The month of August has been exceptional for the world of experiential. As most parts of the world are still struggling under the summer heat wave, a number of popular brands utilized this opportunity to turn things around and create memorable experience for their customers. With brands like Ferrari, Heineken and Sony leading the pack, below mentioned is our pick for Top 5 brand activations in August from across the globe. 1-Heineken transforms Somerset House into rugby stadium This brand activation takes the love of Rugby to an entirely different level doesn’t it? Through the initiative beer brand Heineken officially kicked off its Rugby World Cup 2015 campaign by using projection mapping at the Somerset House in London to transform it like a rugby stadium. The 270-degree projection, which was created by the agency Projection Artworks, and the highlight of the projection was that the walls of Somerset house looked like they were filled with rugby fans watching a game. The evening also featured an hour-long set from Everything Everything and appearances from legends like Jonah Lomu, Will Carling, John Smit, Matt Dawson and Scott Quinnell. 2-Casa Ferrari Carmel The activation had Ferrari renting out a Shell gas station in California. And a custom built structure a part of the activation, displayed a rotating schedule of vintage Ferrari cars. The concept of the pop-activation was applauded by the brands prospective customers who could now get a touch and feel of their favorite automobile brands away from the jam packed showrooms. 3-Cadbury free chocolate activation in London Through this campaign Cadbury had a team of six cyclists spreading the joy and fervor of Mondelez by distributing free chocolate across London streets on August 25th. The concept of the campaign was simple yet effective and hence brought immediate smiles on the faces of the passerby’s. The cyclists gave out Twirl, Wispa and Dairy Milk and other products from the brand and people were encouraged to tweet the happy moments with hashtag #joycycle. 4-Uber and Magnolia Bakery National Banana Pudding Day Talk about creating sweet experiences through brand activations. UberEats and Magnolia Bakery teamed up together for this one, wherein capitalizing on the National Banana Lovers Day theme , the brands tweaked the concept to make it National Banana Pudding Day. The first 300 customers who ordered a meal using Uber's city-specific food delivery option received a free small banana pudding from the bakery and anyone who bought banana pudding in stores got a free banana-theme temporary tattoo and a chance to win free pudding for a year if they used the hashtag #GoBananas and tagged the bakery in an Instagram post. Now this is one experience we must have in India too! 5-GoGo Squeez's 'Goodness Machine' The nutritious snack brand, GoGo Squeez partnered with MKG for the activation tour of its customized vending machine, called as "The Goodness Machine." The activation featured the brand's signature applesauce packet and kids were invited to participate by pushing a button, which activated a launching mechanism that shot out an applesauce packet attached to a parachute with the brand's label. The activation also featured a social media and video element, with a custom video recorder that recorded kids interacting with the machine.
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KidZania Mumbai launched its “Aamche Police Campaign” to express its gratitude to the Mumbai Police. In the true spirit of the festival of Raksha Bandhan, kids from across the city visited KidZania Mumbai this month to make rakhis. Post this, these children along with the kids of Teach for India, visited over 500 policemen across the city to tie Rakhis, symbolizing their appreciation for the men-in-khaki. On the 29th of August, the KidZania Mumbai Council members visited the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Rakesh Maria and tied him a Rakhi as well. Just as the custom for Raksha Bandhan goes, the police officers were very pleased by this gesture and even arranged for sweets for the children who tied those rakhis, with some of them contributing in their own way towards the cause of education championed by the kids. In addition to this, policemen also conducted a special session for the kids on self-defense and encouraged girls to be more vigilant and confident about their safety. Thus, indirectly spreading the message that by taking such actions they could make this a better world for themselves! The initiative epitomizes KidZania’s philosophy of empowering children and inspiring them to connect with the community, to the civil force that keeps the city running and also inspiring a sense of responsibility and accountability in children. On this initiative Viraj Jit Singh, Chief Marketing Officer of KidZania India, stated, “The educational value of the experience at KidZania is not just rooted through the role-playing of different professions at the centre but also the opportunities for kids to connect to the real world and their communities. The Raksha Badhan initiative allows them to better understand and appreciate the duties of the Mumbai Police force. We are grateful to the Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria for his support.” Commenting on this occasion , Commissioner of Police,Mr Rakesh Maria said, " It's a great initiative by KidZania Mumbai.We don't want kids to fear us, but to respect us and with KidZania taking such initiatives it gives us also a chance to connect with them. We wish KidZania all the very best for their future endeavors."
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Converse Inc. recently unveiled the selection of aspiring artists chosen for the new Converse Rubber Tracks global program, offering free recording time at 12 legendary recording studios around the world. Throughout the registration period, over 9,000 up-and-coming international artists applied for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and a total of 84 acts - representing 28 countries - will record at participating studios and become part of music history. Starting Monday, September 14, studios including Converse Rubber Tracks in Brooklyn, New York, and Boston, Massachusetts; Abbey Road Studios in London, England; Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, California; and Tuff Gong in Kingston, Jamaica, will host chosen artists throughout a two-week period. Singer- songwriter Prateek Kuhad from Delhi has been chosen as the emerging act from India for the Converse Rubber Tracks global studio takeover. With the release of his EP, Raat Raazi, in 2013, Delhi-based multi-lingual singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad instantly established himself as one of the most promising artists in the Indian independent music scene. Written completely in Hindi, Raat Raazi released to critical acclaim and featured complex and nuanced guitar work. Prateek, with his unique blend of minimal, folk arrangements and pop rock melodies, captures life’s complexities in his songs. Having performed at venues across New York, Prague, New Orleans and India, he has also played at festivals such as the Bacardi NH7 Weekender (2012, 2013), Ziro Festival (2014) and more. Prateek recently released his much awaited debut album titled, In Tokens & Charms, on 21st January 2015. As part of the Converse Rubber Tracks studio takeover, selected acts will record alongside a team of experienced producers and sound engineers during 1-2 day sessions. Upon completion of their studio time, each act will retain all the rights to their music. Demonstrating the global reach of the program, the selected artists represent the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Brasil, Canada, Chile, China,Colombia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru,Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Renowned studios featured within the program include Abbey Road Studios in London, England; Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, California; Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin, Germany; Tuff Gong in Kingston, Jamaica; Greenhouse Studios in Reykjavik, Iceland; The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, Canada; Avast Recording Co. in Seattle, Washington; Stankonia in Atlanta, Georgia; Studios 301 in Sydney, Australia; Toca do Bandido in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; the original brick-and-mortar Converse Rubber Tracks studio in Brooklyn, New York, and the newly unveiled permanent Converse Rubber Tracks studio in Boston, Massachusetts at Lovejoy Wharf. “This Converse Rubber Tracks studio takeover is the biggest thing we've done for the platform to date, and we’re thrilled to have reached so many local music communities worldwide in just the registration period alone,” said Jed Lewis, Converse Global Music Marketing Director. “We received an incredible response from such a vast pool of talent, and we look forward to providing this unique platform to new, diverse acts from all over the globe within these twelve iconic studios."
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Started in 1998, HCL Concert Series provides a platform to upcoming young Indian classical artists to showcase their talent. The intellectual property is an initiative by HCL to nurture Indian Classical Music and Performing Arts Also, as patrons of Indian culture and heritage. The platform is a humble effort in rekindling the interest of today’s generation in classical music and rare art forms, which are slowly fading away into oblivion. HCL recently through a press note revealed the lineup of performers for this year’s edition of the concert series. 4TH September Shiv Kumar Sharma and Rahul Sharma Santoor Takahiro Arai-Tanpura Location- Stein Audi (India Habitat Center) Lodhi Road. 5th September Shiv Kumar Sharma-Santoor Hari Prasad Chaurasia-Bansuri Bhawani Shankar=Pakhwaj Takahiro Arai-Tanpura Location- Shiv Nadar School, Gurgaon. 6th September Shiv Kumar Sharma-Santoor Bhawani Shankar=Pakhwaj Takahiro Arai-Tanpura Location-Shiv Nadar School, Noida
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With an expected 30 million visitors, the Kumbh Mela 2015 at Nashik is a massive congregation of people, which is held after a twelve year gap. Vodafone India, recently announced announced a slew of special initiatives for the benefit of pilgrims visiting the Maha Kumbh. These initiatives are being carried out to help enhance the spiritual experience of pilgrims and also establish a deeper connect with the visitors to one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, beginning with first ‘Shravan Snan’ on 29th August. To ensure seamless connectivity for pilgrims, Vodafone has ramped up network coverage with an additional 65 sites. Vodafone has also deployed 4 branded mobile buses that will offer free calling and charging facility to help devotees stay in touch with their family and friends. Each bus is equipped with 8 phones and over 100 charging points for the convenience of devotees. Vodafone has also partnered with Nashik Police by setting up 50 multi service canopies at prominent locations and several ghats, besides providing 2000 raincoats to policemen. To support the civic administration, Vodafone has also put up prominent signages at multiple locations displaying various helpline numbers. Visitors to the Maha Kumbh can also utilize Vodafone M-Pesa to transfer hard cash on their mobile and conduct safe and secure monetary transactions. Customers can avail this service by reaching out to the nearest Vodafone store or an authorized Vodafone M-Pesa agent in Nashik. Furthermore, for customers visiting from other circles, Vodafone has introduced special pre-paid roaming pack for just Rs 5, which facilitates free incoming calls for one day while roaming. To activate free roaming calls, customer can dial*444*500# and follow the procedure. Conveying his greetings to all the residents of Nashik and visitors to the Maha Kumbh, Ashish Chandra, Business Head- Maharashtra and Goa, Vodafone India said, “Pilgrims from across India and even beyond, are congregating at Nashik to offer prayers and take a holy dip in the Godavari river on the auspicious occasion of Maha Kumbh. Vodafone is delighted to enhance the spirit of this festival by keeping all pilgrims continuously connected with their loved ones through an enhanced network, free incoming calls, facilities for free calling and mobile charging. Given the scale and grandeur of the event, we feel the Maha Kumbh at Nashik is a perfect platform to be out there with the pilgrims and demonstrate we care. Through our multiple assistance, safety and engagement initiatives, Vodafone’s endeavour is to instill a sense of security and help make the Maha Kumbh bathing experience as comfortable as possible, even while we help enhance the spiritual experience for visitors and pilgrims.
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Designing an engaging experiential campaign is never an easy job. However, this task is much more complex if the target audience to be catered is that of kids. For an activation specifically targeted at kids not only do brands and curators have to create a campaign which is easy to understand but they also have to fabricate it in a fashion that sustains their interests. A few brands and event agencies have however cracked the code and have come out with thoroughly engaging and effective experiential campaigns focused at kids. Below mentioned are our top 5 picks for the same. 1-Emirates Air Line and K’Nex challenge This campaign had Airliner Emirates joining hands with K’Nex, a construction toy company. As part of the activity families were taken to a 20 minute round-trip cable car ride from Emirates Greenwich Peninsula terminal and during the trip time the families were asked to build a construction inspired from the view and the building material for the construction was provided by K’Nex. Kids participated enthusiastically in this challenge and the winners of the challenge got free airline tickets and other prizes. 2-Dalda Meri Mom Sabki Mom Through this campaign Dalda brought the joy of motherhood and the happiness of home cooked meals into the lives of unprivileged kids. As part of the campaign activity 100 mothers cooked meals for unprivileged kids to celebrate the fact that one kids mother is also the mother figure to all kids. Interesting contests and mother and kids activities kept the children engaged throughout the activation. 3- Kidzania London. Kidzania London is a cityscape for children at Westfield and the space the technique of role-play exploration to facilitate kids trying their hands at over 60 professions over a four hour experience. A highlight of the space is that parents too can engage with their child’s experience by taking a seat in the audience. 4-ZeeQ Kahani Express ZeeQ, a popular entertainment channel through Kahaani Express aimed at honing the story telling skills of children. The pan-India inter-school initiative provided children an opportunity to use their imagination and bring out their creativity. A total of over 90,000 kids were touched through the campaign wherein an expert story teller would conduct the storytelling session which included specially designed picture panels, story development techniques with props along with workshops under the guidance of facilitators. The initiative by the channel was a much needed step for the society and was met with tremendous appreciation by kids and parents alike. 5-Pogo makes science Fun-tastic Popular Kid’s channel POGO too launched an initiative through which they made the boring laws of science 'fun-tastic' for kids. The channel organized, "Bheem Aur Mighty Raju Ka Fun-tastic lab", a two-day event where kids were engaged and entertained with multiple scientific experiments, workshops and games that helped simplify interesting theories of science. The event touched over 8000 kids and parents through optical illusions, levitation, dry ice and other fun activities and managed to create tremendous word of mouth for the channel.
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The American lighter brand, Zippo is all set to engage its fans in an exciting campaign to celebrate the essence of ‘The Real Man’. In a quest to find the attributes that make “The Real Man”, Zippo has partnered with men’s magazine, Maxim India. Spanning across three phases, the campaign aims to establish Zippo’s characteristics as moving beyond iconic lighters. The campaign integrates the belief that having a story makes a man unique; having a Zippo lighter makes him a man. Starting with a six-day Twitter contest on August 30, 2015, fans will be encouraged to share traits they think make “The Real Man” at Maxim India. Best entries will be integrated into a photo feature in Maxim India’s October issue and rewarded with a Zippo Gentlemen’s lighter. Zippo lovers will also have a chance to own exclusive and funky branded phone covers with purchase of a Zippo Windproof Lighter in the month of October at select retail outlets in Delhi. In the third phase of the campaign, Zippo and Maxim India will host a party to celebrate the spirit of ‘The Real Man’ with attendees including socialites and like-minded celebrities from fashion and Bollywood.
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Vh1, the channel for international music and entertainment is all set to air two highly anticipated shows ‘Video Music Awards 2015’ on Monday, 31st August at 6:30 am. Touted to be the one of the biggest nights in music history, the Video Music Awards 2015 will be bought LIVE to Indian viewers from the capital of the entertainment universe, Los Angeles, on Monday, August 31st, 2015 at 6:30 am with a prime repeat at9pm. This year will witness pop Queen Miley Cyrus take the stage at the awards function as the show’s host. Miley was just 15 when she attended her first VMAs in 2008. Since then, she's made headlines at the show time and again, thanks to the memorable moments like her epic twerk-filled performance in 2013 and 2014's gracious Video of The Year acceptance speech to benefit homeless youth. With Miley as the host the awards will also see the nominee frontrunners like Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran and many more. This is one show in music history worth tuning in for.
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