Experiential Trend of the Week: Laundromats as Venues

Doing laundry isn’t anyone’s idea of a good time, but it’s a relatable task that has the attention of marketers aiming to deliver experiences that feel both familiar and unexpected. Enter: the laundromat as an event venue.

Brands are taking over the intimate and instantly recognizable environments to host surprise-and-delight-fueled activations that offer a fresh spin (cycle) on how, and more importantly where, event profs can carve out opportunities for connection.

The concept is open to interpretation, too. Consider CeraVe’s “Squeakeasy” pop-up, which began with a laundromat-themed environment featuring washing machines and bubble installations.

With the use of a special token, the laundromat then opened up into a bigger activation space, where attendees could get personalized skin profiles and matched with cleanser products designed for their skin type, sip mocktails, say hello to the brand’s mascot, Sarah V., and catch a performance by Loud Luxury.

For more squeaky-clean ideas, read on.

Remix the Nightlife Scene

If the mere thought of doing laundry makes you want to be a kid again, you’re certainly not alone. It’s, of course, one of the universal pain points of adulthood, a fact not lost on FX, which celebrated the debut of its comedy series “Adults” with two sensory Suds and Sounds events hosted at laundromats in L.A. and New York.

At The Laundry Room in Culver City, CA, and The Laundry Bee in Queens, NY, attendees experienced a “remix” of real-life adult responsibilities balanced by a range of dj sets, surprise performances, bodega snacks, espresso drinks, themed cocktails, tarot card readings, giveaways and free laundry.

Complimentary laundry bags built for “carrying the emotional baggage of growing up,” a Polaroid photo op and dance-floor therapy were also part of the experience.

Make it Romantic

LG Electronics combined the growing wedding activation trend with the laundromat movement to celebrate romance at its Launderette of Love at Gansevoort Plaza in New York City. Ten couples were selected to get (fake) hitched at the pop-up chapel as “Millionaire Matchmaker’s” Patti Stanger officiated.

The activation supported LG’s broader Love to Laundry campaign that celebrates how the act of doing laundry creates small, but meaningful, moments of connection. In that spirit, laundry day was repositioned as a time for romance, laughter and simple pleasures between couples.

Solve a Pain Point

Heineken brought its “Cheers to the Hardcore Fans” campaign to South Korea in time for the UEFA Champions League with a bubbly activation built to help die-hard soccer buffs watch matches with friends in real time. And so the Heineken LaundroMatch was born.

The laundromat-turned-sports-bar concept was inspired by two facts: Asia is home to some of the world’s most “hardcore” fans, many of whom wake up at 3 or 4 a.m. to catch games live, and the reality that during those early hours, bars are closed and most fans resort to watching the matches at home alone.

So Heineken swooped in with its LaundroMatches, allowing fans to scan QR codes at WashEnjoy laundromats around the country on game days to access a free 30-day SPOTV subscription that gave them access to a livestream of the Champions League quarter and semi-finals within their local Heineken LaundroMatch.

Persil’s Fast Wash & Rave

To spread the word about its Wonder Wash product, which cleans clothes and achieves “long-lasting” fragrance in just 15 minutes, Persil tuned into the offbeat rave trend and hosted a free rave experience in London featuring a 15-minute performance by Craig David.

Those who scored a ticket to Persil’s Fast Wash & Rave could bring their laundry to the event for a 15-minute fast-wash—the items were cleaned, dried and returned by the end of their booked slot. They also walked away with Wonder Wash sachet samples.

Help Athletes Shine

Runners don’t often have a place to showcase their race badges, but Gymshark worked to flip the script with its pop-up Londrette during the HYROX global fitness race in London.

The activation served as a retro-laundromat-meets-tailor-shop experience where runners could have their hard-earned race badges stitched to a complimentary hoodie and rub shoulders with fellow members of the running community.

No rinsing and repeating here.

Related: