Five Things to Know This Week
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover Black Truffle Windows, Christmas in October and the MacKenzie-Childs Café.
New Yorkers Eat up Shake Shack’s Black Truffle Window Activation
We’ve seen brands run wild with the concept of Italy’s historic “buchette del vino,” or “wine windows,” in recent activations, and Shake Shack joined the ranks from Oct. 23-24 with the Black Truffle Window.
To broadcast the revival of its Black Truffle menu, the brand popped up in NYC with an interactive window experience. Passersby were encouraged to ring a bell and present any kind of food, which triggered the appearance of an ambassador, who peered through the opening and drizzled Shake Shack’s truffle sauce on the item.
Petition to make the Truffle Window a permanent New York fixture… (Agency: Tombras)
Oner Active Makes Moving Day Fun with a Parade of Supersized Items
Moving day is the worst. Unless you’re Oner Active.
With its first-ever flagship store opening in Manhattan on Nov. 7, the brand unleashed a crew of movers last month, led by founder Krissy Cela, who turned heads as they hauled comically large items around the city on their way to the new store.
The supersized objects, including a 20-pound water bottle, 33-pound mannequins and a five-foot-long Oner shopping bag, were paraded through iconic city locations, from The Metropolitan Museum of Art to the subway to Canal Street. No cardboard boxes or packing tape required.
Horror and the Holidays Collide at a Festive Outdoor Film Screening
If you need proof that Christmas comes earlier every year, look no further than the Oct. 30 theatrical release of Briarcliff Entertainment’s horror comedy “Christmas at the Kringles.”
And on Oct. 27, film talent and horror fans gathered at L.A.’s Heritage Square Museum, which was decked out in seasonal décor, for an outdoor screening, a moderated Q&A with the director and stars, and a morbid holiday wonderland experience, all aimed at building hype for the movie.
The footprint was anchored by the museum’s collection of Victorian homes, which were transformed into an eerie Christmas village that enveloped attendees in a/v effects and other “atmospheric” elements. Installations abounded, too, from oversized seasonal characters to a North Pole Transit trolley.
There were also branded photo ops, a showcase of costumes from the movie, giveaways, specialty holiday cocktails, traditional movie concessions and a lineup of local food trucks. Nothing scary about that. (Partners: TIL Events; Bloody Disgusting; Dead Meat)
The MacKenzie-Childs Café is Pouring Afternoon Tea and Mimosa Flights
Speaking of the holidays, fans of MacKenzie-Childs’ famous black-and-white checkered décor are in for a treat this fall. From Oct. 15 to Dec. 24, Macy’s and the brand are teaming up for the holiday-inspired MacKenzie-Childs Café experience at Macy’s Union Square in San Francisco.
Throughout its run, consumers can either pop into the café or reserve a seat at an afternoon tea service, which includes sweet and savory bites and a festive mimosa flight. They can also book a spot at a Bubbles & Tea event hosted each Saturday, and overlooking Macy’s holiday tree.
A selection of food and wine, and specialty flights from places like Napa Valley, CA, France and Italy, are also available. And the experience design is just as photo-worthy as you’d imagine.
A teapot-shaped sofa, a black-and-white floral installation that serves as a photo backdrop, miniature lamps, a giant nutcracker, and festive MacKenzie-Childs product displays and artwork are all part of the environment. (Agency: Soho Experiential)
These Custom Drink Labels Drive Breast Cancer Awareness
Pressed Juicery and fashion brand The Bar teamed up last month to remind women to check in with their female friends and ensure they’re doing regular breast self-exams with a Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign themed around being a girls’ girl.
On Oct. 21, the partnership came to life in NYC across mini pop-up experiences that brought campaign messaging directly to consumers.
The brands, led by The Bar founder Bridget Bahl, popped up, guerrilla-style, at three locations with a pedicab draped in pink flowers and a beverage cart, and handed out free bottles of Pressed Juicery’s Hydration+ and Pink Dragon Fruit Smoothie products.
The best part? Each bottle featured a custom co-branded label that doubled as a breast self-exam guide.
The companies also backed the awareness campaign with financial support. Pressed donated $10,000 to breast cancer research, and 20% of proceeds from The Bar’s campaign collection will benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. We love to see it.
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