Five Things to Know This Week
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover cat bodegas, scientific mobile tours and Cinema Lavazza.
HomeGoods Drops Some ‘Real Big Deals’ (and Installations) in Chicago
If you’ve ever wanted to fry 800 pounds of chicken at once, Chicago’s Pioneer Court was the place to be from Sept. 9-13. At least in theory. That’s where HomeGoods turned its “Never Shop the Same” campaign into supersized installations of everyday items found at its stores.
The “Real Big Deal” activation featured a giant frying pan, cocktail shaker and lamp, each including a tag to showcase the brand’s competitive prices, and, of course, all highly shareable. The tags also displayed a QR code that unlocked a $5 rideshare coupon towards a trip to HomeGoods.
Before leaving, consumers could grab a branded tote bag to use while shopping for regular-size items. (Agency: Fallon)
Fighting Misinformation is at the Heart of Bayer’s ‘Science Delivers’ Tour
Over the last few years, the U.S. has seen misinformation around evidence-based science spread like wildfire. And it’s not just impeding progress; it’s stressing people out.
According to a Harris Poll survey of 2,023 U.S. adults commissioned by Bayer over the spring, 82% of participants reported that they worry about their own, and their family’s, wellbeing as a result of science and health misinformation. So Bayer is doing something about it.
Last week, the brand unveiled its multiyear, cross-country Science Delivers mobile tour, which is visiting communities, universities and local events through 2027. Along the way, Bayer is engaging scientists, farmers, researchers, students and community members in discussions around health innovation, agricultural science, and the future of scientific discovery.
Aboard the vehicle, attendees can explore a showcase of evidence-based science through interactive activities that exhibit how science has delivered immense progress in agriculture, medicine and beyond.
They’re also invited to share their personal experiences with science by filling out a physical or digital postcard. All submissions feed into an expanding gallery that encompasses more than 700 postcards (as of September 2026), with each demonstrating how everyday lives are impacted by scientific progress. We say: Hear, hear!
The Temptations Cat Bodega Opens Any Day Meow
You’ve heard of bodega cats, but have you ever heard of a cat bodega? Oh, it’s happening.
From Sept. 17-19, cat treat brand Temptations is popping up its first-ever Cat Bodega in NYC and it’s poised to be the purrrfect destination for cat lovers and content creators.
Free product samples, giveaways, exclusive, bodega-inspired merch, and plenty of photo-worthy installations are all in the mix, along with interactive touchpoints. Like a King Claw machine that yields prizes; a secret Bodega Cat Hideaway; a gachapon vending machine; and, of course scratch-off tickets.
We’re also fans of the attention to detail, like the inclusion of a newspaper machine filled with copies of the Daily Mews on the exterior of the pop-up, and a community cork board hanging inside. (Agency: Trigger(House)
Lavazza Gets Dramatic With a Toronto International Film Festival Sponsorship
Lavazza has been a partner of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) since 2023, but fresh off of inking a multiyear deal with the property, the brand this year is taking its role up a notch, and for the first time, onto the red carpet.
Serving as Gala Presenting Partner and Official Coffee Partner, Lavazza is caffeinating eventgoers, and consumers in Toronto, during the festival’s run from Sept. 10-20.
That included on the official TIFF red carpet, where the first-ever Lavazza Bar offered talent and filmmakers a place to stop between photo ops and enjoy classic coffee and the brand’s signature coffeetails.
At Cinema Lavazza, located in the Festival Village, a classic movie theater aesthetic is blended with Italian café touches. Festivalgoers can visit to sample Lavazza Cold Brew, pose for a photo in velvet theater seats alongside Luigi (Lavazza’s playful robot mascot) and snag a sample of the brand’s Qualità Oro blend to take home, along with custom merchandise.
Over at the TIFF Market, industry pros can enjoy Lavazza coffee classics and the Flat Choco-White (crafted specially for the fest).
And at the brand’s public pop-up at Toronto’s Union Station from Sept. 13-15, consumers can participate in an activation inspired by Florence’s historic wine windows by walking up to a theater-themed service window and ringing a bell, which earns the consumer prizes ranging from coffee samples to brand swag.
FX Touts ‘The Drop’ with a Curated Marketplace and Community Celebration in L.A.
The hustle and creative energy that defined early ’90s hip-hop on the West Coast is at the center of FX’s new drama, “The Drop: A Snowfall Saga.” So ahead of its Sept. 8 premiere, the network revived the era with a community-centric Neighborhood Sessions activation outside of L.A.’s Somerville restaurant on Sept. 5.
To deliver an authentic experience, FX created touchpoints, and forged partnerships, that were rooted in South Los Angeles, including a marketplace filled with Black-owned businesses that was curated by Black on the Block.
Fans were also treated to food trucks from Nay’s Tacos and Marathon Burger, tote bag customization, games, an album cover photo moment, a screening of the pilot episode and surprise live performances curated by radio personality Big Boy (hosted indoors).
But the collabs didn’t stop there. In the coming weeks, the brand is teaming up with more L.A. businesses and brands, including Randy’s Donuts, Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen, Marathon Burger and The Marathon Clothing, on limited-edition menu items and exclusive merch to extend the celebration to the larger community. Dope.
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