guests donned colorful capes branded with the CW logo, and ate food and cocktails inspired by Tasty, Buzzfeed’s food division. Giveaways included Buzzfeed-branded beer koozies, and a photo booth had superhero-theme props. Faux Tattoo Studios provided temporary tattoos throughout the evening.
Also produced by Hadley Media was a pop-up ice cream shop in the Petco Internative Zone for video-game developer Blizzard Entertainment. The shop evoked Knights of the Frozen Throne, an upcoming expansion to the Hearthstone digital card game. Guests who stopped by could receive free cones of either “Villain-illa” or “Scourgeberry Sorbet.”
Mr. Robot fans had the chance to immerse themselves in the show by visiting the “Bank of E,” a pop-up bank based on the show’s fictional E Corp conglomerate. Attendees received their own E Corp card loaded with crypto currency, which they could spend on food, drinks, and retail items throughout San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. Guests could also use it grab a bite at pop-up Red Wheelbarrow BBQ next door, another nod to the show.
Fans also hunted down clues both in the Mr. Robot activation and around the city that ultimately led them to a phone number. From there, they were directed to meet in a hidden room inside the activation, where they participated in a “worthiness test” that included trivia from the show. Fans who passed the test were able to view never-before-seen content from season 3. Production Glue and Civic Entertainment Group planned and executed the activation.
Men’s shave brand Schick hosted an immersive fan experience this year, complete with an escape room and an original comic book called “Schick Hydrobot and the Transformers.” The escape room challenged conventiongoers to immerse themselves in the comic’s story and solve hidden clues to find a missing scientist. A series of rooms were filled with props and clues, and hologram technology was used to further the experience. Guests who solved the mystery in 20 minutes or less were rewarded with Schick swag.
Docked at Fifth Avenue Landing behind the convention center, the invite-only IMDBoat featured exclusive celebrity interviews, a live show hosted by Kevin Smith, and a Friday-night party. Select fans who posted the #IMDBoat hashtag on social media were invited to board throughout the weekend, and were given early access to test out the not-yet-released Call of Duty: WWII video game. The experience was produced by Hadley Media.
The channel held an evening event at the Kimpton Solamar hotel on July 22 to celebrate two of its space-theme series: returning series Mars, and the new series One Strange Rock. As the sun went down, the National Geographic logo, plus images of the earth and Mars, were projected on the nearby building. National Geographic planned the event in-house.
Rock candy evoked the space theme and served as a decor piece to offset the signature National Geographic yellow border. Other food items included craft cocktails with cheeky names such as “The Earthling,” “Atomic Rocket,” and “Martian.”
Warner Brothers tapped Grandesign Media to create a promotion for the upcoming horror remake It. Fans were invited to board the run-down bus, sit in chairs that spun 360 degrees, and don VR headsets that brought them inside Pennywise the clown’s house.
A staple of Comic-Con for the past 10 years, Wired returned with a three-day pop-up at the Omni San Diego. The cafe doubled as a promotion for the upcoming AT&T original television show Mr. Mercedes, a detective series based on a Stephen King novel of the same name. Attendees ate on-theme ice cream, got screen-printed swag, and explored exclusive content related to the show. The show’s signature smiley face—the killer’s calling card in the series—showed up on umbrellas, photo booth backdrops, the DJ booth, and more throughout the event.
New this year, Wired staff hosted the Wired Café at Comic-Con Facebook Live Show, which featured interviews with the casts of Dr. Who, Lego Ninjago, and more.
Entertainment forum site Fandom worked with Hadley Media to create two events: a daytime festival and an evening party. The daytime event, which was sponsored by Pepsi and held at the Petco Interactive Zone, was the website’s first festival at Comic-Con; it featured a fan lounge, trivia games, cosplay shows, celebrity guests, and more. The Fandom Fantasy Food Truck served pop-culture-inspired snacks such as the “Wookiee Cookie” created by Root Cellar Catering.
Fandom also held an evening party on July 20 at Float at the Hard Rock; the night featured a performance by Big Boi.
Adult Swim joined forces with Snickers to unveil a fleet of vehicles wrapped with custom artwork from the network’s show FishCenter. The cars offered free rides around San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter to conventiongoers throughout the weekend. Inside, fans could snack on Snickers and watch Adult Swim content on rear headset monitors. The experience was produced by Hadley Media.
One of the most anticipated annual parties of the weekend was Entertainment Weeky’s Comic-Con Bash. This year’s event was held at Float at the Hard Rock Hotel on July 22, and was produced by Event Eleven. The evening featured activations from sponsors HBO, Xbox, and Peet’s Cold Brew, and entertainment from DJ Michelle Pesce. The night drew a who’s-who of Comic-Con attendees, including Chadwick Boseman, Seth MacFarlane, and James Marsden. During the event, guests played volleyball in an EW-branded pool.
Nintendo offered V.I.P. guests the chance to play exclusive previews of some of the new Nintendo Switch games at the TV Insider Lounge at the Hard Rock Hotel. Celebrities such as Seth Rogen, Elijah Wood, and Krysten Ritter tested out the new Super Mario Odyssey, Pokkén Tournament DX, and more—while a crowd of fans formed outside the lounge’s large windows to watch.
Nintendo also took over the ballroom of the Marriott Marquis San Diego, which recently completed a $107 million renovation. The ballroom was filled with stations where fans could play upcoming Nintendo Switch games, win prizes, check out new hardware, and participate in game-theme activities.
NVE Experience Agency teamed up with Nylon magazine to host an evening party on July 21 at the Omnia nightclub. The night featured performances by Warren G and Mase, and DJ sets by Brody Jenner and Jamie Iovine. Bottle servers donned Wonder Woman outfits and carried Captain America shields branded with the Omnia logo.
