FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover racecourse Delivery Runners, a Hut Crust Connoisseur role and finding your “color season” at the inaugural COLORfest.
‘LIVE MÁS LIVE’ GETS A GLOW-UP FOR ITS TELEVISION ERA
Taco Bell’s third annual Live Más LIVE event, hosted March 10 in Hollywood, was packed with all of the controlled chaos and wild menu innovations you’d expect.
This year, however, the brand unwrapped even more pizzazz with a variety show format befitting of the spectacle’s first-ever TV premiere on Peacock—a debut that made the event accessible to people nationwide, not just the influencers, VIPS and loyalty members who get to attend in person.
The reimagined “Live Más LIVE: A Night at the Palladium” extravaganza was helmed by rapper and actor Vince Staples, and featured a blend of celebrity star power, comedy, music performances and appearances by leadership, all of which helped build hype for the 20-plus menu items that were revealed at the event, like Crème Brulee Crunchwrap Sliders and Mexican Pizza Empanadas.
Among our favorite elements: A performance by the Taco Bell Choir (aka Choir Sauce). Conducted by DJ Pee .Wee (aka Anderson .Paak), the choir sang songs based on real fan commentary, including pleas for the return of discontinued items.
Other on-brand moments included a lively “Made or Made Up” game played by Taco Bell’s chief food innovation officer, Lil Jon, Ashley Park and Devon Walker; The Bell Awards, which celebrated the most loyal loyalty member, best Taco Bell rant and best drive-thru celeb spotting; and a grand finale performance by Benson Boone. In other words, the experience was loco in all the right ways.
Photos: Courtesy of Taco Bell
TULLAMORE CELEBRATES THE UNSUNG HEROES OF ST. PATRICK’S DAY
The St. Patrick’s Day forecast always calls for a high chance of shenanigans, and for the crowds that drink green beer and, shall we say, let down their hair, each year, it’s a blast. For the servers slinging the drinks? Not so much.
So to treat the bartenders and service industry workers who don’t typically get to enjoy the festivities to a good time, Tullamore D.E.W launched “St. Patrick’s Day D.E.W. Early,” two trade-focused events held in New York and Chicago just before the holiday that were the brand’s way of saying “thank you” to the people who serve its liquid on-premise during St. Paddy’s, and all year long.
Event highlights spanned live Irish music, signature Tully cocktails, like the D.E.W. & a Brew serve, games, curated content-capture moments, and customizable swag. But we would have missed all of that if we’d attended, because the brand also offered photo ops with a real Irish wolfhound. (Agency: Momentum Worldwide)
Photo credit: @mikeschwarzthekid
SALLY BEAUTY’S COLORFEST POP-UP INVITES BEAUTY FANS TO EXPERIMENT
Sally Beauty has been around since the ’60s, but it’s not necessarily a brand that the TikTok generation is familiar with. That could be why, as part of a broader focus on encouraging self-expression and making hair color more approachable, the brand activated the first-ever COLORfest, a monthlong online and in-store promotion that kicked off with a one-day pop-up in L.A.
On March 14 at The Grove, beauty fans of all ages were invited to walk through Sally Beauty’s rainbow-hued archway and into a colorful brand environment to sample products and get more comfortable with hair-color experimentation.
Visitors enjoyed a personalized color analysis that introduced them to their “color season;” a glam bar; hair glitter and tinsel stations; hair and nail consultations with product experts; sweet treats, including cotton candy; a prize wheel; and complimentary gift bags filled with items valued at more than $100. Color us envious.
Photo: Courtesy of Sally Beauty
POSTMATES’ ‘DELIVERY RUNNERS’ FUEL UP L.A. MARATHONERS AT MILE 23
Marathon sponsorship activations have been steadily gaining momentum, and on March 8, Postmates laced up its running shoes to engage athletes at the ASICS Los Angeles Marathon.
In partnership with actress Issa Rae, the brand took over Mile 23 to keep participants fueled up, sending “Delivery Runners” (including Rae) onto the course to dish out refreshments like doughnut holes and cold-brew shots from her coffee shop chain, Hilltop, to help them stay the course.
The star helped distribute items both at Mile 23 and later at the finish line, where Postmates parked a bright-yellow food truck that served Hilltop drinks and free bites from a local restaurant. (Agency: CNC Agency)
Photos: Courtesy of Postmates
YOU CAN EAT FREE PIZZA FOR A YEAR AS A ‘HUT CRUST CONNOISSEUR’
Timed to Pi Day (March 14), the launch of Pizza Hut’s new Hut Crust campaign positioned crust as the centerpiece of the pizza-eating experience. And apparently, that called for the opening of a new position: the Hut Crust Connoisseur.
The very real role, which will yield a $31,415.92 payout in a nod to the value of Pi, will require the insanely lucky individual who gets the job to essentially gorge themselves on free pizza for a year, and get paid to report back on Pizza Hut’s crust innovations.
To be considered, consumers have to try the brand’s new Hand-Tossed pizza recipe and post an honest review on Instagram, then then go to pizzahutcrust.com and submit a link to the review as their official application.
In the off chance that we’re selected for this position… it’s been real, Event Marketer.
Image: Courtesy of Pizza Hut
