Jessica Heasley

Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s kicked off a new joint partnership with the Lennon Estate and nonprofit organization Peace One Day by restaging the Bed-In For Peace event famously created 39 years ago by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. At the publicity event held at the Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop in New York City’s Times Square members of the media were invited onboard a 31-foot peace-sign emblazoned mobile vehicle and into a glass-encased room where they could sit on a bed reminiscent of Lennon and Ono’s and conduct interviews (Agency: TBA Global New York City).

MANY BRANDS rely on their biggest sponsorship properties as once-a-year platforms for launching new products making big announcements and getting face time with customers. But few take full advantage of all the ways a title sponsorship can carry their brand’s momentum throughout the rest of the year.

Even in a down economy Californians still love cruisin’ in their squeaky-clean cars. So to make connections in the local market State Farm offered drivers something special for their gas-guzzling babies—spa therapy. From July 7 through Aug. 3 two Los Angeles car washes were transformed into Zen-inspired red and white pagodas where drivers received free cold drinks cool gel eye masks and massages while their car was being treated to a body scrub.

This April the Microsoft Windows brand for the first time turned to experiential marketing to give its Windows Live Photo Gallery and Windows Live Spaces photo sharing and social networking services a boost in awareness. From April 19 through May 11 residents and visitors to New York City’s Brooklyn Heights and San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhoods could swing into one of the brand’s Windows Live Portrait pop-up Studios for free professional photo sessions.

One thing hoteliers all agree on: Consumers’ needs are changing. They want rooms flush with outlets that cater to their tech gadgets they want top-notch in-room entertainment and they want premium creature comforts such as high-end pillows sheets and beds. To meet the needs of a more demanding traveler many hotel brands are revitalizing—rolling out new programs and forging new partnerships to enhance the guest experience. But strangely very few venture outside of their own parking lots to get consumers buzzing.