The 10-day SXSW conference and festivals welcomed fans, artists, creatives, marketers, filmmakers and exhibitors to Austin, TX, for a deep dive into the state of the entertainment, music and tech industries. EM was on the ground March 13-18 (in unseasonably chilly weather for the city) and visited expansive brand activations that served as catalysts for conversation about upcoming shows and movies, automotive innovations, technology, skincare trends and the latest from the grocery store aisle. Check out 18 immersive experiences that got our attention, from kaleidoscopic photo ops to themed snacks to hands-on creator labs.
Avocados From Mexico brought its digital House of Goodness pop-up to life at SXSW with an avocado-themed living room and kitchen space featuring the GuacBot Fortune Teller, who danced and read attendees their fortunes.
To coincide with Apple TV+’s new original film “Tetris,” the streamer activated a Tetris Experience next door, featuring old-school versions of the game, a leaderboard for top scorers, a dj spinning ’80s music, a fun photo op and Tetris-themed gummy snacks.
C4 Energy guided attendees through an immersive experience centered around a Creator’s Lab, where guests used custom stencils and brightly colored paint to design their own graffiti-style streetwear.
The Daimler Truck Stop showcased its latest transportation tech and gave attendees a chance to take control of a full-size semi-truck with their mind.
The massive Dolby House featured scores of product demos that brought its software capabilities to life, from an impressive 3D sound demo to a tutorial within an Atmos-enabled Mercedes to a five-second video to share on social.
Inspired by Doritos’ triangular shape, the larger-than-life, mirror-walled “Taste the Night” kaleidoscopic tunnel invited fans to step inside and become a part of its rotating chip visuals, scents and sounds.
The Johnson & Johnson Interactive Lounge offered VR and AR surgical trainings, introducing attendees to some of its digital innovations and robotic-assisted solutions.
The indoor-outdoor LaCroix House featured brightly colored décor, a bar serving mocktails, a dj spinning lounge music, multiple photo ops, a wall of free merch and a spacious outdoor lounge area.
Lush House displayed its latest bath bombs and cosmetic products and used interactive exhibits to highlight its sustainability practices and emerging tech trends. Outside, Lush hosted panels on the future of tech and skincare.
The Lodge: A Paramount+ Experience presented the streaming service’s collection of shows with dedicated vignettes, including a drive-in area with a T-birds car photo op and free popcorn for “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies,” a 1923 speakeasy bar for “Yellowstone” and spy-themed “Rabbit Hole” control room.
Housed in a shipping container, Leaps by Bayer’s Breaking Through Impossible escape game gave attendees 15 minutes to work together to rescue a research specimen in an undersea lab.
The Mike’s Hard Lemonade Backyard offered seating, including a special second-level viewing deck on top of its booth structure, for attendees to enjoy a beverage while artists performed on the SXSW Outdoor Stage. Participants could also snap a photo on a giant lemon seat.
Slack HQ took over an entire block with an immersive office-themed installation made up of rooms showing the IM program’s various communication features, photo booth stations to create branded GIFs and videos, Slack Oasis Lounge offering F&B and talks on the Slack Studio Live stage.
Nuns promoting Peacock’s new AI drama “Mrs. Davis” hit the streets of Austin to engage with attendees at festival hotspots and local businesses, including One Taco. (Photo: Rebecca Brenneman)
Porsche House hosted the “Porsche X Collaborations Unseen” immersive exhibition featuring art cars such as the Chris Labrooy: 996 Swan Car and Daniel Arsham 928 Nebula Car, shown publicly for the first time at SXSW.
White Claw’s Shore Club, a lounge for music fans and brand afficionados, offered up live performances, photo moments, original art from local creators and free merch, drinks and food.
Piazza Sanpellegrino brought a taste of Italy to festivalgoers through a variety of unique activities, including a bouquet-building station, caricatures drawn by an artist, free poems (on any topic), a wine class and more.
The University of Arizona’s Wonder House showed off animation, film, audio, art and virtual projects created by its professors and students through multimedia exhibits, VR experiences and speaker presentations.
The AI shopping app’s trendy activation highlights brand partners at Swim Week It may be a surprising stat, but Miami is home to the most top Instagram influencers per capita in the U.S., beating out L.A. and NYC. And for a growing brand like Minty, the first AI cashback and savings app in ChatGPT, activating […]
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