Five Things to Know This Week
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover collectibles showrooms, goddess energy and one crappy fleet of vehicles.
This ‘Demon Hunters’ Night Market is How it’s Done, Done, Done
As the most popular Netflix movie of all time, “KPop Demon Hunters” still has the golden touch, and brands are still lining up to bask in its glow.
Among them is Walmart, which partnered with Netflix to deliver a free HUNTR/X-inspired Night Market experience in NYC from Oct. 10-11. Fans were invited to channel their inner Rumi, Mira or Zoey across multiple touchpoints, many of them presented by sponsors.
Charm bars are having a big moment, so it tracks that a bag-charm station presented by Mattel was part of the activation, giving fans the opportunity to customize a “Demon Hunters” keychain with extra charms to add to their event tote.
Other Night Market highlights included a neon photo booth with physical print-outs presented by Colgate, sampling of Nongshim’s movie-themed Shin Ramyun, a carnival-inspired vignette with a wall of plush Derpy Tigers and arcade-style games and giveaways, and character-inspired temporary tatts.
Naturally, photo moments abounded, and a few lucky attendees were primed to nail their looks after popular posing coach David Suh made a surprise appearance and offered them hands-on lessons. (Agency: CNC Agency)
Lysol Reveals its Fall Scent Collection in an Apple Orchard
The air has gotten crips in many parts of the country, and Lysol is encouraging consumers to embrace the chillier months, and fight germs as cold and flu season arrives, by cozying up to its new fall- and winter-themed Air Sanitizer scents.
To hype the launch of the limited-edition products, Lysol partnered with actress Kat Graham to host a rustic “Apple Cinnamon and Winter Woods” experience on Oct. 4 at an apple orchard in Poughquag, NY.
The family-friendly event encompassed seasonal photo ops; walks through the orchard; themed f&b, like apple cider, hot cocoa with forest pine, and apple cinnamon donuts; product displays; and samples to take home. We can almost smell the spices from here.
Dude Wipes Has an Always-on Strategy for its Fleet of Crappy Vehicles
To describe Dude Wipes as “irreverent” is an understatement. The famously tongue-in-cheek brand has always been uninhibited in its marketing efforts, and a new fleet of “crappy” branded vehicles is upholding that reputation.
Between its poop-topped Mini Pooper, Shart Car, Shart Cart golf cart and larger branded truck, Dude Wipes is working to turn everyday moments into unexpected brand encounters. Rather than using the fleet for a particular launch or stunt, the company keeps the vehicles on the road regularly, especially in the L.A. area, to boost awareness and add some humor to everyday life.
The Mini Pooper, for instance, travels where the joke is already at play. Like parking outside of Taco Bell. The Shart Cart branded golf cart gives Dude Wipes a way to show up across golf outings, sporting events and other on-the-ground experiences.
Meanwhile, the truck evolves with Dude’s calendar. For its limited-edition Dumpkin Spice Wipes (a collab with Dunkin’), the brand rewrapped the vehicle for fall, and leveraged it for pumpkin spice latte deliveries and sampling.
And with the Shart Car fleet hitting five of the biggest tailgates in the U.S. this football season, we’re bound to see more of this crap through the end of the year.
Goddess Energy: Cava Brings Ancient Greece to NYC
As mega-influencer @dudewithsign put it: “Boring lunch is a Greek tragedy.” The sentiment was shared on one of his classic sign boards to promote Cava’s new selection of menu items, all of which are anchored by its new Greek Goddess dressing.
And the Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant went all-in on the Ancient Greece theme to drive buzz for the lineup, first on Oct. 14 by planting a larger-than-life version of its yellow takeout bag in New York’s Flatiron Plaza, complete with a receipt featuring the dressing’s ingredients.
Then on Oct. 15, the bag was removed to reveal a goddess sculpture, which sat at the front of a Greek-inspired pop-up courtyard. Passersby got a taste of the new menu by sampling the Greek Goddess dressing paired with pita chips and the new seasonal Pomegranate Apple drink.
They could also strike up conversations with fellow samplers using branded Conversation Starter cards. Personally, we think our mouths would be too full of Mediterranean food to participate. (Agency: Conscious Minds)
Amex Cardmembers Eye Collectibles Inside a Mobile NBA Showroom
It seems like just yesterday that the Knicks scored their first NBA championship in 50-plus years, igniting citywide celebrations (and perhaps a bit of chaos). But a new season starts on Oct. 20, and veteran league sponsor American Express prepared for tipoff over the weekend with a pop-up collectibles museum of sorts.
From Oct. 17-18 outside of the NBA flagship store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, the brand parked its bus-turned-showroom and invited fans aboard to enjoy a curated display of Fanatics Real Vintage collectibles and merch, plus sneaker lacings and basketball-themed photo ops.
Cardmembers snagged extra-special perks, including meet-and-greets with NBA legends like David Robinsons and Carmelo Anthony, and free hat customization inside the retail store. Swish.
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