FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover billboard bars, “Pouroscope” Stations and Sensoria: The Black Currant Experience.
TEREMANA PLAYS PEEK-A-BOO WITH TEQUILA LOVERS
We’ve seen out-of-home take a particularly experiential turn as of late, and Teremana may just have choreographed the best example yet.
On April 24, the tequila brand unveiled its Share the Table, Share the Mana campaign, which aims to bring people together “one table at a time” to foster community connection and celebrate the power of shared experiences. The launch began with a series of billboards installed around the U.S., but when Teremana rolled onto the iconic Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, Los Angeles, there was a lot more in store.
What looked like a standard billboard upon first glance was actually the exterior of a hidden pop-up installation. Passersby who dared to tug on a lever that read “Pull to Start Your Story” opened the door to surprise, delight and tequila. The micro-activation featured a bartender whipping up cocktails, guac and chips, and an invitation to “share the table.”
And there’s more sharing to be done. The campaign additionally includes a partnership with Timeleft, a social app designed to unite people IRL. Together, the companies launched a Share the Table Series to bring small groups together to connect over drinks. The meetups will take place every Thursday now through August at participating bars and restaurants across the country. More of this, please. (Agencies: City Eventions; Wolfgang; Quan Media Group)
Photos: Courtesy of Teremana
CURRANT AFFAIRS: MCCORMICK’S ‘SENSORIA’ EVENT INSPIRES FLAVOR EXPLORATION
It’s one thing to publish recipes based on your CPG brand’s Flavor of the Year, but it’s quite another to transform a taste into a multisensory event that pairs flavor experimentation with experience design. And that’s just what McCormick achieved at its Sensoria: The Black Currant Experience in Manhattan on April 23.
To shine a spotlight on both its Flavor of the Year (black currant), and the new seasonings it created based on the berry, McCormick hosted an all-encompassing, multicourse dining experience.
Savory dishes, like a New York strip coated in a sweet and smoky black currant demi sauce, along with paired cocktails and desserts, were all concocted to reflect the flavor’s range. Invited attendees could explore it via taste, scent, 360-degree projection-mapping, soundscapes and tactile elements.
Diners left the experience with McCormick’s new Sweet & Smoky Black Currant Seasoning and Black Currant Finishing Sugar to keep the flavor journey alive. (Agency: GUT)
Photos: Courtesy of McCormick
AN LGBTQ+ DATING APP TRANSFORMS LOCAL HOTSPOTS INTO ‘GHOST TOWNS’
If you’ve never been ghosted, have you really dated? Being silently dismissed is a universal frustration among those in the dating pool, so on April 26, Taimi, the LGBTQ+ dating app where “conversations don’t go to die,” hit the streets with a message about its platform’s value prop.
Across restaurants, sidewalks, public transit and social spaces in L.A. and NYC, the brand brought its Ghost Town stunt to the masses, unleashing dozens of “human ghosts” dressed in flowing white costumes, each styled as a distinct persona, like “disco cowboy” and “corporate host.” The figures drifted around, doom-scrolling on their phones without acknowledging anyone. Those who tried to engage with the ghosts got a single reply: “Been ghosted? Try Taimi.”
The activations weren’t just located in high-traffic areas, but also in neighborhoods that have significant meaning to the LGBTQ+ community, including Christopher Park and The Stonewall Inn in New York, and Santa Monica and Robertson boulevards in West Hollywood.
The campaign was also supported by OOH elements and, in NYC, a branded bus that wheeled around the city with a custom wrap that read “Stop Getting Put Through The Grinder,” a subtle-ish jab at the LGBTQ+ social app, Grindr… Well played, Taimi. (Agency: Komodo Media)
Photos: Courtesy of Taimi
TORANI’S SAMPLING TOUR IS RACKING UP REAL-TIME DATA ON BEVERAGE TRENDS
Following 2025’s whimsical Flavor Factory pop-up campaign (a 2026 Ex Awards finalist), Torani is on the road this year with a Treat Truck tour to capture real-time data on how flavor preferences are evolving around the U.S. The tour debuted in San Francisco from April 24-25, attracting 1,800-plus consumers, and will make its way to Salt Lake City this weekend, as well as Austin and Nashville this fall.
At each stop, it’s all about customization. With a little guidance from Torani Flavor Experts, visitors are invited to take a quiz to identify their Feature Flavor, and are served up a drink recipe personalized to their palate, like dirty sodas, flavored coffees and fruit-centric refreshers. They can also take a spin at the Pouroscope Station, where a dispenser reveals a branded, collectible tarot-inspired card featuring a Torani recipe before dishing out a prize.
Another major draw is a vintage-inspired phone installation that allows attendees to “call in” and share their favorite Torani flavor. Each entry is added to a real-time aggregator that tracks flavor trends, providing Torani with ample data on what kind of tastes are resonating and where.
Other highlights include testing out samples of Torani’s Flavor of the Year (Forest Pine) and Flavor of the Bay (Chocolate Milano) at an “Extra Extra!” cart, and snapping photos at a selfie mirror and tagging the brand on social for a chance to win a one-year dirty soda kit. And for fans at home, a virtual flavor-mixing experience offers a dose of the action.
Photos: Courtesy of Torani
SHIPT ‘HOMES’ IN ON ITS SAME-DAY DELIVERY FEATURE IN NYC
Everyday experiences aren’t always as routine as they seem, a concept Shipt leaned into to mark the debut of its No Order is Ordinary campaign, which centers on its same-day delivery feature. With a “Special Delivery” VIP event on April 24 and a public activation on April 25 in New York, the brand showcased how small, real-world needs are often layered with significant meaning.
At the invite-only event, actor and Shipt chief storyteller Sterling K. Brown was center stage discussing the topic based on his personal experiences, with input from Shipt cmo Alia Kemet, and moderated by Ally Love, an instructor and vp-instructor strategy and development at Peloton (go team #LoveSquad—IYKYK). Beyond the chat, attendees explored a series of visual installations built for storytelling and content capture.
At the public pop-up, consumers walked through a SoHo “home” featuring curated vignettes designed to demonstrate how Shipt is part of everyday moments, from shared meals to small acts of care.
Attendees also scored branded giveaways, including customized Shipt totes, a free trial offer, and a chance to win $500 in credits, plus an annual membership. And for every social post from the experience that was published with the campaign hashtag, Shipt donated $10 to help provide meals to New Yorkers in need. Special delivery, indeed. (Agency: CHÉ)
Photo credit: Noam Galai/Getty Images for Shipt
