This document discusses various experiential marketing techniques used by brands, including projection mapping, RFID, virtual and augmented reality, wearable technology, and interactive photo activations. It provides examples of how brands have incorporated these technologies and interactive elements into events, retail spaces, festivals, and other venues to creatively engage audiences. The key aspects covered include capturing consumer data, creating shareable experiences, extending brand interactions beyond events, and making experiences personalized.

1. 1
EXPERIENTIAL
INSIGHT

2. 2
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
3. Preface
6. Venue
7. Retail
8. Projection Mapping
9. RFID
10. Wearable / Biometrics
11. Virtual Reality
12. Augmented Reality
13. Sensorial
14. Activity & Entertainment
15. Photo
16. Décor
17. Arts & Creativity
18. Bespoke
19. Nostalgia
20. Social Currency
21. OOH / Experiential
22. Content Capture
23. Summary

3. 3
Experiential is everywhere these days, and we mean it. From subways and waterways to airports
and retail shops, there is no shortage of unique ways (and places) to engage your audience. That
same audience has a digital footprint before they even step foot on experiential ground.
Today’s marketers are able to transcend the tactile with use of technology like RFID, wearables
and mobile tracking that enables brands to engage prospective consumers before, during and after
they interact with them. While cashless experiences mean our wallets are now at home, retailers
need not worry as they can already follow us there.
From crowdsourcing to wearables, the events of tomorrow will be created by us, for us and with us
as they capture information in real time and react accordingly.
Thanks to the volunteer nature of consumer data submission, there is a blossoming opportunity for
engagement with the emerging use of programmatic and other innovative CRM methods.
E N G A G E

4. 4
Creativity = shareability = earned media. Some of the best experiential programs of 2015 had a
core commonality: creativity. ROI tends to favor the bold when it comes to earned media and
residual return on your experiential efforts. From shock-and-awe to a change of scenery,
experiential events certainly reached new heights in 2015. But for those of us who can’t jump from
space to turn a few heads, a little creative twist goes a long way. Hired talent, DIY activities, or
simply the “wow factor” of a creative activation were all ways brands got people talking.
Additionally, some of the best experiential creative elements were…well…creative. From step-and-
repeats to themes and motifs, event creative saw a reinvention in 2015 (quite literally in the case of
nostalgia marketing). Exploiting one of the core benefits to experiential marketing, creativity in
2015 was a multi-sensory overhaul.
2015 was also a time for a (virtual) reality check. As the technology is refined and the costs come
down, expect emerging tech such as virtual reality, augmented reality and projection mapping to
have a larger presence in the experiential landscape of the future.
C R E AT E

5. 5
Today, experiential starts long before a ticket is sold, a sample is handed out or an attendee sets
foot inside an experience. Similarly, it doesn’t end when the event does. According to an
EventBrite study, 54% of social conversation occurs BEFORE an event even starts, with 29% of
the chatter happening afterward. This presents an opportunity for brands to extend their
interactions with an audience, and by using social media to truly fit the demands of their
consumers. Social media can also be used as a catalyst for engagement, from vending machines
to real-time info sharing, today’s event experience is also an online one. AdWeek notes that
“Brands are becoming aware that events don't have to attract tens of thousands of people to be
successful. In fact, by giving events and experiences the cachet of exclusivity, marketers can play
on FOMO and provide additional incentive for photo and social sharing.”
Attendees aren’t the only ones sharing. With experiential as the backbone to a campaign, it often
serves as an breeding ground for content development, to be later shared either directly with
consumers, through media outlets and social channels or via CRM campaigns.
E X T E N D

6. 6
V E N U E
AIRPORTS
JOSE CUERVO
Threw a party in an airport
with a Rolling Stones
theme, flight attendants and
complimentary samples.
AUDI
Took Denver Airport guests
on a virtual trip to Vail to
drive the Audi S3 through
less-than-ideal driving
conditions simulating its
handling.
UNIQLO
activated in a
Chicago Subway
At first glance this Chicago
subway car looked like a
mobile billboard of sorts,
wrapped with Uniqlo
branding. Upon entering,
consumers realized they
were walking into a party
fully equipped with a DJ in
honor of the brand’s first
Chicago store opening.
BUZZFEED &
JOLLY RANCHER
activated in warehouse
space
To build off their “Keep on
Sucking” campaign, Jolly
Rancher partnered with
Buzzfeed and the two brands
put a cherry on top of the
campaign when they activated
in a Williamsburg Warehouse.
The activation aimed to show
the less glamorous parts of
living in NYC.
Trains, planes, automobiles & boats: experiential activations are taking flight - sometimes literally - with experiences in unique
locations that capitalize on temporarily paused attention spans and can provide captive consumers with an enjoyable
experience.

7. 7
As the retail and experiential landscapes evolve, the lines between them are dissolved. Retail spaces entertain and event-
goers shop, while technology helps to bridge the gap.
R E TA I L
REEBOK
Fithub
The brand leveraged their existing retail space to host a fitness event featuring a
shopping spree and a TED-style talk. Similar to Lululemon’s in-store yoga
classes, more brands are taking an experiential approach to retail.
NORTHFACE
Disappearing Floor stunt
A North Face store in South Korea pulled a unique, in-store stunt on their
consumers: as they were browsing racks of jackets, the floors began to lower. It
appeared that the only way out was to reach for the rock wall, climb up and make
a leap for a North Face jacket that was hanging in the middle of the space.

8. 8
Through the use of HD video, animation, and other graphics sources; projection mapping allows brands to elevate a plain
space into a limitless canvas for environmental design.
P R O J E C T I O N M A P P I N G
AMEX
US Open
Amex created a hydro-
interactive water wall at
US Open to tell Maria
Sharapova’s success
story in a unique way.
Watch the video here.
NUTRI-GRAIN
Fuel On Activation
Kellogg’s used projection
mapping to create a glow in
the dark skate park. Live
tracking based helped bring
the images to life by showing
riders’ in their tracks. Laser
triggered cameras were used
and photos were uploaded to
Facebook through RFID tags.
Watch here to see how it was
done.
KAT VON D
Beauty Line Launch
This was the first-ever
live face-tracking and
projection mapping
performance. Following
Kat Von D’s real time
movements, 3D images
were projected on her
face at an event to
launch her new beauty
line. Click here for the
full video.
L.A.
CLIPPERS
Half-time Magic
Court projection meets
tactile crowd
engagement: as images
of beach balls covered
the court, actual beach
balls descended on the
audience.
Click here to see more of
the show.

9. 9
RFID is not a new technology, but through the years it has become more affordable, allowing more and more brands to
incorporate it into their events. It can be used to help with guest access, easy payment solutions, track tangible data on
consumers, and seamlessly integrate with social media.
R F I D
LOLLAPALOOZA
Cashless
Lollapalooza music festival went cashless and encouraged festival-goers to sync
their credit card with their wristband and tap to pay.
NIVEA
“Sun Band”
In Brazil, Nivea used print, mobile and beacon technology to help parents keep an
eye on their kids over the summer. The beacon would alert an integrated app if the
child-affixed band ventured outside a set proximity.
BEACONS/TRACKING
SxSw
Attendees at SXSW were able to see profiles of others nearby making networking easier,
receive notifications for events, and engage in virtual session rooms. All of this was
possible because of the beacon technology at the festival.

10. 10
Wearable technology provides marketers with ample data on consumers thus making every experience extremely
customizable and informative.
W E A R A B L E / B I O M E T R I C S
ESTEE LAUDER (LAB SERIES)
Jawbone Partnership
The men’s skincare brand partnered with Jawbone and invited men to a health-
tracking competition linking fitness, sleep and diet to skincare.
PEPSI
SxSw
Pepsi gave concert goers wristbands that monitored their body temperature, audio and
motion levels throughout the night. The data controlled concert elements, from the confetti
to smoke machines, and was recorded to tell a multi-sensory story.
MEASUREMENT
“Return on Experience”
A recent movie screening monitored audience’s physiological responses with a wearable
to measure heart rate, motion and electrodermal activity. The data was used to market the
“14 heart-pounding moments and 4716 seconds they can expect to be transfixed”.

11. 11
VR technology can be used to create a transformative experience and personalized connection with a brand. Over the next
few years, VR devices may become a common technology in consumers’ homes, allowing the ability for these unique
engagements to be targeted on a mass scale.
V I R T U A L R E A L I T Y
MARRIOTT
Virtual Honeymoon
As newly married couples walked out of New York City Hall, Marriott pulled them to
the side to give them a virtual honeymoon of Marriott Hotels via virtual travel
experiences.
BRITISH AIRWAYS
#DiscoverBA
British Airways took virtual reality to the streets of Europe to transport consumers
to new destinations showing them the breadth of flight options the airline has to
offer.
MERRELL
TrailScape
At Sundance Film Festival, guests who tried a branded virtual reality experience
felt as if they had actually braved hiking intense mountain trails. See the video
here.

12. 12
Augmented reality allows computer generated objects to coexist in the real world for endless brand integration. This
technology is expected to help bridge the gap for between brick and mortar stores and e-commerce.
A U G M E N T E D R E A L I T Y
THE WALKING
DEAD
Sky Scary Shelters
A bus shelter ad was used
to promote the fifth season
of The Walking Dead, but
this was no traditional OOH
installation. AR was
leveraged to give the illusion
that zombies were emerging
from the walls.
VESPA
Magazine Ad
Vespa’s unique magazine
ad brought a scooter
showroom to life. It allowed
users to customize their
very own Vespa, take it for a
spin off the page and then
GPS would locate the
nearest dealership.
PEPSI MAX
Live for Now
Pepsi Max pranked
Londoners with an out of
this world AR stunt.
Consumers who were
casually waiting for the bus
were surprised by a series
of abnormal events. Some
saw tigers running down the
street while others saw
UFO’s in the sky.

13. 13
MarketingTechNews defined “‘Haptic experience’ as the convergence of advertising and marketing, with a positive assault on the five key
senses; sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch.” We think they’re on to something. Here we visit an intersection of emerging technology and
brand experiences that creates buzz you can almost feel.
S E N S O R I A L
MIELE - “The Science of Perfection”
Appliance manufacturer Miele threw a multi-sensory bash to launch a new line of washer/dryers. Inspired by the machines themselves, the event
space became a live performance with aerial artists on silk sheets, dancers, contortionists, and fragrances like fresh dryer sheets. Guests were
given noise-cancelling headphones so each could experience the event personally.
DOMINO’S - “Vibes: A Night To Feel The Music”
Domino’s brought consumers beyond their taste buds with a multi-sensory experience for the hard of hearing during Austin City Limits. Sound-reactive
flooring, light displays, LED bracelets and LCD screens were used to create the exclusive live-music event that redefined the concert experience with a
tactile twist. With over 1.5 million Social and PR impressions and more than half of the attendees tweeting and posting on Instagram, the event drove
earned media though it’s buzzworthy appeal. Of course, pizza was served.
DELTA - “Stillness in Motion”
Inspired by Pico Iyer’s TED talk on productive from doing less, Delta created an interactive installation at TED 2015
to promote flight productivity features such as Wi-Fi, in-seat power and the Fly Delta app. The exhibit used lights, mirrors and heart rate monitors
to create a physical environment from guests own “stillness”. Exclusive inflight TED content kept consumers connected from the ground to 40,000
feet.
STELLA ARTOIS - “Stars”
Stella Artois gave New York City’s iconic lights a run for their money when they brought their interactive star installation to Moynihan station and
kicked the activation off with an appearance by John Legend. The experience began with consumers learning about Stella’s 600 year history and
literally being able to reach up for the stars.

14. 14
Brands have always wanted consumers to engage with their activations – but now they want them to help create them. Events within events are
already on the rise with music festivals adding 5K runs, food festivals adding yoga and everything in between. Experiences will be human
powered – and quite literally in some of the more eco-friendly cases. Have a blast!
A C T I V I T Y & E N T E R TA I N M E N T
UPSLOPE
Backcountry Tap
Room Hike
Craft Brewery Upslope
released a new beer and
sent fans on a hike up a
Rocky Mountain trail. When
they reached the top they
were able to taste test the
new brew.
MIXOLOGY
Yoga Class
Organic Mixology Vodka
hosted a yoga class on a
helipad. Complimentary
cocktails were served when
the class was over.
TOYOTA
Prius Playground
Toyota had music festival
attendees devote time on
one of their energy-
generation stations in order
to “earn” event freebies.

15. 15
With the dawn on the SELFIE, photo-booths are making yet another comeback. With an array of photo-technology out there, from multi-media
to RFID, two must-haves of a successful photo booth are social functionality and a creative twist.
P H O T O
CINEMOGRAPHS
This technology creates a
unique photo by combining
still and moving elements.
Typically saved as a GIF
file, they are fun yet easy to
share.
S.E.L.F.I.E.
MIRROR
The Self Enhancing Live
Feed Image Engine allows
users to snap a selfie while
looking into an actual mirror.
The photo is uploaded directly
to their social channels.
360 CAMERAS
Fun, albeit costly, these
photo-activations capture a
fully immersive 360-degree
photo that the recipient can
rotate at all angles.

16. 16
The key to an engaging photo activation is…right behind you. The backdrop to future events is more than a 2-Dimentional step and repeat.
Create something shareable and people will do just that!
D É C O R
TARGET
Galactic
Experience
Fan Event
NIKE
Wings
21 and Over
film premier
ABSOLUT
limited edition
bottle launch
MOMA film
benefit
TARGET V.I.P
party

17. 17
Brands are using visual arts as a tool to engage consumers. Art walls are popular—commonly used as non-traditional step-and-repeats and
sometimes even created onsite as a unique way for consumers to engage. Studies are showing that “nearly half of millennials prefer art events
that incorporate audience participation.” We see this pushing more to engage audiences in 2016.
A R T S & C R E AT I V I T Y
AT&T
The brand offered demos by local artists and a social surprise-and-delight element
gave fans an opportunity to win the artwork for free by posting photos.
SOULCYCLE
The brand employed an artist to create murals behind the instructors of spin
classes held during Art Basel.
MODELO
While they sampled beer, Modelo fans were able to design their own coasters
which were compiled for participants to vote for their favorite design. A hired artist
used the winning four to design this year’s official collection of Modelo pint
glasses.

18. 18
Consumers love anything personalized. Engaging through social channels is one way to get attention, but it won’t hold for long—millennials
want to know that companies are paying attention to their specific needs and giving them a personalized experience or item is one way to keep
attention.
B E S P O K E
DRESSBARN
Event guests could select a
color and have it made into
a lipstick in front of them.
They were then able to give
the color a name and create
a custom label.
BIRCHBOX
Allowed consumers to
choose products to build
their own box during their
pop-up tour.
ALEX & ANI
Encouraged festival goers
to design and craft a
beaded and suede
headband to wear at the
festival.

19. 19
As evidenced by BuzzFeed’s 90’s articles, putting a nostalgic edge on a campaign brings consumers back to the good ‘ol
days. Nostalgic marketing is also versatile since it can span multiple media, genres, and even generations.
N O S TA L G I A
GAMES
Brands are using old school games to bring out nostalgic feelings. Groupon used
Twister for a team bonding experience (top left photograph). Pizza Hut sponsored
a video game and digital video festival and brought attendees back to the time of
Pac-Man (top right photo)
90s ICONS AND CELEBS
Brands are also working with celebrities famous from certain eras. In 2014, 90s
rapper Biz Markie was brought in for entertainment at the New York Auto Show
(bottom left photograph). Flava Flav was brought in to show support for Bai at
their flavor launch party (bottom right photograph).

20. 20
#ItTakesMoreThanAHashtag to get people talking. The convergence of social, experiential and technology have yielded new
ways to interact with event goers both onsite and online.
S O C I A L C U R R E N C Y
OREO
Trending Vending
Lounge
Oreo created the Trending
Vending Lounge at SXSW, a
vending machine that invited
attendees to print a custom 3D
edible Oreo based on a
trending topic/hashtag on
Twitter of their choosing in
real-time. Each SXSW-related
hashtag influenced a mash-up
of 12 flavors, colors and crème
printing patterns to create one
of 4,000 possible cookies.
INSTAGRAM
Insta Candy
Ever wonder what your Instagram filter
would taste like? Well there is now a
filter based vending machine powered
by Instagram photos. Attendees at
the Kristal Elma Festival in Istanbul
were encouraged to take a selfie, and
upload it on Instagram using a filter
along with the hashtag #instacandy to
instantly claim their sweet gift. Each
filter was associated with different
flavor.
OLD NAVY
Flip Flop Vending
Machine
Old Navy activated twitter
vending machines in high-
traffic locations in LA and NYC
that dispensed flip-flops.
Consumers logged into Twitter
from a tablet attached to the
machine and filled in answers
to statements like: “The best
place to wear flip-flops is
_______.” Their reward? A
pair of flip-flops.
HYUNDAI—Destination Unknown
HYUNDAI
Destination Unknown
Hyundai and iHeart Radio teamed
up to send consumers on a socially
driven scavenger hunt. Each team
was provided a Hyundai Tucson
with locations for the hunt
programmed into the car’s
navigation system. A handful of the
cars other capabilities were used to
complete tasks that unlocked letters
to spell a secret venue hosting an
Imagine Dragons’ concert. The
team that won the scavenger hunt
received VIP tickets to the concert.

21. 21
Overstimulation is a real factor when trying to reach consumers with almost any channel. Sometimes executing a simple
activation is the one that delivers “shock value” and allows a brand to be heard. Or tasted.
O O H / E X P E R I E N T I A L
CARLSBERG
Drinkable Billboard
Carlsberg created “Probably the best poster in the world,” with a sleek billboard and beer
tap in the middle. This simplistic yet attention drawing activation pulled enough traffic for a
line down the block.
COKE ZERO
Drinkable Billboard
Coke Zero also installed a "drinkable billboard" that shoots soda through a massive straw into a public
drinking fountain. The liquid travels from the bottom of the billboard to a sampling area with six
fountain spouts where people can taste the soda.

22. 22
Experiential and content are inextricably connected. Whether it’s an iPhone, GoPro, film crew or photo-booth, the cameras are always rolling.
Today, brands are honing their catch-and-release approach to content as they generate compelling content from their experiential endeavors
for everyone– both on and off site – to see.
C O N T E N T C A P T U R E
COFFEE-MATE – Social chatter during finals week at OSU
Nestlé's Coffee-mate turned sampling into the ultimate finals survival resource at Ohio State University with a 20-ft high coffee cup
installation and activations designed to encourage social chatter and help students recharge. For those who couldn’t make it to the station
had the chance to tweet or text for deliveries. Coffee-mate captured the footage as well as GoPro video and selfies from the scooters to post
as content to its channels.”
HEINEKEN – Snapchat at Coachella
With multiple activations at Coachella, Heineken pushed exclusive content via Snapchat from both in-activation and around-festival.
Snaps also included interactive tips about secret performances that users could receive only after messaging the name of an artist
featured in the videos.
BUD LIGHT – “Whatever, USA”
Seeking a sharable experience for new millennial beer drinkers, Bud Light created the ultimate content platform: an experiential takeover of
an entire town. From attendee auditions and spontaneous flights to the event itself, “all content, from the TV spot to the surprise-and-
delight social activations, was captured and posted online” according to EventMarketer who gave the campaign highest honors for
experiential.
HILTON – “Hilton@Play”
The hotel chain that offers exclusive perks to Hilton Honors members such as sold out tickets to a Nick Jonas show gave remote fans a
digital front-row seat via Periscope. The content was also streamed on the brand’s social channels, and included a pre-event contest for
select fans to view exclusive content and even win a meet & greet with Nick himself.

23. 23
These are exciting times for experiential marketers. According to an a study from the Event Marketing
Institute, “companies and brands are increasing their event and experiential marketing budgets by a healthy
6.1% in 2015…up from an increase of 5.4% found in 2014.” With the rapid advancement (and increased
affordability) of emerging technologies, now more than ever marketers are harnessing the power of a brand’s
physical presence.
Today, experiential lies at the very core of a brand’s communication platform. They help build the foundation
upon which entire marketing campaigns are built. As AdWeek notes: “Brands looking to make a deeper
connection with consumers are turning to an old maxim: learn from experience. Experiential marketing, once
an afterthought to mainstream ad campaigns, is now emerging as the backbone to a growing number of
branding plans.”
While some would argue that the fundamental principle of experiential marketing is for consumers to
“experience” a brand or product, today it is evident that they experience much more than that. They surprise,
delight and assist. They get people moving, talking, thinking and feeling. From sensorial experiences and
augmented reality to bespoke campaigns that span generations, experiential marketing has the ability to
connect with consumers in a way that no other channels can. Viewed as the future of consumer interaction, it
is a future yet to be written by innovative brands, campaigns and most importantly: experiences.
S U M M A R Y

24. 24
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