FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover Wet Girl Summer, Be Like Blippi Week and the Order of the Blade.
DOLLAR SHAVE CLUB HANDS THE REIGNS TO THE ‘ORDER OF THE BLADE’
Some say AI will replace ad agency positions, but Dollar Shave Club is swapping professional advertisers for the guy next door. Today, the brand launched a multipronged campaign that shines a spotlight on its no-BS ethos. The kicker? The initiative wasn’t developed by a heavyweight ad agency or in-house creative team, but by a group of everyday men dubbed the Order of the Blade (OOTB), the company’s first “out-house” and “BS-free” agency comprised entirely of real Dollar Shave Club members.
The program serves as a nod to the brand’s first viral ad, which called out the “BS” of major razor companies from a real man’s perspective. Across digital ads, brand activations and athlete partnerships, the campaign is anchored by a consumer-led creative strategy.
The OOTB first met for a weekend in August to participate in a creative workshop that ultimately yielded a year’s worth of content, according to the brand. Members were briefed on a new razor, tested the product, provided feedback on the pricing strategy, wrote billboards and TV commercials, directed actors and wrote jingles, and offered suggestions on collabs, stunts and future member benefits.
Across every tactic, the OOTB worked to eliminate traditional marketing tactics while infusing humor and the no-nonsense attitude Dollar Shave Club is famous for. We say: three cheers for authentic brand influencers.
Photo credit: Bradley Newton
THE CLIMAX OF O POSITIV’S ‘WET GIRL SUMMER’ CAMPAIGN? A 12-FOOT VAGINA INSTALLATION.
Public conversations around women’s health are consistently censored, so O Positiv marched into New York’s Gansevoort Plaza on Aug. 23 with a 12-foot-tall vagina installation and a clear message about destigmatizing vaginal health. Pearl-clutchers—hang on tight.
The event served as the culmination of the women’s health brand’s “Wet Girl Summer” campaign, which promoted its new URO Vaginal Moisture + Mood daily supplement, and was carried out across OOH, social stunts, digital subway ads and sidewalk chalk messaging in 40-plus locations around NYC, with messaging tailored to the city’s uptown and downtown residents.
When consumers arrived at the free, block party-style activation, messaging like “Wanna get a little wet? Come on in.” greeted them. They then walked through the bright pink vagina installation and into a high-energy atmosphere that included multiple dj performances, a product booth where they could learn more about the supplements and score cheeky swag, free treats like fruity popsicles, curated photo ops and partner integrations with brands like goodwipes and Vita Coco. O Positiv and lady bits FTW. (Agency: Autumn Communications)
Photos: Courtesy of O Positiv
FAMILIES STRAP ON THEIR ORANGE GLASSES FOR BE LIKE BLIPPI WEEK
Moonbug Entertainment is on the heels of celebrating its popular educational series for young children, “Blippi,” with its biggest campaign to date: Be Like Blippi Week. During the first week of September, families around the country were invited to “dress, move, play, explore and learn” like the titular character at events hosted at New York’s Paley Centre, Nashville’s Adventure Science Centre and L.A.’s Discovery Cube.
Each location was transformed into a colorful, family-friendly environment where attendees could partake in interactive “Blippi” photo ops, hands-on educational activities, meet-and-greets with Blippi himself, a mini excavator experience with brand partner Caterpillar, dance parties, dress-up opportunities and a chance to recharge in dedicated Chill Zones in between activities—a thoughtful touch. (Agency: Sense.)
Photos: Courtesy of Moonbug Entertainment
FANS FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD TO SPHERE LAS VEGAS
We’ve seen corporate keynotes, rock concerts and exosphere takeovers hosted at Sphere Las Vegas, but on Aug. 28, a brand-new kind of show was unveiled: “The Wizard of Oz at Sphere,” the first 4D experience of its size and scale to be produced at the mega-venue, and a marvel of modern technology.
The 77-minute, all-encompassing film experience showcases the classic 1939 film from a completely new, AI-enhanced perspective, and includes multisensory, 4D elements, like falling apples and intricate flame effects, in addition to utilizing the venue’s 10,000 haptic seats—all while maintaining the integrity of the original film.
The experience took 2,000-plus entertainment and tech pros two years to complete, and includes several feats of engineering, from a real-time motion capture system that tracks the autonomously flying butterflies in Munchkinland and the winged monkeys as they hover over the crowd, to Sphere’s 167,000 programmable speakers and ability to direct sound anywhere in the venue, to tornado effects created with three high-powered fans, 20 fog units, nine haze machines and 18 GMEP machines, and achieved through more than 360 hours of in-venue testing, to 38 snow machines synchronized to simulate snow during the movie’s poppy field scene.
Fans looking for even more lions, tigers and bears can engage in experiences before and after the show. Upon entering Sphere, audiences step into a sepia tone-colored, Kansas-themed environment featuring a full scale installation of Professor Marvel’s caravan. And as they exit, attendees walk through the atrium to discover a recreation of Emerald City, including an interactive mini-show headed up by the Wizard himself. There’s no place like Sphere. There’s no place like Sphere. There’s no place like Sphere. (Partners: Sphere Studios; Warner Bros. Discovery; Google; Magnopus)
Photos: Courtesy of Madison Square Garden Entertainment
INFLUENCERS MIX THINGS UP AT SPOTIFY’S VIP LAUNCH EVENT
With a new Custom Transitions feature to promote, Spotify recently leaned on Grammy-nominated dj and cultural icon Steve Aoki to help spread the word. On Sept. 3, the brand invited Aoki to its L.A. office to lead an influencer event where he taught attendees like Jordyn Jones, Teala Dunn and Symonne Harrison how to fully curate their playlists at interactive stations using Spotify’s new tool.
Following the lesson, Aoki performed a live set, including previewing an unreleased “KPop Demon Hunters” remix. To wrap the event, the dj performed his signature “caking,” sending creators Emma Norton and Coco Mocoe home with “cake face.”
Photo credit: Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Spotify
