FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover Rápido Gringo Tests, Lemonade Stand-Ups and roaming Walkers.
COMEDIAN BILLY EICHNER SLINGS JOKES FROM AN ‘UNRULY’ LEMONADE STAND
If you never popped up a summer lemonade stand that cost more money to operate than you made back in profits—did you even have a childhood? Indeed, lemonade stands and summer go hand in hand, and Truly Hard Seltzer is putting its own juicy spin on the concept for the launch of its eight-percent ABV product, Truly Unruly Lemonade.
Last week, the brand tapped comedian Billy Eichner to “sell out” by hosting the Truly Unruly Lemonade Stand-Up, where he revived his “Billy on the Street” game show-style series (if you haven’t watched it, do yourself a favor) and delivered a comedy performance at a branded lemonade stand, with help from his faithful sidekick, Elena.
In true Eichner form, he also hit the streets with his antics and asked random New Yorkers lemonade-related questions, then invited some of them to join him for an exclusive Truly launch party later that evening. In the end, more than 225 fans attended the party, got to hang out with the comedian and sipped on Truly Unruly Lemonade.
Photo: Courtesy of Truly
THIS MEXICAN TEQUILA BRANDS WANTS YOU TO ‘UNGRINGO YOUR CINCO’
This Cinco de Mayo, Mexican tequila brand Gran Centenario has a message for non-Hispanic Americans who celebrate the holiday: Don’t Be a Gringo. (Fair enough.) To encourage consumers to leave Gringo behaviors behind (think: wearing a sombrero or drinking American tequila to mark the occasion), the company launched a multichannel program that serves as its first-ever U.S. campaign—and with that kind of tagline, the brand certainly made a grand entrance.
To bring the campaign to life, Gran Centenario popped up “Rápido Gringo Test” events in New York City and Chicago on May 3 that were aimed at teaching non-Hispanic consumers about authentic Mexican culture, with insights on topics like cuisine and music. The “tests” spanned everything from identifying key ingredients in cherished Mexican dishes, to pronouncing certain Spanish words, all in an effort to “Ungringo Your Cinco.”
Participants who passed the test with flying colors could score prizes, including a trip to the brand’s homeland. And when they weren’t getting schooled, attendees could purchase Gran Centenario cocktails, like the Un-Gringo’d Margarita or Un-Gringo’d Paloma, for just 5¢, or one Mexican peso.
Photo credit: Soul Brother
AMC’S ‘WALKERS’ DELIVER ONE HELL OF A WEEK IN NYC
Fans who were chomping at the bit ahead of season two of AMC’s “Walking Dead” spinoff, “The Walking Dead: Dead City” were in for a treat last week as the network unleashed a squad of zombies in Manhattan. From April 27-30, the brand enacted a city takeover that had “Walkers” roaming around city hot spots and infiltrating fan screenings and cast appearances, inspiring plenty of organic content-capture along the way.
Thanks to AMC’s partnerships with iconic NYC organizations and institutions, the Walkers covered a lot of ground, stopping by the Empire State Building, Citi Field, the NYCRUNS Brooklyn Experience Half Marathon, Radio City Music Hall, PopUp Bagels and beyond—sometimes seen with a copy of the New York Post in hand—to engage and snap photos with fans. Now this is the kind of zombie apocalypse we can get behind. (Agency: 3CS) (Strange encounters like this are trending. Read more here.)
BEAUTY FANS SWING INTO CLARINS’ SWEETHEART SALOON
Beauty fans flung open the batwing doors of Clarins’ Sweetheart Saloon over the weekend to check out the brand’s newest product, Water Lip Stains, and celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Limited Edition Lip Oil in Shade Iconic 54. The heart-themed, Texas-meets-Paris-inspired saloon was open to the public from May 3-4 in downtown NYC, and offered everything from shade-matching at a Lip Oil Bar to a temporary tattoo parlor to a vintage-inspired photo booth.
The brand also partnered with Swig, the beverage chain that went viral dirty for its dirty sodas, to provide consumers with custom Clarins lip shade-inspired drinks (some topped with edible glitter). Swig founder Nicole Tanner herself could even be found pouring the craft beverages throughout the weekend. Plus, the first 100 people to enter the pop-up each day walked away with limited-edition merch and goodie bags from candy brand Lil Sweet Treat. And on Saturday afternoon, some lucky attendees had a chance to meet Clarins fan Dylan Efron, winner of “The Traitors,” during an exclusive in-saloon appearance. Giddy up.
Photo credit: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Clarins USA
THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS SWEATS IT OUT AT A 24-HOUR FITNESS EVENT
Australian wellness brand Your Reformer, whose mission is to make reformer Pilates more accessible with studio-quality at-home equipment, has its sights set on consumers in the States. And as part of a new U.S. rollout strategy, the company just activated a 24-hour stunt in New York City followed by a two-day pop-up inside a sleek, intimate fitness center, where it its “movement that fits your life” messaging was at the forefront.
First up, for World Pilates Day on May 3, a 24-hour Reformer Pilates Pop-Up gave fitness buffs in the City That Never Sleeps a chance to take free classes on the hour, every hour, from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Then from May 4-5, Your Reformer provided more free fitness classes, swag drops, exclusive discounts and an opportunity to shop the brand’s luxury Pilates line.
To give the event campaign an additional boost, the brand tapped fellow Aussie, Bluestone Lane, whose coffee shop locations in NYC neighborhoods DUMBO and Tribeca dished out free coffee on behalf of Your Reformer in the leadup up to the event, with each beverage wrapped in a sleeve that included a QR code linking to the signup page and a trial offer.
Photos: Courtesy of Your Reformer
