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Sugar Bowl title sponsor Allstate kicked off the New Year with the 2009 Allstate Sugar Bowl Fan Fest held in New Orleans Dec. 31-Jan. 1. The Fan Fest offered interactive football-themed games and exhibits live broadcasts of games Allstate Sugar Bowl official pep rallies with cheerleaders and bands from the University of Alabama and the University of Utah and a New Year’s Day concert with headliner Blues Traveler.

Going on the festival circuit or heading out to malls or NASCAR races will certainly get your brand a lot of touches. But in today’s cluttered marketing landscape numbers aren’t the only consideration. To make a lasting impression your brand must make friends with consumers by becoming a name that they recognize and more importantly trust. More and more brands are doing that by tapping into neighborhoods.

Turner Classic Movies is letting consumers step inside a vintage DC-3 airplane as part of the network’s activation at four air shows this summer. The cable channel has set up shop at shows in Seattle Indianapolis and St. Louis and it heads to Virginia Beach VA this weekend. (It also exhibited at the Chicago Air & Water Show but without the aircraft.)
 

Brown-Forman’s Southern Comfort is in the midst of a four-market concert series showcasing an eclectic mix of musical performances from punk band Flogging Molly to hip-hop act The Roots.
 
SoCo is producing two-day mini music festivals in each market; admission is free to anyone 21 and older and the company is publicizing the events both online and with local radio stations and alternative newsweeklies. In addition to the acts on the main stage attendees can check out local talent in the SoCo Lime Lounge grab food from local vendors and purchase frozen SoCo drinks.
 

Starbucks Coffee is inviting consumers to check out a traditional coffeehouse atmosphere with a New York City pop-up store. Open from last Thursday through next Monday—to coincide with Fashion Week—the Starbucks Salon is hosting readings and musical performances including a show by Darryl McDaniels better known as DMC from the group Run DMC.