Event marketers wink at the advertising world

Events typically have boundaries, four walls or a distinguishable footprint, but recent case studies point to an upswing in stunts taking advantage of outdoor advertising space and redefining the scope of “an experience.” Through clever installations, takeovers (bold or subtle), marketers are capitalizing on discovery and the unexpected.

Take Netflix, which cleverly inserted signage, decals, characters and props along a block in Manhattan’s Little Italy that pointed to the messaging surrounding the release of the film “The Irishman” on the platform. To the unsuspecting eye, it was business as usual—in fact, all stores and the street remained open. But if consumers looked closely they’d notice branded decals on storefronts, papers stocked in newsstands with clues to giveaways businesses offered if they recited the “password.” Hanging above them was festive square bunting featuring the Netflix logo. Suddenly, an event emerged that immersed passersby in the film’s story about organized crime in the 1950s. A few classic cars, paperboys and old-school phonebooths drove it home.

Sonia Friedman Productions teased its new theatrical production of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” with a billboard takeover in Times Square that transformed a bold advertising moment into a launch event. As influencers and passersby gathered, a 60-second countdown clock appeared along with the ominous toll of a bell. Billboards in Times Square then went white as Harry Potter himself came marching onscreen. From there, the screens synched up (51 ad spaces in total), displaying animations that promoted the production and how “the story continues.” The event included a surprise moment when dark clouds took over the square and frightening figures looked down upon the crowds with the message “sometimes darkness comes from unexpected places” appearing on the screens.

Visible eventually made good on its “promise” and hosted an afternoon of back rubs and other wellness treats.

In a smaller-scale example, Verizon’s low-cost Visible phone service this year fully embraced out-of-home stunts. Among them—the transformation of bus stops in West Hollywood into installations that pointed to locations where the app-based phone plan offers exceptional coverage, like at ski slopes (those waiting for the bus took a seat on a ski lift) or at camp sites (a long log took the place of a bench). The brand wrapped up the year with a billboard typo stunt in its home city of Denver that changed the word “messages” to “massages,” and had passersby buzzing on social media. The brand eventually made good on its “promise” and hosted an afternoon of back rubs and other wellness treats.

For event marketers battling the over saturation of pop-up promotions and “immersive” experiences, this trend capitalizes on the unexpected event and it shows no signs (no pun intended) of slowing down.

Trend Report: Event marketers wink at the advertising world