B-to-C Events

This summer, coconut water brand VitaCoco connected with LGBT consumers on New York’s Fire Island by sampling its original coconut water and new flavors like tangerine to vacationers (headed to the gay-friendly Pines resort area) as they stepped off the ferry. There are no cars on Fire Island, so the first thing consumers saw as they arrived and departed was VitaCoco’s hydration station.

The New York Lottery this year launched a program to promote its new Powerball game that challenges select finalists to hit a hole in one at local golf courses. Anyone who bought a ticket was eligible to enter the Powerball Hole-in-One Sweepstakes. The Lottery has selected the finalists who throughout the month of September will have the opportunity to compete in seven hole-in-one competitions across the state of New York for a $1 million grand prize or secondary prizes worth up to $1,000 in cash.

To inspire Windy City residents who may not already be Cubs fans to take an interest in one of their hometown teams, the Chicago Cubs this summer rolled out a new mobile vehicle with an old school touch. A fully branded, pinstriped shuttle designed to resemble a turn-of-the-century trolley is making the rounds around town shuttling fans to games, visiting local festivals and street fairs and serving as a venue for special events. The trolley even hit the road to take a group of Cubs VIPs, clients and partners up to Milwaukee for a Cubs versus Brewers game.

To raise awareness and drive participation, BocceNation.com from Aug. 21 to 24 in New York City’s Times Square showcased the game known as lawn bowling to the English, boules or petanque to the French and bocce to Italians. The experience took place in conjunction with the New York City International Film Festival.

Banking on the same success its Comic-Con activation had last year when AMC launched its zombie series “The Walking Dead,” the network returned this July with a replica set from season one as it gears up for the return of the series in October. The set depicted the Merle Dixon character chained to the Atlanta department store rooftop moments before he cuts off his own hand, while the zombies attempt to push through the door. Attendees were given the chance to be in Merle’s shoes by putting on a set of handcuffs and pretending to cut off their own hand for a photo-op.