Top 4 brand activations on water

One of the most amazing facts about the world of experiential is that it can bring anything and everything to reality. If a marketer can dream a creative thought then it can be weaved into a mesmerizing campaign through experiential and added to the marketing mix of a brand. It is in fact only due to this attribute of experiential that the domain of marketing today is more exciting than ever.

Brands nowadays are even integrating environmental elements such as water to make their experiential campaign stand out from all others. We at EE are thrilled with this practice and below mentioned is our list of top 4 brand activations on water.

1-Land Rover floating rugby ball

This particular activation by the notable automobile brand featured an oversized rugby ball being used to carry a Land Rover down the Thames in London. The 8.2 metre-high ball travelled 25 miles down the river, from the Tilbury Docks to Tower Bridge.

The activation was symbolic of the brands association with the Rugby World Cup and the highlight of the campaign was Land Rover ambassador and Rugby World Cup 2003 winner Lewis Moody driving the vehicle out of the giant ball. Land Rover was also used to transport the Web Ellis Cup throughout the Rugby World Championship.

2-Airbnb’s floating houseboat

Online hospitality platform Airbnb recently created a blue coloured houseboat and sailed it down the River Thames for five days in May, to celebrate the arrival of new laws that favour home-sharers.

The floating house was designed Star Events and consisted two bedrooms, a living room, bathroom, doghouse, garden with real grass and an apple tree, and it took four months to build. Fans were called on to experience the floating home by way of a star-studded party and sleepover for one lucky competition winner and three friends, who were treated to spa treatments and a private dining experience.

3- Sharknado 3 stunt

This was one of its kind activation that was used to promote the brand of a film series instead and featured John Grimes and Edward Grimes (actors) who joined in the experiential bandwagon to promote their film Sharknado 3. The activation stunt saw the pair race down the river in a boat with sharks attached, giving off the idea that they were being chased by the carnivorous creatures, comprising three species - tiger shark, hammerhead and great white.

Specialized production studio Wild Creations created the intricate stunt and the activation was an instant hit among the fans who simply could not wait to catch the movie after the thrilling experience.

4- Microsoft stages cycle stunt

For this experiential campaign Microsoft teamed up with renowned cyclist Danny MacAskill to create a loop-the-loop-style cycle stunt to promote its Cortana brand. The stunt involved MacAskill riding a five-metre, loop-the-loop structure with the Cortana signature illuminated in front of the London Eye.

The Cortana software helped with MacAskill's training for the challenge by arranging his meetings, setting appointment reminders, playing his favourite music, providing bad weather warnings and finding maps. The event used the Twitter hashtag #MakeItHappen to reflect the idea that Cortana software knows what users want and how to make it happen.