CAMPAIGN: Link Up with Steelhead
CLIENT: Steelhead Productions
Steelhead Productions: Redefining Connection at the Experiential Marketing Summit
The Challenge: Returning with Purpose
After years away from the industry’s spotlight, Steelhead Productions set out to make a bold return at the 2025 Experiential Marketing Summit. Their goal was not just to participate, but to exemplify the very principles they champion for their clients: creating meaningful, memorable experiences that rise above gimmicks, buzzwords, and stand out from fleeting trends. Steelhead faced the challenge of capturing attention among industry peers, reconnecting with their community, and demonstrating their unique creative ethos—all while staying authentic to their values.
The Process: From Feeling to Form
Steelhead flipped the script on traditional exhibit design by starting where most don’t: with a feeling. Beginning with a single question: What do we want people to feel? By reverse engineering the experience, they focused on evoking a sense of genuine connection. The team asked themselves three key questions:
- What energy does this moment call for?
- What kind of environment supports that energy?
- What do we want people to feel when they enter our space?
With “connection” as their guiding intention, Steelhead built every element of their campaign around this feeling.
The Solution: “Linking Up” Through Human Connection
Instead of relying on flashy specs or tech, Steelhead’s 2025 campaign, “Link Up with Steelhead,” was rooted in authentic interaction. The experience began before attendees even entered the show floor. As the water bottle station sponsor, Steelhead distributed custom-branded bottles and keys at a ‘mini-booth’ near show registration, turning a high-traffic area into a memorable brand touchpoint.
Inside the main exhibit, guests discovered the “Link Up” activation: a lock-and-key installation inspired by Paris’s love-lock bridges. Attendees then used their keys to attach padlocks to the installation, symbolizing new connections. This simple, symbolic action was paired with a Polaroid photo activation to help attendees capture the moment—creating a moment in time and a tangible takeaway.
To deepen the impact, each padlock used in the activation also triggered a $10 donation to the Give Happy Foundation, merging attendee engagement with purpose-driven action. This approach to cause marketing added another layer of meaning, allowing visitors to contribute to something bigger than the booth experience itself.
The Results: A Resounding Return
Steelhead’s innovative approach resonated strongly:
- 233 Polaroids captured
- 375 locks placed
- 291 leads generated
- $3,750 donated to the Give Happy Foundation
- 2025 EMS Winner, Best Booth Design
By prioritizing authentic connection over spectacle, Steelhead not only rejoined the industry conversation—they set a new standard for experiential marketing. Their return proved that being memorable isn’t about the biggest booth or the latest tech but about creating moments that matter.
FACT: 291 leads generated
Testimonial
“Among the many learning nuggets I gained at EMS, the one that still lives in my head is seeing Steelhead in action. Mind you, this was my first impression. In branding, we speak about the experience our clients have with our brand all the time, and it was a delight to see it in practice. Even though it’s a well-known and frequently discussed topic, it’s rare to see it so well executed. I was truly inspired by the thoughtfulness and strategy that went into every detail.”
–Lynette Lopez, SDSU Marketing & Communications
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