FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover faux team-building workshops, Launderettes of Love and The Pink Guava Sweet Shoppe.
HEINEKEN PULLS A BAIT AND SWITCH ON LATAM SOCCER FANS
We’ve all been there before: the boss announces mandatory “fun” in the form of a team-building experience that ends up being more of an exercise in keeping your eyelids open. And that’s exactly the sentiment that longtime UEFA Champions League sponsor Heineken was banking on when it executed a stunt to engage LATAM soccer fans during the semi-final on May 30.
With match times landing directly during business hours, Heineken believes fans shouldn’t have to watch games in the office in silence or on split screens. So as an extension of its “Cheers to the Real Hardcore Fans” campaign, the brand teamed up with corporations in Peru, Panama, Paraguay and Ecuador to produce compulsory “Dream Team Workshops” featuring all of the trappings of a static teamwork seminar. Think: lanyards, jargon-laced presentations and awkward icebreaker activities—all hosted in hotel ballrooms.
As employees endured the monotony, Heineken was behind the scenes staging the ultimate semi-final watch party. Just as their eyes glazed-over, attendees were surprised by the onset of bright lights, the Champions League anthem blasting through the airwaves and the reveal of fully branded viewing bars.
A video cameo by Champions League legend Roberto Carlos helped kick off the watch party festivities, then fans were treated to cold brews, merch, influencer appearances and a “front-row” seat to the match to cheer alongside their co-workers. Now this is the kind of team-building we can get behind. (Agencies: Red Door Agency; Atlantic New York)
Photo: Courtesy of Heineken
APEROL’S FLEET OF WAITERS SERVES UP SUMMER IN A GLASS
There are few beverages that scream “summer” the way an Aperol Spritz does, and as warm weather hit Manhattan on June 4, the Italian spirits brand hit the streets with dozens of uniform-clad waiters carrying trays of Aperol Spritzes. The idea? To “serve summer” to New Yorkers, kick off the season in style and demonstrate Aperol’s authority in aperitivo culture.
The spectacle launched in Domino Park, where 100 servers were unleashed to engage with the public and dish out the vibrant orange cocktails. Each waiter’s uniform featured a scannable QR code on the back that unlocked exclusive offers and directed consumers to the nearest watering hole where Aperol Spritzes were available.
The brand and its squad of servers then scattered to other NYC hot spots—and even the subway—along with a fleet of branded Vespas, prompting a flood of social chatter. We say: Salute! (Agencies: TBWA\Chiat\Day; M Booth; Village Marketing; United Talent Agency)
Photo: Courtesy of Aperol Spritz
LAUNDRY DAY GETS ROMANTIC AT THE LAUNDERETTE OF LOVE
Wedding event activations continue to trend, and laundromats are shaping up to be the next hot event venue. And on May 31, LG Electronics combined the two to celebrate romance at its Launderette of Love at Gansevoort Plaza in New York City.
Ten couples were selected to get (fake) hitched at the pop-up chapel as “Millionaire Matchmaker’s” Patti Stanger officiated. The activation supported LG’s broader Love to Laundry campaign that celebrates how the act of doing laundry creates small, but meaningful, moments of connection. In that spirit, laundry day was repositioned as a time for romance, laughter and simple pleasures between couples.
Consumers who passed by the activation were invited to explore the chapel to learn about LG’s single-unit laundry solutions. They could also enter the Love Letter to Laundry sweepstakes by writing a physical love letter and placing it inside the drum of the on-site LG WashTower for a chance to live happily ever after with one of the brand’s laundry appliances. (Agency: Lupine Creative)
BEAUTY FANS GET A TASTE OF THE PINK GUAVA SWEET SHOPPE
Beauty fans take their passion seriously. Look no further than the consumers who began lining up as early as 1 a.m. to participate in Summer Fridays’ sugar-coated launch event for its Pink Guava lip butter balm. Indeed, the brand caused quite a stir in New York’s SoHo neighborhood from May 30 to June 1 with The Pink Guava Sweet Shoppe.
The whimsical candy store, inspired by the new product, featured a skincare trial station; a self-serve candy bar; branded popsicle carts; exclusive merch for sale, like branded tees and glossy pouches; and a fridge stocked with Jarritos Pink Guava soda.
In the end, nearly 3,000 people visited The Pink Guava Sweet Shoppe across two consumer-facing days, and spent an average of 30 minutes exploring the footprint. Meanwhile, thousands of samples and giveaways—including skincare minis, scrunchies, tote bags and popsicles—were distributed. Sugar and spice and everything nice. (Agency: CNC Agency)
Photo credit: Middle Grey Studios/CNC Agency
NEW YORKERS JUMP FOR JOY 101 WITH HODA KOTB
When Joy 101, a wellness platform created by media personality Hoda Kotb, launched on May 28 at NYC’s Current at Pier 49, the brand leaned into its name to curate moments of surprise and delight across the event, and bring its value proposition to life.
The experience kicked off with a classic celebrity red-carpet walk. Next, attendees headed inside to find elevated f&b, custom floral installations, a live dj and screens broadcasting custom content, including an introduction to the Joy 101 app, which launches June 11. The event additionally featured a joyful, shareable GIF video op that had attendees tossing confetti that slowly fell down around them.
The experience also included a presentation by Kotb on a bespoke LED-trimmed stage, and an appearance by Rachel Platten, who not only performed, but discussed her personal life-changing experiences and led the crowd in a breathing exercise. The evening ended as Kotb joined Platten on her hit “Fight Song,” as the crowd sang along.
Our favorite detail: As attendees arrived at the event, they encountered a lenticular wall installation featuring the Joy 101 logo spread over a sunrise setting. When they exited, the wall transformed into a sunset scene. (Agency: Mirrored Media)
Photo credit: Getty Images/Mirrored Media
