FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover lemonade spas, the Dunkin’ Barbie DreamHouse and Knicks in five, baby!
MALIBU MEETS MANHATTAN AT THE DUNKIN’ BARBIE DREAMHOUSE
The summer collab you didn’t know you needed? Dunkin’ and Barbie.
To add some sparkle to the launch of Dunkin’s new lineup of pink seasonal drinks, the brand on June 10 opened the front door to the Dunkin’ Barbie DreamHouse on West 37th Street in NYC. The pink-infused pop-up activation will be “available for a limited time throughout June,” and is free and open to the public, no registration required.
Inside the vibrant Dunkin’ DreamHouse, visitors encounter pink menu boards, and a reimagined bakery display case packed with pink-frosted donuts, a life-size Barbie box photo moment, playful décor, merch and, of course, a beverage from the lineup, like the Ultimate Pink Daydream Refresher and Strawberries & Crème Cloud Dunkalatte, which could be topped with Barbie Pink Strawberry Cold Foam.
The installation is part of a larger, summer-long celebration of all things pink, with more surprises promised in the weeks to come.
Photos: Courtesy of Dunkin’
SPONSORSHIP GOOOOOALS: TARGET KICKS OFF A SOCCER-THEMED SUMMER TOUR
Unless you’ve been living under a fairly large rock, you know that the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicked off on June 11 and will feature games in 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. before wrapping up on July 19.
Naturally, a sea of brands has latched onto the tournament, whether in an official capacity, or not so much. And Target is among them, having launched a free, multicity Summer Goals Tour aimed at kids and families of all ages—no costly World Cup ticket or travel involved. The tour launched in L.A. on June 6. Next up: Houston, TX, on June 28; Atlanta, GA, on July 11; and Jersey City, NJ, on July 18.
The brand is turning its store parking lots in four select locations into soccer-themed adventure zones spanning giveaways, play spaces with mini soccer pitches, games, hands-on activities, complimentary snacks and beverages, merch and sponsored “Target Playmaker” booths offering games, samples and surprises from brands like Chobani, Dove and Liquid I.V.
Our favorite touchpoint might be a walk through the Players Tunnel, featuring the sounds of a cheering crowd that make fans feel like they’re stepping onto the pitch as a player in the world’s biggest soccer tournament.
Photos: Courtesy of Target
‘THE SIMPLES SPA’ ZEROES IN ON LIFE’S SMALL MOMENTS OF REFRESHMENT
It may be summertime, but according to results from a self-care study by Simply, the living ain’t all that easy: 65% of Americans say they’re overdue for a self-care reset, while more than one-third say finding time is a challenge. So from June 5-6 in New York, the brand popped up The Simplest Spa to demonstrate that self-care is about cherishing small moments of joy and refreshment, like drinking a glass of its lemonade.
Visitors who participated in the free experience were first greeted by chilled samples of Simply Lemonade before stepping into a tranquil lounge featuring bright citrus-inspired décor, photo moments and simplified wellness treatments, including a cane sugar hand scrub and brightening mini facial that mapped back to Simply’s real ingredients. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. (Agencies: Momentum; Zeno; Weber Shandwick; WPP, SocialX and Village)
Photos: Courtesy of Simply
MINNESOTA PENCILS IN A COMMUNITY ‘SHARPENING’ EVENT
There are events you can predict, and there are ones you couldn’t have seen coming with a crystal ball. For us, and a pencil “Sharpening” community event that’s held every June in Minneapolis, it’s most certainly the latter.
Indeed, the fifth annual Sharpening, in all its yellow glory, took place June 6 in Lake of the Isles at the historic Bull Higgins house. And thousands gathered to watch a colossal, 20-foot-tall No. 2 pencil get shaved down by an equally large pencil sharpener.
Pencil costumes, live performances, games and other lighthearted touchpoints were also part of the experience, which first launched in 2022, after a sculptor turned a wind-damaged tree into a pencil installation. Fortunately for all involved, no multiple-choice tests appeared on-site.
Image credit: lotipencil/Instagram
IT’S AN EMPIRE STATE OF MIND FOR BRANDS RIDING THE KNICKS HYPE TRAIN
In case you didn’t hear the roar of Manhattan from whatever state you live in, we’re here to inform you that the New York Knicks clinched their first NBA championship title in 53 years on Saturday night, and savvy brands wasted no time getting involved in the pop culture moment as soon as the team got on a hot streak. There are too many to name, so we’ll narrow it down to three companies that cleverly tapped into a wildly passionate fan base.
It was a unique “Legacy Passed” OOH play in the case of Michelob ULTRA, who appealed to Knicks fans old and young with two billboard displays in Times Square that interacted with one another, linking the star of the 1973 team, Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier, with today’s Knicks frontman, Jalen Brunson. The sequence between the two displays featured the two players passing the ball, and celebrating the franchise’s legacy across generations. (Agency: BBDO)
For Dude Wipes, before the game at Madison Square Garden on June 10, it was all about a play on words with player Miles McBride’s nickname, “Deuce.” Outside the arena, the brand distributed Double Deuce packs billed as “timely bathroom survival kits” for a night of what was likely to be minimal bathroom breaks until the final buzzer sounded.
And then there was event agency Be The Machine, which created a Knicks Meetings platform that gave fans a way to “call out” of work the day after Finals games, and now, includes the option to get out of work the day after the Knicks’ victory parade. Participants just click a “schedule meeting” button on the site that best fits their profession, and they receive proof of “this magical business session that no boss will ever doubt.” Now that’s a full-court press.
Image credit: Ricardo Marques/LinkedIn
