FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover Mulch Mobiles, ship resurrections and lab-grown T-Rex Leather.
AT A HAUNTING DRONE SHOW, THE TITANIC SETS SAIL ONCE MORE
[*Spoken in our best Rose Dawson voice*] It’s been 114 years… since the RMS Titanic set sell from Belfast, Northern Ireland, on a doomed maiden voyage. But on March 30, the historic ship was resurrected—to scale—through the deployment of 950 drones over Belfast Harbour.
For 10 minutes, the haunting spectacle illustrated the scope and grandeur of the Titanic as it “sailed” once more. The installation was inspired by BBC’s four-part docudrama, “Titanic Sinks Tonight,” which originally aired last December, and has become the network’s biggest history documentary of the 2025-2026 season (so far). It also marked the debut of the network’s Made Of Here campaign in Northern Ireland.
Using modern tech to make history come alive? We salute you, BBC. (Partner: Celestial, drone technology)
Photo: Courtesy of BBC
IMPOSSIBLE FOODS AND BIG BOI WHIP UP A CULINARY BLOCK PARTY
Every year, Atlanta hosts a free community festival dubbed 404 Day, and this time around, Impossible Foods joined the celebration with ATL rap legend Big Boi (of Outcast) and a truck full of samples. Welcome to Impossible x Big Boi: 404 Taste the Block, a culinary-forward block party hosted at Smorgasburg.
On April 4, thousands of consumers dropped by the brand’s one-day festival for the artist’s live performance and local fare crafted by 20-plus vendors, all made with a plant-based twist. That included the chance to chow down on Impossible and Big Boi’s exclusive Double Smash Burger, which debuted at the brand’s food truck during the event.
Like any true block party, there was plenty more to keep attendees entertained and on-site. Think: a pop-up barbershop; hair tinsel and glitter tattoo stations; a drumline performance from alumni of the Atlanta Braves’ Heavy Hitters; a live airbrushing station for customizing totes and hats; photo ops; Pop-A-Shot games; and djs spinning tracks all day. (Agencies: Civic; RMNG)
Photo credit: Carol Lee Rose/Getty Images for Impossible Foods
THE MULCH MOBILE IS ROLLING INTO HOMEOWNERS’ DRIVEWAYS
Do the logistics of gardening season have you down? Fear not. It’s Lowe’s and its Mulch Mobile to the rescue.
The new AI-powered calculator, Mylow, was built to help homeowners avoid buying too little or too much mulch. Customers can simply message “MULCH ME NOW!” to the AI assistant to accurately determine how much mulch they’ll need through a simple chat.
But it gets better. In select markets, Lowe’s is unleashing its Mulch Mobile to surprise and delight early-season gardeners and lawn up-keepers with free mulch deliveries and gift cards. The truck is also hitting Charlotte and Atlanta to provide veteran organizations with complimentary mulch and monetary donations.
Not your garden-variety marketing strategy. (Partners: Zeno Group; CGS Premier)
Photos: Courtesy of Lowe’s
ELTAMD COURTS DERMATOLOGISTS WITH AN ‘APRÈS SUN’ EVENT IN DENVER
For skincare and sunscreen brands like EltaMD, the AAD’s Annual Meeting is the pinnacle of dermatology events. And to help kick off this year’s show in style, the company hosted an elevated Après Sun experience on March 26 at Denver’s Thompson Hotel, where a sophisticated scene was set for more than 200 leading derms and industry insiders.
Ultimately, EltaMD aimed to deliver on its core pillars of protection, performance and community via a combination of product education, shareable touchpoints and hospitality. And from a live band, to a dimensional photo booth, to the Clear Confessionals content studio, to a dj, to a vintage ski poster-inspired entry, to an embroidery station where attendees could customize bags and scarves… the brand delivered. (Agencies: Patrick J Clayton Productions; 5WPR)
Photos: Courtesy of EltaMD
INTRODUCING A HANDBAG MADE WITH… LAB-GROWN T-REX LEATHER
Wait until you hear what just roared to life.
On April 2, a luxury handbag made from lab-grown T-Rex Leather was unveiled at an exhibit in Amsterdam. (You may need to read that sentence again.)
The material of the truly first-of-its-kind bag, designed by Enfin Levé, was engineered using reconstructed dinosaur collagen and cell-based biotechnology to make a leather-like product, without harming animals. Its debut in purse form was meant to showcase the material’s potential.
Developed by neurotech company The Organoid Company, sustainable biotech brand Lab-Grown Leather Ltd. and creative agency VML, T-Rex Leather is slated to be available to luxury brands in the future to craft everything from watch bands to vehicle seats.
If the handbag weren’t enough of a headline on its own, the product and its revolutionary material were revealed at Art Zoo Museum alongside a life-sized T. Rex statue acquired by the museum from Naturalis Biodiversity Center. Following its six week exhibition at Art Zoo, the bag will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. We hope the buyer doesn’t bite off more than they can chew. (Agency: VML)
Photos: Courtesy of VML
