FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover Portal-Potties, National Rosé Day and Scrub Clubs.
ROSÉ DAY LOS ANGELES IS AGING LIKE A FINE WINE
Back for a fifth, pink-infused year, Rosé Day Los Angeles took over the King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas on June 14 for National Rosé Day, attracting 4,000 attendees and a host of sponsors for high-end drinks and cuisine, music, wellness, art and general summer hijinks.
One of the main attractions was an upscale culinary experience hosted by kitchenware brand HexClad and curated by Michelin-starred chef Marc Forgione that spanned oysters, lobster and caviar. To boot, there was an elevated food court featuring a hand-picked lineup of bites from local eateries. HexClad also offered up share-worthy activations, including a vintage bus for photo ops and an apparel customization station.
Attendees could additionally head to the new Wellness Zone to get pampered with sponsored activations, tastings, IV drips, massages and giveaways, as well as interact with other brands across the property. Among highlights: 11 Juillet’s designer handbag boutique, Raine Jewelry’s display, Red Bull’s F1 vehicle installation and product tastings, a range of branded hydration stations, an Aston Martin and Land Rover Range wrapped in florals, and, of course, an array of open bars featuring LVMH rosés, Suntory Spirits, Fever Tree spirits and more.
New to the scene this year was a skydiving performance by the Red Bull Air Force, the Formula 1 vehicle installation and a partnership with TAO Group Hospitality.
Beyond sponsors experiences were games, art installations and live performances by headliner Kid Francescoli, as well as Mojave Grey, DJ Ruckus and DJ Pookie, plus surprise guests, including Robin Thicke. Rosés are pink. Violets are blue. Next year we want an invite from this crew.
Photo credit: Line 8 Photography
DOVE LEANS INTO #SHOWERTOK WITH THE SCRUB CLUB
TikTok is home to an endless array of beauty brands vying for users’ attention (and money), but it takes a clever company to connect the platform’s trends with its products in a meaningful way. Enter: Dove’s Scrub Club. Leaning into the #ShowerTok craze and the rise of wellness clubs, Dove popped up at Majesty’s Pleasure in NYC with a self-care oasis that had consumers lining up around the block to get in. Manis, pedis, scrub stations, custom beverages, photo ops and a claw machine that yielded prizes and mini scrubs were all on tap. You might say Dove cleaned up.
THIS ‘PORTAL-POTTY’ TRANSPORTED FANS TO A SECRET LAIR
We can’t fully explain it, but experiential potty humor is still going strong. The latest example? Disney’s activation promoting season five of “Phineas and Ferb” at the Vans Warped Tour’s stops in Washington, D.C., and Long Beach, CA, which revolved around a giant porta-potty installation.
At the D.C. show, from June 14-15, Disney invited attendees to experience a day in the life of Agent P with a “top-secret” activation that was hidden in plain sight. The fairly ordinary-looking porta-potty, dubbed the “Portal-Potty,” could be opened up to reveal a pre-recorded mission briefing from Major Monogram and a full-blown spy lair with interactive touchpoints, Easter eggs and a hidden entrance to the Backyard Bash. The high-energy hangout gave fans a chance to enjoy games, giveaways, music and photo ops with Phineas and Ferb characters themselves.
But wait, there’s more. Bowling for Soup, a band popular in the early 2000s (damn, “1985” hits different when you’re an adult), which plays the fictional band Love Handel on the show, was on-site performing, including the “Phineas and Ferb” theme song. During the show, attendees tossed beach balls, scored merch and witnessed the real-world debut of the “T-Shirt-Inator,” an invention from the series, which launched branded tees into the audience. We spy… a successful event strategy.
Photo credit: Anthony Washington/Disney
JAMBA TAKES AIM AT WELLNESS CULTURE FOR SMOOTHIE DAY
It’s no secret that much of the wellness industry is riddled with overpriced products and services (looking at you, Erewhon) that make well-being feel unattainable. But not on Jamba’s watch. On National Smoothie Day (June 21), the “OG smoothie brand,” offered smoothies nationwide for just $1 as part of its broader Blended for Everyone campaign that focuses on authenticity, accessibility and joy.
But Jamba took its message a step further by hitting the pavement in Los Angeles with guerrilla stunts. Orange-accessorized street teams led the charge, putting up wheatpaste posters and stenciling sidewalks with messages like “No influencer markup”, “No trust fund required” and “When did smoothies become status symbols?” Ambassadors also dished out actual $1 bills with info on the Smoothie Day promotion while standing in “trend-forward” intersections in L.A. that are known for luxury health culture.
We have to imagine Gwyneth Paltrow cried herself to sleep that night. (Agency: M Booth)
Photos: Courtesy of Jamba
UBER COMMENCES A COLLEGE GRADUATION TOUR
Emotions run high during college graduation, something Uber was well aware of when it launched the Uber Graduation Tour. From June 13-16 at the University of California, UC Santa Barbara, the University of Oregon and the University of Denver, the brand rolled into graduation ceremonies with a glass-walled box truck brimming with fresh flowers.
Consumers were invited to step into the vehicle to pick out a complimentary bouquet, with brand messaging encouraging grads to gift the florals to friends and family members who supported them throughout their college careers. Uber also offered floral-themed photo ops and “on our way” messaging throughout its footprint. Ultimately, more than 2,000 bouquets were delivered to graduates and their loved ones, and Uber found a way to insert itself into a key cultural milestone. A+. (Agency: CNC Agency)
Photo credit: CNC Agency
