FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover Jargon Bars, smartphone-themed fashion shows and Il Fresco di Peroni.
IN THIS ECONOMY? THE ORDINARY CALLS OUT OVERPRICED SKINCARE MARKETING
The beauty industry has an embellishment problem. So many companies have developed products with over-the-top ingredient claims that aim to justify their exorbitant prices that consumers often don’t know what’s real, and what’s hyperbole. That’s where skincare brand The Ordinary and its “The Markup Marché” activation come in.
This month, in locations around the globe, the brand opened pop-up grocery stores that are “selling” everyday items for outrageous prices, and feature the exaggerated phrasing and elaborate packaging that often comes with costly beauty items. And it was all designed to map back to The Ordinary’s value proposition of offering skincare products with quality ingredients, and without embellishment.
In Toronto, Paris, Melbourne, Mexico City, São Paulo and London, The Markup Marché is displaying absurdly named items like avocados, billed as “100% natural glow enhancing vitality orbs,” marked up to $305.90 each, and rolls of toilet paper, dubbed “high-retention cleansing cylinders,” that go for $96.20.
Each pop-up offers plenty of educational messaging on the flowery language typically used to sell overpriced skincare items, and on why The Ordinary’s products are effective without a need for “the marketing hype.” Swag bags, a Jargon Bar offering “100% organic buzzwords, freshly squeezed,” appearances from the brand’s mascot, and on-theme touchpoints, like scratch-off cards, are also part of the experience.
Oh, and the strategy? Priceless.
Image credit: @theordinary/Instagram
PERONI’S RENAISSANCE-INSPIRED ART INSTALLATION IS PART FRESCO, PART PUB
Shoppers passing through Covent Garden from April 30 to May 2 got a sip of la dolce vita with “Il Fresco di Peroni,” an Italian Renaissance-inspired art installation and optical illusion… that literally served half pints of lager. That’s our kind of art.
The activation was inspired by research that showed that the aperitivo, a beloved Italian social ritual in which people gather for a pre-meal drink and light bites, has been trending in restaurants and bars across the UK, and the Italian beer brand jumped at the chance to bring the occasion to Londoners.
Peroni’s “The Creation of Aperitivo” 3D artwork gave consumers a chance to “sit at the table” within the hand-painted installation for a highly shareable live aperitivo moment that included enjoying a free half pint of beer, poured directly from the installation. It was also a subtle nod to the cultural shift in which Brits are opting for early-evening social occasions over late-night outings. (We can relate.)
Fun fact: It took a team of 13 artists more than 520 hours to paint The Creation of Aperitivo over the course of 65 days. Talk about Italian craftsmanship. (Agencies: Seen Presents; McCann London; JOY! Collective, art installation)
Photo credit: James Robinson
MOTOROLA’S ‘RUNWAY OF ICONS’ TURNS THE RAZR INTO A FASHION ACCESSORY
When Motorola relaunched its iconic razr phone a few years back, the brand leveraged a partnership with Cirque du Soleil to introduce the device, the razr+, at a theatrical event in Brooklyn, NY. Flash-forward to last month, and the company once again delivered an experiential spectacle, this time to debut its new foldable smartphone at an exclusive “razr Studios” event in L.A.
On April 29, invited attendees experienced a convergence of fashion, tech and entertainment as they were welcomed into a red-carpet arrivals moment, followed by the unveiling of a full-blown fashion show dubbed “Runway of Icons.” The show was styled by Danyul Brown, and brought to life via choreographed performances by the Millennium Dance Complex. The idea? To position the foldable razr as both a piece of technology and a fashion accessory.
A number of explorable, curated vignettes were part of the experience. Nostalgia was in the air, too—longtime Motorola partner, Paris Hilton, who has collaborated with the brand for more than 20 years, made a special appearance and performed a dj set to close out the evening.
Photo credit: Jojo Korsh/BFA
EDIKTED REVIVES BARBIE’S ‘FASHION FEVER’ ERA AT THE GROVE
Speaking of Paris Hilton and the early aughts, fashion brand Edikted took cues from Barbie’s early 2000s “Fashion Fever” aesthetic to inspire its new “Barbie by Edikted” line of ready-to-wear clothing and accessories. Gen Z’s love of all things Y2K-era strikes again.
To celebrate the collection in style, and give consumers in L.A. a firsthand look, Edikted popped up at The Grove from May 8-10 with a dreamy, pink-infused outdoor footprint, where Hilton, who has long been associated with the iconic Mattel doll, made a cameo.
Fans who visited the activation, positioned as Barbie’s design house, could purchase items from the new line, participate in curated photo ops (like a wall of Barbie Bazaar magazine covers), enjoy Barbie-branded refreshments and bites, check out a timeline of the doll’s style over the years and listen to a live dj spin tracks.
Another tactic we loved: Edikted influencer partners hid pink gift cards around The Grove for shoppers to stumble upon, which likely inspired them to head straight to the brand’s permanent, on-site retail store, or over to the pop-up.
Photo credit: Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Edikted
WISE MARKS ITS NASDAQ DEBUT WITH CONVOS, COFFEE AND CUSTOMIZATION
Global tech company Wise made its official listing debut on the Nasdaq stock exchange on May 11, and to make a hoot about the occasion, the brand hosted a free, one-day pop-up outside of the Nasdaq tower in Times Square. There, consumers could learn about Wise’s products, talk to employees and get up to speed on the hidden fees often attached to international payments.
Bursts of the brand’s signature green color, a food truck dishing out free coffee from Taché, a newsstand filled with custom prints, and an iron-on patch station that allowed visitors to personalize tote bags with globally inspired designs, were also… in stock. (Agency: IDEKO)
Photo credit: Vanja Savic/Nasdaq, Inc.
