Dark Marketing Event
What's the purpose of a brand event? To immerse consumers in the brand world, but also to provide the content and the media for viral spread. This event happened nearly 10 years ago, before camera phones, so the virality had to be included.
We took the biggest marquee in Africa and created a world inside it to appeal to "the free-thinking man". In the centre was the tower, a viewing point with lighting and camera controls that the audience could interact with.
"The City" had food and the "Hog and Hoe" bar, massuese, barber, palm reader, peep show run by two cross-dressing boys, Odididi's jazz club, revolving dance floor with separate DJ, and the blue-screen where consumers could create and forward their viral videos.
"Downtown" had baseball courts, graffiti area, destroyed cars, dustbin-drumming, and a skatepark.
In the park were we had two guys as living statues. You could play chess, or get up on the "Express Yourself" soapbox (many aspiring rap artists).
On the beach, real sand (transported 1500km) with a pond of balls, jacuzzi's for extroverts and exhibitionists (including the client), change rooms, lego, an ice cream van, beach bar, etc.
The pods - those circular screen things you'll see - gave consumers missions to accomplish, teaching them about the brand world. Participation was voluntary. (The pod concept was eventually exported to Japan for brand activation there).
Credits (so many to mention, I'm bound to have forgotten someone important) Agency: Bates 141 Stellenbosch. Team: Pieter van der Lingen, Quentin Arendse, Ruan Vermeulen, Carel de Beer, Sandy Immelman, Alex Meiring, Alex Eigner, Brendan "Squirrel" Wade, Warren van Rensburg. Outside suppliers: Desti Brown, Graham, Sven. Gearhouse. Ikeneo.
