FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover the Febreze Boot Room Tour, folding pubs and Peroni Portals.
SPORTS PLAYERS SMELL BAD. FEBREZE HAS A TOUR FOR THAT.
As the Official Odor Fighter of Major League Soccer, Febreze clearly has no problem being real about the fact that sweaty sports players stink up all kinds of surfaces and materials that can’t be thrown in the washer, from couches to gear to cars.
So to give its Febreze Fabric product a boost, the brand launched a “Can’t Wash This” campaign anchored by a multicity Boot Room Tour, and featuring content integrations with Trevor Noah’s “What Now?” podcast, MLS club boot room refreshes and creator partnerships.
The tour kicked off July 17 during the Los Angeles FC vs. LA Galaxy rivalry match and gave fans a chance to experience Febreze Fabric in action by spraying it directly into custom-designed “boots” (cleats), then smelling the freshness firsthand.
Beyond the sniff test, visitors could explore an installation of cleats inspired by various Febreze bottle designs dubbed the Boot Room Wall, snap photos with an oversized Febreze bottle and cleat, participate in sampling activities and enjoy scent-inspired artwork by Temi Coker.
The odor-fighting continues this weekend at MLS All-Star in Charlotte, then hits NYC, Cincinnati and Atlanta. (Agency: Elevate)
Photos: Courtesy of Febreze
BEER LOVERS OPEN THE WINDOW TO ICE-COLD PERONI
Of the many Italian traditions we’d warmly welcome into the States, the historic Buchette del Vino, or “wine windows,” originally found in Florence are at the top of the list. And this summer, Peroni is pretty much making that aperitivo dream a reality.
Enter: Peroni Portals, the beer brand’s take on wine windows, which are popping up at bars in cities across the U.S. throughout the month of August. Visitors can expect an interactive window experience, cold beers, merch and samples of fresh focaccia bread.
To drive extra hype for the campaign, the brand hosted an event in NYC on July 24 in partnership with ambassador and celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, who created the Pane di Peroni bread recipe that consumers will be tasting at each walk-up activation. Saluti!
DANDY WORLDWIDE AND STARBUCKS EMBARK ON A ROAD TRIP
Last year, viral online clothing brand Dandy Worldwide revved up a retro Gas Station Tour designed to strengthen ties with its biggest fans. This year, Starbucks is riding shotgun with Dandy on another road trip-inspired experiential tour to celebrate a new limited-edition lineup of co-branded merch.
With the apparel collection, and Starbucks’ new menu of Orange Dream drinks, both dropping on July 28, the brands got consumers hyped up ahead of the launch with a drive up the West Coast from Dandy’s headquarters in L.A. to Starbucks’ hometown of Seattle, and featuring pop-up pit stops, which so far have been located at Santa Monica Pier and Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena.
At each stop, fans are invited into a throwback, checker-patterned footprint to shop the lineup, get their (purchased) hats customized at a patch bar, enjoy Starbucks cake pops and Refreshers and capture content. But our favorite aspect might be the can’t-miss, “Golden Girls”-inspired sign that reads “Thank You For Being A Friend.”
@starbucks a non-negotiable 💚 catch us at our @DANDY seattle pop-up at the climate pledge arena this sunday, july 26th 12-8pm.
SAMSUNG’S NEW PHONES INSPIRE ‘THE FOLD INN’ PUB EXPERIENCE
After revealing a new series of Galaxy Z foldable smart phones at its Unpacked conference in London, Samsung headed straight for the pub. A themed pop-up pub, that is.
From July 24-25, the brand opened up The Fold Inn, a first-of-its-kind London bar experience that encompassed a “folded” bar. There, three custom, non-alcoholic beers inspired by the new lineup was served, with each reflecting the “personality” of a different device through a distinct area of London. The Soho Sipper, The City Pour and The Shoreditch Pint were all on tap.
Attendees could also get hands-on with the phones, check out a folded pool table inspired by the Galaxy Z Flip, and take in artwork and décor, from vintage clocks to paintings of subjects using foldable phones, to sketches of early landline phone designs.
And while we love the concept of a “folding” experience, it looks like Samsung could’ve delivered more. (Like a pub that serves alcohol, perhaps.)
Photo credit: Lehal/PA Media Assignments
CHESS, TEA TIME AND A WICKED-GOOD FILM PREMIERE
Disney’s “Descendents” film franchise is anything but subtle. And to celebrate the debut of the fifth installment, “Descendants: Wicked Wonderland,” the brand on July 14 hosted a delightfully over-the-top premiere event at L.A.’s Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Upon arrival, cast members, filmmakers, execs and special guests walked a checkered, Wonderland-themed carpet, then made their way inside to the theater for the movie’s world premiere screening.
Festivities continued across the museum, with multiple spaces converted into whimsical scenes from the film, and with design elements spanning oversized mushrooms, giant teacups, 8-foot-tall chess pieces, a tea party installation and a number of authentic props from the set.
The family-friendly affair additionally included glam stations operated by celebrity hair artist Daniel Moon, who worked on the new movie, and his team of artists, who applied tinsel, gems, stenciling and temporary tinting to attendees’ hair, giving each of them a Wonderland-inspired look.
And then there was the illuminated LED dance floor, inspired the film’s chess game dance battle, where revelers enjoyed DJ Sunforrs spinning songs from the “Wicked Wonderland” soundtrack, and even sang and danced alongside cast members. (Agency: Mirrored Media)
Photo credit: Mirrored Media for Disney
