As part of its efforts to promote health and wellness, insurance provider Aetna on Sept. 1 launched the Aetna Healthy Food Fight. The 10-city tour, developed with chefs from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), kicked off with an employee event at Aetna’s corporate headquarters in Hartford, CT, that featured an appearance by celebrity chef Bobby Flay.

Summer concerts bring kids of all ages out to fairs and festivals, amphitheaters and arenas to rock with their favorite bands. And this year, as they piled into stadium parking lots and plied their way through the concourse crowds, they found all kinds of engaging experiences. Some, thanks to OfficeMax, got to create signs to wave to the performers on stage. Kia airbrushed attendees with temporary tattoos. KC Masterpiece and Kingsford fired up the grill for fans at backstage barbecues. And those are just a few of the on-site events.

Secrets are irresistible. It’s no surprise then that brands are using them to lure consumers to events. There are secret locations, secret build outs, secret celebrity appearances—you name it. But making sure a mysterious event is interesting enough to hook consumers is an art form that requires building the right amount of anticipation. Here’s a peek at how it’s done:

SAMSUNG

Brita this month is handing out reusable water bottles and coupons on eight college campuses to drive students to local stores to purchase one of its signature water pitchers. The program kicked off on Aug. 20 and runs through September at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA, George Washington University in Washington D.C., Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA, Pennsylvania State University, University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, University of California-Berkeley, Washington University in St. Louis and Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT.

When the G20 Summit hit Toronto June 25, the delegates were tasked with the big issues: the global economy, green energy and financial reform, to name a few. Canada Tourism had just one mission: to remind the world to “Think Canada” for tourism, business and investment. With this directive in mind, the Experience Canada Pavilion was born.