Tapping into a garden party aesthetic, which is more Gen Z-friendly than a wild night out, Fujifilm leveraged the atrium at The Line Hotel in Los Angeles for an official launch event for the new X half digital camera. The X Summit Experience on May 22 featured a lush, social-friendly space where demos, community and the “passable” nature of the camera took the focus.
The footprint involved simple physical production elements by design with messaging integrated into the surroundings. Attendees encountered a floating Fujifilm logo in The Line’s pool, explored a walk-in garden enclosure featuring brand visuals and the logo, and examined a camera wall of real product mixed in with 3D-printed product for added interest.
Contributing to the vibe were reps within the Fujifilm universe working the event, including product and technical specialists, all professional photographers in their own right. They manned demo stations like the Touch & Try experience, where attendees could either take selfies and have a tactile experience with the camera or snap images of themselves with fellow creators using the camera’s two-in-one feature, which pairs one image with another. Attendees printed out their work on the spot via a Fujifilm Instax printer.
Those who completed a demo received a token that unlocked new spaces for them to explore in the event, including claiming a free gift from a branded gumball machine. Encouraged participation helped structure the primarily social environment.
“We like creating a welcoming energy for attendees, especially those who came by themselves,” says Jackie Merry, head of Pairadox Studios, Fujifilm North America Corporation’s primary AOR for 360 content marketing strategy and production services, “We welcome all photographers and creatives, whether you’re a Fujifilm user or not.”
Ahead of the VIP afterparty at the Break Room 86 speakeasy next door, which featured karaoke and cocktails, attendees stopped at a step-and-repeat activated with the Fujifilm Frame.io Camera to Cloud platform, allowing them to download and share their images immediately. The instant nature of the experience helped keep the crowd and energy flowing smoothly into the next venue.
The brand marketed the event via email and social to its Fujifilm database, which accounted for the largest percentage of total registration. But the brand also invited VIP guests and welcomed content creators, influencers, photographers, filmmakers—“people we believed would love this camera,” Merry says. Special guests received VIP gift boxes featuring one of the cameras, a Fujifilm Instax printer and other goodies.
Tracking the vibe was an essential component of the brand’s measurement strategy, and on top of an attendee survey, the team examined organic social chatter.
“Attendees were able to strengthen their community and find new people at the event, and we saw them posting on each other’s social media and tagging each other, despite not knowing each other before the event,” Merry says. “We were not paying anybody to be there. We were not expecting anybody to have to show up. And we didn’t have a VIP section tucked away. All attendees were able to just be part of the community, which was organic and natural.” Agency: MoonLab Productions
Step into the Garden Party:
Images Courtesy of Fujifilm/Bryan Minear
