B-to-C Events

On Nov. 9 IGN Activision GameStop and Microsoft Xbox 360 leased the entire south end of New York City’s Union Square Park and created a full-scale military experience featuring military vehicles laser light shows perimeter guards and external big-screens featuring live game play. The objective was to create a launch event by which all video game launches in the future would be compared to drive buyers to retail and to win some new gaming fans in the process.

To promote its Nov. 29 four-hour airing of the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert which was recently held in Madison Square Garden HBO set up its own hall of fame in the busy Time Warner Center 10 days prior to the show.  

The exhibit included 27 framed and mounted photos taken during the concert by rock and roll photographer Kevin Mazur. In addition it featured rock memorabilia like a handwritten set list by B.B. King and the denim vest worn by Bruce Springsteen during his U.S. tour.

Football wasn’t all that was on TV this Thanksgiving Day. There was the “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute ” too. To promote tune in for the show and encourage online voting for its hero of the year CNN organized grassroots rallies in communities in the U.S. and abroad for two weeks (Nov. 4-17) leading up to the show.

State Farm activated its title sponsorship of the Border Showdown Nov. 28 with pre-game interactives that fanned the flames of competitiveness between the University of Missouri and University of Kansas football teams.

To generate buzz for its Soul vehicle among consumers in their late teens and mid- to late-20s KIA created the KIA Soul Collective. An extension of the brand’s New Way to Roll campaign the Soul Collective program which wrapped November 8 invited consumers in 10 cities to enjoy four days of free music art and design with headliner concerts on the last day.