Roller-skating, miniature golf, and portrait sittings aren't generally the go-to after work activities for New Yorkers, but those are the kinds of events SoBe Lifewater has been hosting for the past month with its weekly SoBe Summer Friday series at Stephen Weiss Studio. Each uniquely themed party has managed to attract crowds of as many as 400 at any given time since the campaign kicked off in late June.
"From a brand standpoint, if you want to be talked about, you have to be a part of what people are already talking about," said SoBe Beverages director of marketing Angelique Kremb. "There's so much going on in the city during the summer, but one thing so many people have in common is summer Fridays. Finding activities for influencers to do on their summer Fridays—that aren't typical to New York—seemed like the best way to enter that conversation."
Planning for the Summer Friday series, which saw SoBe work with recurring partner New York-based Epiphany Media, began in late 2008, and from the beginning the two parties wanted to see the initiative take place in an urban environment. "We had talked about the Hamptons but felt that Manhattan was a better fit for the brand," said Krembs. "The Hamptons just didn't feel cool enough, so the city wasn't a tough choice, but the debate of New York versus other markets required more thought. I would say there are a couple of key cities for us, and it comes down to New York, South Beach, Vegas, and Los Angeles. We have stuff going on in all of those markets throughout the year [including a 4th of July Party in Los Angeles], but summer just felt like the right fit for New York."
Once the market was decided on, the biggest challenge was finding the right venue. SoBe and Epiphany discussed everything from rooftop pools to loft spaces, but one location remained at the top of their lists since they started scouting in February: Donna Karan's Stephen Weiss Studio.
"We really found a great partner in Donna Karan—and a space where we could actually program things," said Epiphany founder Coltrane Curtis. "A lot of the catering partners were picked from her suggestions, and we were able to tap into her Urban Zen charity for a nonprofit aspect. This whole thing is about partnerships."
Those partnerships have been extensive. Each event has had media partnerships with outlets like New York magazine, Paper, and the local NBC affiliate. Local restaurants including Cafe Habana, Delicatessen, and La Esquina have also brought different culinary themes to each event—though the drinks have been consistently SoBe-infused.
And just because SoBe secured a steady gig at the venue doesn't mean producers haven't been working around the clock on Fridays to get all of the materials in and out of the space in under 20 hours. The festivities run from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., and aside from the opening and closing events—which go as late as 1 a.m.—on-site preparations have been starting promptly at 6 a.m. on Friday mornings, with everything cleared and on the move by midnight.
Additional on-site negotiations involved the revolving installations that have included a photo studio, full-size cars for a drive-in event, and more than a dozen arcade games. Still to come later this summer are SoBe's pop-up roller rink, a sample sale to benefit Karan's Urban Zen charity, and tonight's miniature golf course, for which the R.S.V.P. line closed early due to demand. Summer Fridays will conclude August 7.
