Consumers who are fatigued by the overstimulation and grand gestures often associated with todays’ brand activations may take comfort in a growing industry trend: miniaturized touchpoints. Charming, playful and intriguing, these tiny tokens of engagement, from collectibles to micro-spaces, are earning bigtime attention.
MGA’s Miniverse
MGA Entertainment drummed up a whole lot of buzz at Coachella with its Miniverse activation, centered around a meticulously curated, miniaturized version of the festival itself. Tiny replicas of desert palm trees, the famous Ferris wheel, cacti and other recognizable elements were all part of the footprint. And, naturally, chances for attendees to embed themselves in the shrunken world were part of the strategy.
But this was more than a sponsorship play. It was also a launch event of sorts. The footprint included a mini lounge anchored by tiny records that actually spun and played music, which operated as the official debut of MGA’s Miniverse Real Music line of playable mini vinyls and mini record player.
Songs from major artists including The Beach Boys, Public Enemy, Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse, Elton John, Blink-182 and others are now available, but festivalgoers got exclusive first access to preorder the products before the public launch.
Bud Light’s Tiny Newspapers and ‘Smallest Bar in the West’
Bud Light and Post Malone have been collaborating for a full decade, and to mark the momentous occasion, the duo went small with the debut of Bud Light x Posty Co. Minis, limited-edition 7-ounce bottles and 7.5-ounce cans of Bud Light. The items were designed to celebrate the little things in life, like spending quality time with friends, and debuted during Stagecoach Music Festival, where Malone was a headliner.
As part of the campaign, the Minis were announced in North Carolina’s The Tryon Daily Bulletin, known as “the world’s smallest daily newspaper.” Alongside the newspaper announcement, the artist and brand released a film, “The Smallest Bar in the West,” starring Malone.
Then during Stagecoach, the concept was turned into reality via a three-day Smallest Bar pop-up held just outside the festival grounds, where attendees sipped on tiny beers and had a chance to win exclusive merch. Then on the day of Malone’s performance, the mini activation moved inside the festival grounds, where Stagecoach attendees could experience it before the artist took the stage.
Hulu’s Scary-Small Treats
During SXSW, with a new chapter in “The Handmaid’s Tale” franchise to hype, Hulu flooded Austin’s streets with mysterious, purple-clad “Plums” who delivered mini pies bearing cryptic messages to passersby. Designed to introduce consumers to the show’s universe, the activation served as the kickoff to a broader experiential tour.
The anchor of the experience was Aunt Lydia’s purple prep-school bus that wheeled through the city and made three stops on high-traffic streets. At each location, an assembly of Plums disembarked in a single-file line while holding the mini pies out in front of them.
The lead Plum then directed the flow of her subordinates. When she rang a bell on the exterior of the bus, the Plums began their eerie pie handouts. With each delivery, they bowed their head and blessed the recipient. Hidden on the bottom of the pie was a tiny message that read, “Things Are Not What They Seem,” and urged attendees to scan a QR code to further engage with the experience.
You know what they say—good things come in small packages.
Photos courtesy of: MGA Entertainment; Bud Light
