This Oct. 10 marked the fifteenth consecutive year that Volkswagen has been a sponsor of the Chicago Marathon, and to celebrate that fact it launched the the Chicago Marathon Expo on the day before the race and the VW Fan Zone on race day, halfway through the race at mile 12, where it invited participants and attendees to grab a little hospitality, VW-style. The Expo and Zone together drew about 125,000 people.

From April to October, the Arby’s Charity Tour visited golf tournaments and community events in 17 markets to raise money for local Big Brother Big Sisters agencies and other youth mentoring programs. The tour has been running for 13 years, but this spring it upgraded from a tour bus to a 40-foot by 80-foot trailer with a built-in replica of an Arby’s kitchen that served its signature roast beef sandwiches and Jamocha shakes.

In an effort to make a big splash for its first-ever venture out of the sock market and into boxers, briefs and boxer-briefs, GoldToe took New York City by storm on Sept. 16. The brand sent brand ambassadors clad only in underwear all over the city to excite consumers about the new line and direct them to Herald Square Park where the main event was going on from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To build more buzz, GoldToe dressed some of Manhattan’s most iconic statuary—like the Wall Street Bull—in its new product, and sent 100 product-loaded gift baskets to key Wall Street firms.

As part of an effort to educate older consumers about Connected Care, the nation’s first telehealth network, UnitedHealth Group brought its 18-wheel Connected Care mobile clinic to the AARP Orlando@50+ national convention and expo held earlier this month. The stop was the latest in a national mobile tour that launched in 2009 and has visited state capitols, customer locations and industry events.

On Sept. 10, Diageo brand Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch Whisky took over the Altman Building in New York City and transformed it into the House of Walker experience where it hosted two tastings of its iconic liquor. Guests registered in advance or were invited through a cooperating organization and were advised to arrive early so the line would move more smoothly. While in line, brand ambassadors chatted with waiting guests and helped them confirm the registration information and answer a series of behavior-related questions on a row of iPad tablet stations.