Five Things to Know This Week
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover crypto lakes, tech-inspired beauty launches and the Boston Coffee Party.
Creators Toss Lattes Overboard at the Boston Coffee Party
Keurig and a group creator partners did their best to channel the Sons of Liberty on Oct. 1 at the Boston Coffee Party, where instead of chucking tea into the Boston Harbor to support the American Revolution, bags of “overpriced lattes” and “mediocre coffee” were tossed into the water (in reality, fishing nets caught the items) to mark a coffee revolution.
Aboard a branded schooner at Boston’s Rowes Wharf pavilion, Keurig introduced the upscale Keurig Alta System and AltaRounds, its plastic-free pressed coffee format for single-use servings, and let creators experience the system firsthand by making their own drinks.
Attendees were also treated to barista-led classes featuring ambassadors dressed in colonial garb, a performance by a live orchestra, breakfast pastries and an invitation to sign an old timey-style “Coffee Revolution” scroll that our ancestors would be proud of. (Agency: Quality Meats)
ComplexCon Fans Fish for Bitcoin in ‘Lightning Lake’
Wanna earn the attention of ComplexCon attendees? Try installing a real man-made lake in the Los Angeles Convention Center. The strategy worked for Cash App over the weekend. (No, really.)
From Oct. 3-4 as the Official Bitcoin Partner of the 2026 event, the brand presented the artificial “Lightning Lake” as part of its nostalgic Bait House activation in an effort to make Bitcoin and the crypto world feel more tangible.
Fans could top by the detailed footprint, grab a rod and cast it into the water for a chance to catch real bitcoin through Cash App (one fan even won a full bitcoin, which is estimated at $85,000).
Once their “ice-cold” funds were caught, participants could keep them or head inside the Bait House to spend the currency on exclusive fishcore merch, customizable lure keychains and limited-edition Catch of the Day product drops.
We’d say Cash App won the ComplexCon brand battle—hook, line and sinker. (Agency: Nook Agency Americas)
Neutrogena Takes Cues from Big Tech with a Cloud-Themed Launch
For the debut of its Cloud-Tech products, which feature the first new FDA-approved sunscreen filter in 25-plus years, Neutrogena treated the unveiling like a Big Tech launch, and from Sept. 25-26 welcomed consumers into The Cloud-Tech Store.
The cloud-themed pop-up took over a storefront on Santa Monica’s 3rd Street Promenade, where visitors were introduced to the concept of Cloud-Tech as an “OS for SPF,” and got up close and personal with the new Ultra Sheer Daily Face SPF 70 and Clear Face SPF 60 sunscreens, powered by BEMT technology.
Neutrogena went the whole nine yards with tech-inspired messaging and touchpoints, including interactive R&D demos with experts who brought the science behind the innovation to life, a UV Bar that showcased sunscreen coverage in action, Cloud Reveal Mirrors, a larger-than-life Cloudscape photo op and cloud-shaped soft serve.
All told, more than 1,800 people stopped by The Cloud-Tech Store for education and sampling. Tech bros not included. (Agency: Colina Group)
Colts Fandom Reaches New Heights on the London Eye
If you’re going to bring American football across the pond, you might as well make it a spectacle. And the Indianapolis Colts did just that over the weekend ahead of their Oct. 4 game against the Washington Commanders in London.
Fans could visit the Colts FanZone at Greenwood during London Game Week for special events, live entertainment, giveaways, exclusive merch, appearances by team legends and the Colts Cheerleaders, and a chance to meet Blue the mascot.
But the real talk of the town was the team’s exclusive partnership with the London Eye. From Oct. 1-2, the winners of special contests at the FanZone got a chance to ride in a Colts-branded pod while taking in panoramic views and experiencing one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Plus, select rides featured appearances by the players, cheerleaders and Blue.
Ziplock Puts a New Spin on Leftovers with a Wheel of Sandwiches
We all know the guilt that comes with tossing out perfectly edible food. And as a brand that helps people save leftovers, Ziplock is working on a solution with the launch of Surprise Seconds, a joint campaign with Too Good To Go, the app that lets consumers rescue unsold food from local businesses.
The initiative is aimed at presenting consumers with creative new possibilities for utilizing the food they’ve already saved. And to demonstrate the concept in action, the organizations rolled into Manhattan on Sept. 30 with a food truck and a “Wheel of Sandwiches.”
The menu for the activation was curated by NYC chef partner Yara Herrera, who reimagined dishes from local restaurants and her own eatery, Hellbender, as four new sandwiches that could be whipped up using leftovers from the meals.
Then at the activation, visitors were invited to give the wheel a spin, which landed them on an original restaurant dish, or the “first” meal. They then received the sandwich that corresponded with it as a second, “leftover” meal for free.
The activation caused quite a stir. Two hundred people were in line before the official noon opening, and all 400 sammies were snatched up in just over two hours… A recipe for success.
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